Canadians with an X gender marker must now select male or female on Nexus cards

Canadian travellers applying for or renewing a Nexus card must now select either "male" or "female" as their gender, following policy changes driven by a recent executive order from the United States. 

The update affects transgender and non-binary applicants, who previously had the option to identify with an “X” marker.

While Canadian passports with an “X” designation are still accepted by U.S. authorities, the Nexus application system—jointly managed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection—no longer offers a non-binary option. 

This change applies to both new applicants and renewals.

Travellers can still use a passport that contains an “X” gender marker to verify their identity. 

However, for Nexus purposes, they are required to select a binary gender when completing their application. 

Existing cardholders with an “X” designation will not be affected, as their cards remain valid until expiry.

The policy shift has sparked concern among immigration experts and advocates for LGBTQ2S+ rights, who say it may conflict with Canadian human rights protections and could face legal scrutiny.

As reported by the Globe and Mail, Canadian officials reportedly discussed whether to issue a travel advisory addressing the implications of the U.S. executive order, but no such advisory has been published to date.

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