# VWP ESTA NAFTA 90 days USA and 180 days Mexico. Any clarity?



## Persian-PJ (Jul 14, 2015)

Hello all,

I’m visiting Mexico for a period of 6 months, the 180 days allowed to stay with a tourist card. If all goes well, after 6 months, I’m going to apply for an immigration card for one year, which according to the information I found, can be renewed one time for another year, and after two times one year, the possibility to apply for Mexican citizenship. While this is a bit far away in the future, my concern is for the first 180 days.

As a Belgian citizen, I can stay for 180 days in Mexico on a tourist card. 
As a Belgian citizen, I can only stay 90 days in the USA on a VWP
When entering the USA, the days spend in Canada and Mexico are included in the 90 days.

How does this work when you have 180 days in Mexico? 

Does anyone have experience with this?

I don’t want to jeopardize this, because when not abiding to the rules of the USA, they can refuse access to the USA for five years.

Thanks for shining some light on this.

Persian-PJ


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## buzzbar (Feb 9, 2013)

I think your post raises several issues regarding Mexican residence that people who know more than me might comment on, but as far as the visa waiver goes, I was in a similar position. I simply rocked up back to USA. Immigration asked me how long I had stayed in USA on the previous VW entry (surprisingly they can't have had an exit recorded). I told them "two days, then I've been in Mexico for the last five months" and they gave a new 90 day entry. Hopefully will be as simple as that for you - their only concern is over a VW person staying in USA for the full 90 days then crossing to Tijuana for a day and coming back to reset the 90 day clock. If you keep boarding passes, FMM etc that show you've been in Mexico for a length of time, that would show them that's not the case with you.


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## Persian-PJ (Jul 14, 2015)

Thank you for sharing your experience, and it does make sense that their concern is to go over the border to reset the 90 days clock. This issue came to be, because I was checking flights to San Diego, so, this way I'm entering the USA first, and the clock of 90 days starts. And to go from San Diego directly to Ensenada. My fear is to get in some sort of trouble, like being denied access for five years, if after 3 or 4 months I decide to make a trip to the USA. That will be past over 90 days. I decided to fly on Tijuana, and not taking a risk with this 90 days NAFTA thing.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

you wish to obtain a residence visa for Mexico, you must apply at a Mexican consulate in your home country. You cannot convert from a tourist permit (FMM) to a residence visa in Mexico; you must leave before the end of the 180 days. Residence visas have financial self-sufficiency requirements. The first Temporary Residence Visa will be for one year, but withing its last 30 days, you may apply to renew it for 1,2 or 3 more years while still in Mexico. After 4 years, one must either leave or apply for Residente Permanente.


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## Persian-PJ (Jul 14, 2015)

Thanks RVGRINGO, the part after the first six months, is a bit thinking out loud. After the first six months, I'm returning to Belgium, either to stay in Belgium or to look for other destinations, or to clear things up here in Belgium an to return to Mexico on a one year residence visa. I had understood that I can apply for residency already after the second year.


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