Can American/Canadian NEXUS card holders use APC kiosks at immigration at US airports?
When flying from Canada, US and Canadian citizens can use a NEXUS card alone to enter the US, i.e. without even bringing a passport.
However, Timatic, the database used by airlines, says:
Nationals of Canada and USA with a NEXUS Card embarking in Canada in a non-USCBP pre-cleared flight must clear US immigration via the normal inspection lines. The use of Global Entry kiosk is not possible.
What about Automated passport control (APC) kiosks? At most airports, that's usually the "standard" for US/Canadian citizens and signposted as such. Is it possible for Americans/Canadians to use that with only a NEXUS card?
Best Answer
Let’s parse this a bit as I think there are two important qualifiers:
Nationals of Canada and USA with a NEXUS Card embarking in Canada in a non-USCBP pre-cleared flight must clear US immigration via the normal inspection lines. The use of Global Entry kiosk is not possible.
- I’m assuming from this bit that the passenger is thought to only have a nexus card and not a passport.
Nationals of Canada and USA with a NEXUS Card embarking in Canada in a non-USCBP pre-cleared flight must clear US immigration via the normal inspection lines. The use of Global Entry kiosk is not possible.
- This bit means you’re doing USA immigration in the USA (along with flights from other countries) where there are only Global Entry kiosks and human immigration agents; rather than pre-clearing in Canada where there would also be a NEXUS kiosk that you could use.
My conclusion is this: Your usage of the Global Entry kiosks in the USA is tied to your passport or green card. That is, you have to put your passport or green card into the GE kiosk and not your GE card (and certainly not your NEXUS card).
Timatic is trying to warn you that if you travel with just your Nexus card and no passport from Canada to the USA in a non-pre-cleared flight, you won’t be able to use a global entry kiosk as it doesn’t read nexus cards or even global entry cards (only passports and green cards).
APC kiosks are "Automated PASSPORT Kiosks" and only take passports although some but not all take green cards.
tldr: You’ll have to get in line and show your nexus card to a physical agent.
Pictures about "Can American/Canadian NEXUS card holders use APC kiosks at immigration at US airports?"
Who can use APC kiosks?
Who is eligible to use APC? U.S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, Canadian citizens, eligible Visa Waiver Program participants, and travelers entering with B1/B2, C1/D, or D visa can utilize APC kiosks.How do you use the immigration kiosk?
The self-service kiosks will ask passengers to scan their passport and answer a few questions relating to their personal information and flight info to verify the person. Once all questions have been answered, the kiosk will print out a receipt which passengers must present to a Customs and Border Protection Officer.How do I use automated passport control us?
Entering the United StatesAll NEXUS members can enjoy the benefits of Global Entry at no additional cost through using the Global Entry kiosks for entry at participating airports.Automated Passport Control (APC) Kiosks at Tampa International Airport - August, 2014
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Monstera, Andrea Piacquadio, RF._.studio, Karolina Grabowska