Both UA GA and CBP will probably ask you for a passport on the way to the US.

CBP at YUL have been consistently asking for passport despite me using NEXUS card for the kiosk. Since I always bring my passport anyway, I never tried telling them I only have NEXUS card on me.

When weighing your options, consider:

- The cost of rush/expedited service for a visa application
vs
- The cost (dollars / time) of missing flight(s) due to insufficient documentation

It is entirely the responsibility of the traveler to carry correct travel documents. If a GA/TA denies boarding because you don't have a passport, that's on you, not on the airline. You might well be right, but you will be at least out of time if not money due to the disagreement.

Yes, it might work to travel CA->US->CA by air just with Nexus card.

I wouldn't do it. For me, the downside risk of possible disrupted travel plans is simply too high.

Haven't tried in a while, but IME, UA agents will not accept Nexus card for ID at check in or boarding..they'll ask for your passport, and won't check you in without one. At minimum, it will likely be a fight for it, so if you try it, give yourself well more extra time then normal. Don't forget...you'll need to show it at both check in (unless you are checking in online and don't have any bags...if you don't have your passport on file in the 'system' on UA, you won't be able to check in online anyway since you'll need to scan your passport when checking in on the app, or you won't be able to complete it) and at boarding...so you'll need to convince two different people.

Personally...its not worth that kind of fight for me. And that doesn't even mention CBP. In the last two years, I travel with a child who is also GE, but even though we all use the kiosk, with kid getting the X, and having to go to an agent, a lot of the time, the agent asks for our passports also. Prior to that, of the times I've been sent to secondary (either due to declaration or random), I'd say about 50% of the time, I was asked for Nexus card only, and the other 50%, specifically asked for passport...I don't know what agents would say if I didn't have one, and to be quite honest, I'm never going to find out.

IMO, much better to travel around getting a visa. In best case, yes, you can get through. But there is risk. If you get asked, best case is UA denies you check in/boarding before you leave, as it would preempt potentially worse scenarios. For example - they accept it for travel into the US, but AC doesn't accept it for your return (though I'd think this scenario is most unlikely - IME, AC is better about accepting Nexus only for travel, though still not perfect). Of course, also possible, and worst case, is that you get sent to an agent at US CBP (or on your return with CBSA), get asked for it, tell them you don't have it, and get NEXUS revoked. Certainly possible.

It's all up to your risk tolerance - like I said, I would never do it.

It's very risky. Your safest option if there is no way to expedite the return of your passport is to drive to Buffalo (or any other US airport) and fly domestic from there.

I just had a "system error" when I used my NEXUS today at YVR. Then tried 2 other machines and it wouldn't work: it told me to go to manual processing. Don't think it's the machine, even if a few are broken at YVR. Anyone have this issue before?

Yes, in YYZ, went to manual processing, fine the next time. Was just a transient system error.

I have received this error more than once, just moved on to a new machine and worked as usual.

Moderator's Action
 

A recent question about NEXUS renewal processing time was moved to the following thread:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Yes but what was unusual was that it did not work after I switched machines and told me to just go to an officer for processing. Hopefully this is a one-off as I've never experienced this before. Will find out next time I clear Canadian immigration in a few weeks.

Have had two weird issues with NEXUS this month: YYC I got a completely blank receipt. Not one thing was printed on it. Officer was nice, but decided to play a quick game of 10 questions to enter Canada.

The next week at YVR the machine said "take your receipt" and nothing printed. Officer called them "junk" :D and sent me on my way in about 10 seconds.

Anyone else have these issues?

The machines are in a sorry state and their sensors are already busted. They are supposed to stop working when their roll is empty. This isn't an uncommon issue unfortunately.

Luckily this gen of machines aren't intended to stay for much longer.

Unless the chip in your card is malfunctioning or there is residue on the machine readable zone on the back, the error was more likely just a transient connectivity issue.

There are simple ways to check that the chip is still functioning. For example, if you tap it on a card sensor on a bus or at a metro station, if the sensor senses a card an error sound should be heard!

Does anyone know how the process is for NEXUS members with children at airports with the new primary inspection kiosks? Because the little one doesn't have any biometric data on file we can't use the automated NEXUS kiosk, so we have to go to the special services desk. Do we have to wait in line at the primary inspection kiosk like the regular folks?

Aren't these the "new" machines? I remember the ones a year or two ago at YVR & YYC that were always broken. These seem much faster, minus, of course, the printing issues I've had recently.