NEXUS (frequent Traveler Program) - Legal Status of NEXUS Card

Legal Status of NEXUS Card

In the United States, a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS is a valid secured document under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and may be used by itself to reenter the United States from Canada, including by air. Although the card creates a presumption of nationality, neither US nor Canadian law view the NEXUS card as full proof of citizenship. NEXUS cards issued after September 2010 are accepted as proof of citizenship (if the card holder is a citizen of either country) and the traveler is no longer required to carry the passport (if traveling by land only - airport documentation checks can and do require presentation of a passport in addition to the NEXUS card in the event of a secondary inspection).

NEXUS and FAST membership cards will now be accepted as proof of identity and as documents that denote citizenship when entering Canada at all land and marine ports of entry. This means that citizens of Canada and the United States who are NEXUS or FAST members, and are carrying with them valid membership cards, are no longer required to carry other supplementary documents such as passports or birth certificates with them when entering Canada by boat or by land, when using non-NEXUS or non-FAST lanes.

NEXUS and FAST members who are not citizens of Canada or the United States are still required to travel with a passport and proof of permanent residence, and may be requested to present these documents to a border services officer upon arrival at the border.

NEXUS members using the air mode of transportation can enter Canada using the self-serve kiosks regardless of where they are coming from. For example, a NEXUS member returning to Canada from overseas and arriving in Montréal can use the self-serve kiosk in Montréal.

NEXUS cards are absolutely acceptable identification documents to present at TSA checkpoints, but reports suggest they are often rejected by poorly-trained document checkers.