Nexus cards

[Jareds_mommytoo]

We got our cards just as covid hit, so we have not used them, can we use them at the ports? 

[Fouremco]

Yes, but bring your passports as well. We were refused boarding, even after talking to the head supervisor, until we dug out our passports.

 

Also, I wrote to CBSA in November with respect to travelling with a NEXUS card and an expired passport. The issue had come up in one of the forums, and I thought that the question was worth pursuing. I finally received a reply yesterday. While I wasn't surprised by the answer, the information in the penultimate paragraph tends to negate a lot of the prior information. Although stated with respect to airlines, I imagine that the warning could apply to cruiselines too:

 

If seeking to enter the United States by air travel, The NEXUS card can be used at a NEXUS/Global Entry (GE) kiosk, located in the U.S. preclearance area, if you are departing from the following airports:

 

• Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport
• Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
• Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
• Toronto Pearson International Airport
• Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Vancouver International Airport

 

If you are departing from another Canadian airport, you must carry your passport in order to use the GE kiosk and benefit from the expedited processing when arriving in the U.S.  (https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/faq-eng.html).

 

If you do not have a passport, and are returning to Canada, the following documents can denote identity and citizenship:

 

• NEXUS card, held by a Canadian citizen, when entering Canada by air (when coming from the U.S.), land, or marine modes
• FAST card (Free and Secure Trade), issued to a Canadian citizen (when arriving by land or marine modes only)
• Canadian emergency travel document
• Canadian temporary passport
• Certificate of Canadian citizenship (issued from 1954 to present)
• Enhanced driver's license issued by a Canadian province or territory
• Enhanced identification/photo card issued by a Canadian province or territory

 

More on this can be found at https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html.

 

Canadians seeking entry into the United States by land or marine mode can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver’s License, or Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST).  This information is available on the United States Department of Homeland Security webpage at https://www.dhs.gov/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative.

 

Please take note that most airline will require a valid passport in order to board a passenger as they are liable to return this passenger to his departure point should they passenger be refuse entry into another country. We recommend you contact the airline company to inquire about it before booking your flight.

 

Thank you for contacting the Canada Border Services Agency.

[cmich068]

Nexus cards are one of those things that technically meet the legal requirements but don't always meet cruise line requirements. And even when they do, they may not be familiar with it. I always travel with my passport anyways so I just use that at check in.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Jareds_mommytoo said:

We got our cards just as covid hit, so we have not used them, can we use them at the ports? 

 

Nexus is for travel between the US and Canada. I don't believe any Caribbean, Central & South American, or European countries accept it in place of a passport.

[Fouremco]

1 minute ago, broberts said:

 

Nexus is for travel between the US and Canada. I don't believe any Caribbean, Central & South American, or European countries accept it in place of a passport.

In the case I referred to where the terminal staff wouldn't allow us to board without a passport, we were embarking in Boston for a New England/Canada cruise, so there was no issue of NEXUS acceptance, other than by the check in staff.

 

We never travel out of Canada without our passports, just a habit formed over years of travelling abroad for both business and pleasure. Consequently, while illogical, the terminal staff's decision didn't really pose a problem. The funny thing was that a year earlier, for an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver with the same cruiseline, the terminal staff had no problem allowing us to board using the NEXUS card.

[Jareds_mommytoo]

I was wondering if it speeds up the process getting on or off, but if there are no nexus terminals it wont matter. 
My teen got to use hers once going through security in Edmonton and toronto 

[Fouremco]

4 minutes ago, Jareds_mommytoo said:

I was wondering if it speeds up the process getting on or off, but if there are no nexus terminals it wont matter. 
My teen got to use hers once going through security in Edmonton and toronto 

Some cruise terminals have a separate, shorter line for NEXUS and similar programs when debarking. I've found that speeds the process, even without the terminals that you have in the airports. With the move to facial recognition, I don't know if this advantage still exists. The speed for checking in is based on several factors, but not NEXUS membership.