Can one fly US/Canada with Nexus only, without passport? My passport is being glacially processed for an Indian visa, and I've been asked to do a day trip to the US (YOW-IAD-YOW). According to the info at the top of this thread, for air travel you need Nexus AND passport. According to this US government site, you need Nexus OR passport. Thanks!

No longer correct at SFO. It used to close then - but is now open to serve red eye flights. I forget the new closing time exactly - but I think ~11:30pm. Info should be in the wiki on the UA precheck thread. Used pre-check myself for a red eye last time in SFO on June 30.

Also, if flying AC out of SFO & at an "A" gate, no pre-check anywhere, as it has a separate security and you can't access airside from the domestic UA terminal.

The airline requires a valid passport to get through their passport check since they have no way to read your NEXUS card's information. I saw a discussion of the point with someone who presented a NEXUS card at YTZ. They had their passport with them and had to show it. I've used my card at a NEXUS machine and when directed to secondary was required to present my passport. Sometimes NEXUS gets through without the passport but in reality, without a passport there could be a variety of battles you might lose.

I believe there was a guy who posted last summer about arguing his way through each step and eventually boarded without even taking his passport to the airport. From what I remember about the topic, that is grounds for removal from the program.

So with everything, YMMV, however I'd recommend against trying to fly without your passport.

What the US government says is only 50% of your issue.
Canada says "Please note that the use of the NEXUS card as proof of identification and to denote citizenship does not apply when entering Canada by air."
< http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/faq-eng.html >

You are reqd to have your passport for air travel. Your better option is to drive to the US with Nexus and then fly to IAD. As stated on the other response, airlines ask for it. US CBP also demand passports when they have any secondary screening and Canada requires you to have your passport. While you may be able to travel without it, I believe it is very risky and there have been several posts upthread about this issue.

From time to time there will be an Immigration Canada agent standing by the NEXUS kiosks (incoming) and asking users to see their passports as a reminder than even when using NEXUS, one must still be in possession of one's passport. It is not a replacement document for air travel, just car or boat.

They generally confirm the status card with the boarding pass if airlines are all in the same terminal. If at YYZ, priority lanes are just for your respective elite status on the airline being flown, NEXUS or Amex Platinum. Since AC operates from T1 and AA from T2, your ExecPlat card would not be recognized at T1.

Awesome! I've never used it with AC (how would you? BP wouldn't be recognized), but I've had quite a few UA red-eyes where it was closed. :)

That sounds somewhat like my story. I had my passport in my bag, but this was after the policy had officially changed to allow a NEXUS card to be shown for check-in/boarding.

I showed it to the check-in agent, and she had to look it up in her computer and call someone, but let it happen. I showed it to the gate agent, and she had to check with another GA before letting me board. It was painful, and I decided I'd stop trying for a while.

The last time I flew YVR-SFO, I tried it for boarding, and it took the GA far too long to do whatever he needed to do with it. It's just not worth it.

I can perhaps offer an additional data point as to how NEXUS responds to a criminal conviction. I got and pleaded 'no contest' to a DUI subsequent to becoming a NEXUS member. Note that I accept full responsibility for the DUI--and consider myself fortunate that I wasn't in an accident and didn't hurt anyone. Therefore I'm not complaining about any possible consequences to the DUI--merely offering a data point as to what those consequences were in my case.

Note that I'm a dual US-Canadian citizen, and so the DUI has no effect on my actual admissibility to either country--just on whether I'm still "trusted" enough to use a program like NEXUS.

It appeared to be the fingerprinting--rather than the arrest or conviction--that triggered some negative consequences. I wasn't fingerprinted until some time after the conviction when I registered for my community service.

After being fingerprinted, I've been sent to secondary any time I've tried to use GE to enter the US. Although I've been asked about the DUI in secondary, for now I've been allowed to keep my NEXUS membership.

OTOH, NEXUS--as distinct from GE--still works for me to enter the US without a secondary inspection. However, it is getting increasingly difficult to use NEXUS when entering the US as they are phasing out the NEXUS machines and replacing them w/GE.

Thus there are definitely fewer benefits for NEXUS for me in entering the US. However, I'm still able to enjoy some of the other benefits of NEXUS membership--such as TSA PreCheck in the US and priority security lanes in Canada.

We'll see what happens when I go to renew the NEXUS membership. I expect to have the DUI expunged/dismissed by then so we'll see if that helps at all.

Sorry for the delay, I just saw your response now. Thank you :-)

The last 3 times I flew to YYZ from EWR I did not have to show my passport once, so I suppose technically it can be done, but I always have my passport with me because I think it is a serious issue if you are asked to show your passport and you don't have it with you.

Yes, as I posted just above, Canadian CBSA says "Please note that the use of the NEXUS card as proof of identification and to denote citizenship does not apply when entering Canada by air."

< http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/faq-eng.html >

You can use the card and keep the passport in the zippered pocket inside your briefcase, but if you cannot produce that passport on request, it would probably have negative consequences for your NEXUS possession.

Yet another experience to share.. Oh the frustration!

So I applied for NEXUS last May and provided driver's license, birth certificate, and US passport information. Was approved, went to the interview, spoke with both sides, all was fine apparently. Have been using NEXUS since. I was at YYZ not even two weeks ago to update my driver's license information which I was told they don't even care about. Okay fine. I received a new Canadian passport today (note I had applied under a US one originally). While I'm there, the CBSA officer asks if I have a US passport, which I confirmed. She then asked if I had it with me because they don't have it in their system.

I asked if:
1) I could just give her the details (I happen to have the number, expiry, issue, etc from it). Was told no, they need to see it.
2) I asked if I could fax a copy of it seeing as I was obviously approved based off of it before. Was told no, they really would like to see it.
3) I then asked if they could just copy the info off of the US guys screen because THEY had it and they should be able to trust that person's ability who verified it in the first place.

Kind of kicking myself for not taking the US one with me in the first place, but how the heck was I supposed to know it was never done properly.

Also, completely unrelated, but the CBSA officer was done entering my info quickly the CBP officer was taking forever. I decided to ask her about my encounter at a land crossing where the officer asked if I knew I needed to make a verbal declaration, I said yes, there was a long pause, and he let me go. Apparently NEXUS members need to go out of their way to make a declaration even if the officer never specifically asks. Maybe I'm the only one out there who only answers what they ask and doesn't offer up any additional information, but I guess I'll have to break that habit.

Hopefully this info helps at least one person.

I think that the point is that at land borders you used to be able to make a written declaration by dropping a card in a box and not make a verbal declaration. Now, you can do a verbal declaration alone or if you do a written one, you have to restate what was on the card to an officer. They always are supposed to ask what you have to declare.