U.S. president Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that there are only two genders is starting to impact Canadians’ personal ID documents.
The Globe and Mail reported that Canadians are soon going to be forced to pick either an M or F on their Nexus card—even if they have an X gender marker on their Canadian passport.
The Nexus program is co-managed by the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is designed to make frequent travelling between Canada and the U.S. faster and easier.
The CBSA said it will continue to recognize Nexus cards with X gender markers until they expire, but that trans and non-binary travellers will have to choose between M and F when renewing their membership or applying for a new card.
Roughly 3,600 Canadians have added X to their passports since the third gender marker was recognized by the federal government in 2019. And between January 2022 and March 2025, the CBSA said that about 550 Nexus applications were sent with X as the chosen gender marker.
We break down how the policy change highlights the confusion trans and non-binary Canadians continue to deal with when considering travelling to the U.S.
Why you can trust Xtra
