Instructions For Those Who Have A NEXUS Card And Are Renouncing U.S. Citizenship

Leave a reply

Introduction and purpose

I continue to assist many people with the relinquishment and renunciation of their U.S. citizenship. Many of the people who I assist live in Canada and have NEXUS cards to facilitate their travel from Canada to the United States or from the United States to Canada. The NEXUS card, which is part of the U.S. “Global Entry” program, can be a real time saver. (Many Canadian credit cards actually offer as a benefit the reimbursement of NEXUS card fees.) That said, the NEXUS card will state your citizenship: whether Canadian, U.S. or both.

Here is a lengthy post that I wrote in 2018 about NEXUS and Global Entry.

Warning!! You are NOT permitted to attempt to enter the United States while falsely representing yourself to be a U.S. citizen. Therefore, I always warn people that the NEXUS card is NOT to be used after renunciation. (In some cases the NEXUS card is surrendered at the renunciation appointment.)

After renunciation it is important to get a new NEXUS card which reflects that you are ONLY a Canadian citizen. What follows is a description (written by somebody who recently renounced U.S. citizenship) of how she achieved this. Although procedures change, for the moment this is exactly how this individual obtained an new NEXUS card which reflects ONLY Canadian citizenship.

________________________________________________________________________________

What I did to change my Nexus:

• Went to Pearson Intl., to the Canadian Nexus office in the Terminal One Arrivals area
• Showed them my CLN, Expired US passport, Canadian Passport, and Nexus card (the Montreal US consulate did not retain my Nexus card at my renunciation appt)
• The Canadian officer called into the US Nexus office which is past security in Terminal 1 and they told her that I needed to go to a US Nexus centre as US issued my original card.
• I left not very happy since I was told on the phone previously that the Canadian side could handle the change.

The proper way to change Nexus from US issued to Canadian issued following renunciation and obtaining a CLN:

• I drove down to Niagara Falls USA crossing at the Rainbow bridge using my Canadian Passport
• Proceeded to the US Nexus office in Niagara Falls
• Told the receptionist I was there to report an update to my Nexus profile (loss of US citizenship)
• Met with and showed the US officer my CLN, expired US passport, Canadian passport, and Nexus card.
• The officer updated my profile, and confiscated my Nexus card. She then told me to wait a day, go online, and check my profile to make sure it had been updated showing my citizenship as Canadian.
• Once I confirmed that, I proceeded to order a new card online. I used “damaged card” as my replacement reason when I ordered. Replacement card costs $25 usd.
• The US officer herself told me to use “lost or damaged card” as this was the fastest/easiest way to get a new card.

Key point it is necessary to go to a US Nexus office when reporting a loss of US nationality. Other than that hassle, the rest was pretty easy and straight forward.

There you have it!

John Richardson – Follow me on X.com/ExpatriationLaw

Leave a Reply