Do I need my physical NEXUS card to receive benefits at the airport? [closed]

I was just approved for NEXUS last weekend and I'm still waiting for my card. They said I was "in the program" and everything but said the card could take a while.

So can I use Pre-Check lanes and NEXUS machines using my PASSID number, which I found online? Or do I need to wait until I receive the card?

nexus

Best Answer

Border crossing. For USA border crossing, you will be using Global Entry machines, these work with your passport. This guide says "Members must use a passport or U.S. legal permanent resident card at Global Entry kiosks." The Canadian border uses NEXUS machines but since any citizen/permanent resident can use the automated machines with just a passport there as well, their advantage is largely diminished / nonexistent. (There are NEXUS members who can't use these machines because their iris scanning failed. I am such.)
Security. Again USA and Canada differs. As this page details, US citizens/permanent residents at US airports with a PASS ID are eligible for TSA Pre. Your eligibility is checked based on your boarding pass. At Canadian airports, to quote the official page "trusted travellers [...] carry special photo identification cards with security features that give them direct access to many airport security screening checkpoints across Canada." However, very often you will only get to jump the queue (although some airports have less stringent security lanes which are either open or not). This forum thread have reports of the lane dragon allowing access to companions not carrying a NEXUS card as long as one person showed theirs.

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Can I use NEXUS without my card?

You cannot use your NEXUS card at Global Entry kiosks outside of Canadian Preclearance locations. At all other ports, you will need to use your passport or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident card. If you are traveling with persons into Canada or the United States that are not NEXUS members, you must use the regular lanes.

How does NEXUS work at the airport?

If you are travelling to the U.S. as a NEXUS member from a Canadian airport with a U.S. preclearance area, you may use your NEXUS card or your passport at the Global Entry kiosks: Proceed to the Global Entry kiosk located in the U.S. preclearance area. Follow the prompts on the screen and complete the entry process.

Can I fly with just my NEXUS card and no passport?

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a U.S. law that requires all travellers, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, to present a valid passport or other acceptable secure document, such as a NEXUS card, when travelling to or through the U.S. from within the western hemisphere.

Does NEXUS qualify for TSA PreCheck?

U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents enrolled in NEXUS and SENTRI are also eligible for TSA PreCheck. Canadian citizens who are members of NEXUS are also eligible to participate in TSA PreCheck.

The pros and cons of 'trusted traveller' programs promising to save you time at the airport

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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