Can Nexus card be used at US airports if arriving from country other than Canada?

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NEXUS membership can be used at Global Entry kiosks, though the physical card is not used at preclearence airports. NEXUS "includes Global Entry benefits" (and TSA Precheck). See also this announcement from CBP: NEXUS and SENTRI Members May Utilize the Global Entry Kiosks.

As you've noted, NEXUS includes the benefits of Global Entry at a lower cost, so you might wonder why everyone doesn't choose that option. With NEXUS, the eligibility requirements are a bit different (citizens of certain other countries are eligible for Global Entry and not NEXUS) and you have to visit a NEXUS enrollment center to apply. There are many more Global Entry enrollment centers, while the NEXUS centers are close to the US-Canada border. If your travels don't take you near a NEXUS enrollment center, Global Entry is the better choice, unless you're working a trip into a mileage run or something.

You don't actually use the physical card NEXUS card at the kiosks, except for "designated NEXUS sites" (Preclearence airports, land borders) where you can use it in place of a passport. At all other Global Entry equipped US airports, you scan your passport and fingerprints at the kiosk and your membership is checked electronically. I was told that, in theory, the card is supposed to let you skip the line if all the kiosks are broken though. The card is also an additional form of federal ID, which could always come in handy.

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