Nexus Cards

[Eveningsong]

An Enhanced Driver's Licence is only good for land or water.

 

[Eveningsong]

Terms and Conditions

As a NEXUS member, you agree to do the following:
■ comply with all customs and immigration laws and
regulations and any other laws or regulations that are
enforced by the CBSA and CBP;
■ understand that your NEXUS membership card is valid
for your use only. You must not transfer your card to
other individuals;
■ recognize that the NEXUS membership card belongs to
the governments of Canada and the United States; and
■ return the NEXUS membership card(s) and any unused
Traveller Declaration Cards (for Canadian residents only) to a
CBSA or CBP officer when you or any child under the age
of 18 for whom you have legal custody or guardianship
are no longer a member of the NEXUS program.

Note: Your authorized period of admission to Canada or
the United States will depend on your immigration status
for each country or your citizenship of that country. Your
immigration status and citizenship must be valid at all times
and you must possess appropriate immigration and identity
documents in addition to your NEXUS card.When you travel to Canada or the United States:
■ carry your NEXUS membership card with you, as well as
any required travel or identification documents;
■ show the CBSA and CBP proof of your NEXUS
membership, your personal identification and any other
immigration or citizenship documents when requested;
■ ensure that each person you are transporting has a valid
NEXUS membership. If any of the passengers in your
vehicle/boat are not carrying their NEXUS membership
card or you have passengers in your vehicle/boat who are
not NEXUS members, you must report to border officials
in the regular manner; and

■ carry copies of legal custody documents when you travel
with children for whom you share custody. If you are not
a custodial parent or legal guardian, you should carry the
children’s identification as well as written permission
from the parents or legal guardians to supervise them.
Ensure that the permission letter includes addresses and
telephone numbers where the parents or legal guardians
can be reached. Children must also be NEXUS members
to access the NEXUS lane or self-serve kiosk.

 

[disneynuts777]

We have NEXUS cards and they are great but you still need your passport as well.
Example-we drove to buffalo for our flight. Entered the U.S using our NEXUS cards. Could not use NEXUS at the buffalo airport. Had to use passports as I.D.
When leaving Orlando to fly back to Toronto had to use our passports as they do not accept NEXUS cards.
Used our NEXUS cards at customs in the Toronto airport by- passing the lines.

So NEXUS is great at saving you time at customs and at land points but you still need to carry other approved I.D. A passport being the best kind espessially for children.

Also..we just all had our passports reissued and my older DD turns 16 in November. I paid the childs rate and her passport is valid for 5 years. Which means she will be nearly 20 before it expires.

 

[rjan67]

Your immigration status and citizenship must be valid at all times
and you must possess appropriate immigration and identity
documents in addition to your NEXUS card.When you travel to Canada or the United States:


That doesn't mean you need a passport. You can use it for this if you have one. A birth certificate will suffice. I work in the U.S. and cross 4-5 times per week. I don't even carry my passport with me. Just my Nexus and I always have my birth certificate in my wallet, but they have never asked to see it except at the interview. We just got a Nexus for my husband so that we can go on a cruise in March. That is going to be his I.D. for the trip. The immigration office said that this will be fine because I specifically asked the question.

 

[Eveningsong]

Your immigration status and citizenship must be valid at all times
and you must possess appropriate immigration and identity
documents in addition to your NEXUS card.When you travel to Canada or the United States:


That doesn't mean you need a passport. You can use it for this if you have one. A birth certificate will suffice. I work in the U.S. and cross 4-5 times per week. I don't even carry my passport with me. Just my Nexus and I always have my birth certificate in my wallet, but they have never asked to see it except at the interview. We just got a Nexus for my husband so that we can go on a cruise in March. That is going to be his I.D. for the trip. The immigration office said that this will be fine because I specifically asked the question.

Good luck with the cruise if you are in Florida. My friends could not use their Nexus cards for ID on their Florida based cruise, they had to use their Passports for the cruise. The cruise ship would not accept the NEXUS card.

Because SENTRI is used for the US Mexico border most southern locations do not even know what a NEXUS card is.

 

[rjan67]

From the Homeland Security Webpage:

"The NEXUS alternative inspection program has been completely harmonized and integrated into a single program. NEXUS members now have crossing privileges at air, land, and marine ports of entry. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the NEXUS card has been approved as an alternative to the passport for air, land, and sea travel into the United States for US and Canadian citizens."

I'm not doubting your friends couldn't use it. I think it once again is an example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Hearing that still makes me think he should get his passport, just so as not to have any hassle.

 

[Eveningsong]

From the Homeland Security Webpage:

"The NEXUS alternative inspection program has been completely harmonized and integrated into a single program. NEXUS members now have crossing privileges at air, land, and marine ports of entry. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the NEXUS card has been approved as an alternative to the passport for air, land, and sea travel into the United States for US and Canadian citizens."

I'm not doubting your friends couldn't use it. I think it once again is an example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Hearing that still makes me think he should get his passport, just so as not to have any hassle.

The cruise ship will be going in International Waters. Your Nexus card is good for US/Canada air, land and sea travel.

 

[rjan67]

It is also good in Mexico and the Carribean per the Immigration Officer at the Port Huron office. I was told this a year and a half ago when I renewed my Nexus and again when the rest of my family got theirs in June. I specifically asked the question regarding my family going on the cruise and he said that it is good for that.

 

[Eveningsong]

It is also good in Mexico and the Carribean per the Immigration Officer at the Port Huron office. I was told this a year and a half ago when I renewed my Nexus and again when the rest of my family got theirs in June. I specifically asked the question regarding my family going on the cruise and he said that it is good for that.

I would check with the cruise line you are sailing with to ensure a valid NEXUS card is sufficient travel documentation for the whole cruise. There are no refunds if you are not allowed to board.

 

[rjan67]

Good idea!

 

[Eveningsong]

Good idea!

Please let us know how you make out?

 

[FayeW]

It took less than 24 hours for the kids and I to be "pre-approved". We have our interviews set for next week.

The confusion/misinformation continues, however. I spoke to a US Customs officer a couple of days ago and he said that you still need to have a passport, in case the Nexus computers/scanners are down. The guy I spoke to yesterday to schedule the interviews said that wasn't true, and you don't need a passport!

So, at the end of it, I am probably going to end up getting passports later and the only benefit of having the Nexus cards will be if we want to make a quick trip across and don't want to wait in the big lines, we will have an option to use the Nexus line.

Maybe as time goes on it will be more widely accepted. It sucks to have wasted $100. though.

 

[minnie56]

It took less than 24 hours for the kids and I to be "pre-approved". We have our interviews set for next week.

The confusion/misinformation continues, however. I spoke to a US Customs officer a couple of days ago and he said that you still need to have a passport, in case the Nexus computers/scanners are down. The guy I spoke to yesterday to schedule the interviews said that wasn't true, and you don't need a passport!

So, at the end of it, I am probably going to end up getting passports later and the only benefit of having the Nexus cards will be if we want to make a quick trip across and don't want to wait in the big lines, we will have an option to use the Nexus line.

Maybe as time goes on it will be more widely accepted. It sucks to have wasted $100. though.

But even then-what happens if the Nexus lane is closed and again the scanners are not available to use? Would Passports not then be required?
I agree, a lot of mis-information out there!!!

My daughter is heading down to NYC next week for 2 years of school there. She has a Nexus card and an I-20 Immigration Visa. She was also told she must have a Passport, which thankfully, she does. As with myself, two Passports in fact. Very confusing..

 

[FayeW]

But even then-what happens if the Nexus lane is closed and again the scanners are not available to use? Would Passports not then be required?
I agree, a lot of mis-information out there!!!

My daughter is heading down to NYC next week for 2 years of school there. She has a Nexus card and an I-20 Immigration Visa. She was also told she must have a Passport, which thankfully, she does. As with myself, two Passports in fact. Very confusing..

Not according to the guy who scheduled the interview. He said if we had the cards and they couldn't scan them, that would still be good enough!

If it is just a quick shopping trip or something, no big deal we'll just turn around and come back. If the time comes when we are planning a "trip" with flights etc to worry about, we'll get passports then.

Funny, we don't go across the border much, maybe once or twice a year. Sometimes an hour away to Messina, sometimes to Watertown, and then every couple of years to Florida. Now that I can't go because we don't have the proper travel documents, I am thinking of all kinds of excuses for why I need to go to the US!

 

[Eveningsong]

Why take a chance. Get a passport, or another option for adults (in Ontario) is the new Ontario Enhanced Driver's Licence. The Ontario Enhanced Driver's Licence fee is $40.00 for five years.

If you have changed your name you will have to take proof of the legal name change (Certified Marriage Certificate) for the Enhanced Driver's Licence Interview.

My married daughter interviewed at Kingston 13 July 2009 and received her Ontario Enhanced Driver's Licence in the mail on 10 August 2009. She had her Certified Marriage Certificate to present at the interview, her sister-in-law only had the regular Marriage Certificate and was turned away.

Now my daughter can drive and/or boat across without having to drag her Passport along for day trips. We live close to the border and cross at Kingston, or the Ivy Lea Bridge on a regular basis.

She still needs a Passport for flying out of the country.

Plus, an Enhanced Driver's Licence is accepted on Bahama and Carribean Disney Cruise Lines, as well as a Passport. The Disney Cruise Lines will not accept a NEXUS card as travel documentation for Canadians. I called to confirm what travel documents are acceptable.

 

[rjan67]

I'll just throw in for fun, that my coworker (who is a U.S. citizen) had trouble getting in to her own country with a certificate saying she had applied for her enhanced license and was coming (that the secretary of states office assured her that would be all she would need). They detained her and grilled her for 1/2 hour! She went back to her secretary of states office on return to Michigan and complained and the office couldn't believe what had happened. She said she had no problems getting into Canada.

I think I am just going to have my dh get his passport. I just don't want to be dealing with hassles. We aren't going until March so we have plenty of time to get his. It is so dependant on the border crossing. If you bring everything to out MP's office, they help you get your application together and courier it off. Now that he has his Nexus, we can still cross to shop and won't have to worry about his birth certificate being sent and being left with no i.d.

 

[belle1627]

We have Nexxus and are happy we got it, but we also have passports just in case. The Whirlpool bridge is Nexus only which is a great option.

We recently added the eye scan to ours, we used it in YYZ and it was so much faster, we love it.

 

[minnie56]

Aren't there only the Nexus cards with the retina scan?
I can't recall having a choice?

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

You can choose to get the retinal scan or not but you have to have it to use Nexus for air travel:
-----
*Note: The iris photo is only required if you plan to use NEXUS for air travel. The iris photo is required each time you enter using the self-servce kiosks at designated airports.
----
The online process took a bit of time (and thought lol) but we got the conditional approval quickly & go this weekend for the interview.

Updated: interviews were painless, cards will be in the mail & should be received within 2 weeks.


Thanks again OP & Dis'ers for the thread!

 

[belle1627]

Aren't there only the Nexus cards with the retina scan?
I can't recall having a choice?

You do have the choice.