# Crossing the border on foot



## Mexicodrifter (Sep 11, 2011)

I have a question about crossing the border on foot. I need to return to the U.S. for a day to do some bankig busines with Wells Fargo. I plan to go by bus to the border, cross and do business and then return the same day or maybe the next. Do I need a document like I do on a plane or can I just come and go? I am a FM 3 holder.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Fm3*



Mexicodrifter said:


> I have a question about crossing the border on foot. I need to return to the U.S. for a day to do some bankig busines with Wells Fargo. I plan to go by bus to the border, cross and do business and then return the same day or maybe the next. Do I need a document like I do on a plane or can I just come and go? I am a FM 3 holder.


As far as entering Mexico in TJ by foot they have a red light green light button once inside Mexico but the two customs agents sitting at the table under a small steel shade roof on the sidewalk in front of the INM building usually don't even care if the pedestrians push the button and if they do and get a red light they just take a quick look in the bags and say have a good trip. I see them doing this all the time. In Mexicali they have a few steps up into the INM building right there and no one officially checking anyone, just an IMN officer or two walking around. The sign states if you have something to declare to go inside and obviously if you need an FMM card etc.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Since you have a visa, a 'no inmigrante' card, you will go to INM on the way out, fill out a FMM, keep part of it for your return, stop again and they'll collect that, check your visa and passport, etc. All routine but may be unfamiliar to some agents.
CAUTION: If you should take a bus that actually crosses the border, like to McAllen, etc., be absolutely sure to tell the driver that you must stop at INM and that he'll have to wait for you.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Since you have a visa, a 'no inmigrante' card, you will go to INM on the way out, fill out a FMM, keep part of it for your return, stop again and they'll collect that, check your visa and passport, etc. All routine but may be unfamiliar to some agents.
> CAUTION: If you should take a bus that actually crosses the border, like to McAllen, etc., be absolutely sure to tell the driver that you must stop at INM and that he'll have to wait for you.


RV is correct in outlining proper procedure.

I have a confession to make. I have crossed at Tijuana/San Ysidro on foot about 10 times in each direction in the past 4 or 5 years and have never stopped. One time I left by boat from Cabo San Lucas where I did check out with INM. I returned on foot through TJ without telling INM. That time, after returning to Guadalajara, I informed INM that I was back.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Trouble can ensue when you fail to check in one direction or the other. Their computer system is very good now and it is a real 'catch-22' if you go to renew your visa and they discover that you 'aren't back in Mexico', for example. It will be a very expensive surprise; especially if a profitable real estate transaction is involved. Best to do it 'by the book' & don't expect the border agents to 'know the book'; that's your responsibility.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> . . . Best to do it 'by the book' & don't expect the border agents to 'know the book'; that's your responsibility.


Good advice. If you end up with problems at INM, you won't be able to blame the border agents for your mistake.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

You don't need a tourist visa to enter border areas of Mexico for trips of less than 72 hours. That means to me you can walk back and forth without any type of visa. I would check in and out legally if your border crossing is easy. If not easy I would just skip it


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The OP has a visa, so is required to check in and out.
Spark's comment applies to 'daytrippers' without visas, staying within the 'free zone' for no more than 72 hours.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Fm3*



RVGRINGO said:


> Trouble can ensue when you fail to check in one direction or the other. Their computer system is very good now and it is a real 'catch-22' if you go to renew your visa and they discover that you 'aren't back in Mexico', for example. It will be a very expensive surprise; especially if a profitable real estate transaction is involved. Best to do it 'by the book' & don't expect the border agents to 'know the book'; that's your responsibility.


Technically if and when I get immigrant status from the INM I will have to pay $227.00 pesos every time I cross to my house in San Diego which might be several dozen or more times a year. That could get costly. I would be getting an FMM and would then have the other part handed in when reentering Mexico, right, even if I don't travel beyond San Diego or Imperial counties and only stay a couple of weeks or so?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

AlanMexicali said:


> Technically if and when I get immigrant status from the INM I will have to pay $227.00 pesos every time I cross to my house in San Diego which might be several dozen or more times a year. That could get costly. I would be getting an FMM and would then have the other part handed in when reentering Mexico, right, even if I don't travel beyond San Diego or Imperial counties and only stay a couple of weeks or so?


No. You just fill out the form. No cost either direction. With inmigrante status, there is a limit on total time out of the country each year.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Fmm*



TundraGreen said:


> No. You just fill out the form. No cost either direction. With inmigrante status, there is a limit on total time out of the country each year.


That is good news. It is very easy to stop at the IMN office at either the TJ or the Mexicali border office. In TJ they have a driveway off a major blvd. and small parking lot and I never see many people there usually. 

In Mexicali you just park on the street and walk less than 1/2 mile and go under the multiple traffic lines in a sort of tunnel coming up to the US booths where you cross.

I handed in my FMM card last weekend that I got at the Mexicali airport the beginning of Dec. on my way to San Luis Potosi this time at that office when going to San Diego. It took 20 minutes all together.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The payment is for a tourist permit. The FMM is a 'Forma Migratoria Multiple' with multiple uses. When a visa holder uses it to simply register his exit or entry, there is no charge, as indicated above.
Some folks lose sight of the 'multiple' uses of this form. Each type of usage has its own specific rules.


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## joelpb (Nov 23, 2009)

I cross the border all the time and have never been asked for anything. Except going into the USA. never going into mexico. And i cross at three different ports
in ca. and az. I have even taken all of my furniture and household items into
mexico and never been stoped but one time was asked how much the items
were worth and then told to proceed. That is all and we made about 6 trips with
the truck full.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Many are confused by geography and the 'zones' within Mexico. There are free zones along the border and in the Baja states & some of Sonora. You may visit those zones without permits or visas and without serious concerns for customs inspections. There is a 72 hour limit in some areas.
However, the interior of Mexico is a different story and the rules are different. In the interior, you must have a 180 day permit or a more permanent visa and an established address.
Readers without experience of traveling in Mexico should become familiar with these differences and the interior checkpoints that they will encounter as they travel.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

FMM is required for tourists and other visitors to Baja California Sur. In the northern Baja California border zone, it's not needed for stays less than 72 hours. The "free zone" includes both states, but the "border zone" only reaches a short distance from the US, something like 30 km. The two are very easily confused.


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

The big loophole is that in order to measure a period of time one must have a known start time and end time. Since brief visits to border areas do not require FMM there is likely no documentation of time of entry or exit. Therefore, any authorities that might question you on length of stay have no way to know you didn't arrive "yesterday".

The whole issue of checking in/out on FMM is an example of the difference in theory and practice. It may be required but there are no means of enforcement for those who do not voluntarily comply. Computers may be excellent at tracking documented entries and exits but they cannot track what was never recorded. Therefore they can't discover that you 'aren't back in Mexico' if you never checked out. And they can't discover that you never checked out since your immigration documents aren't checked until after you are back in Mexico. To do so would require them to check documentation right at the border prior to entry, as the U.S. does.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Under 'normal circumstances' that is all true. It is the unusual circumstances that can cause the 'Catch-22' situations. Those who are on foot, seldom run into those, but it can happen by simply hopping on a bus and heading south. Oops!


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Under 'normal circumstances' that is all true. It is the unusual circumstances that can cause the 'Catch-22' situations. Those who are on foot, seldom run into those, but it can happen by simply hopping on a bus and heading south. Oops!


How so? 

Seems to me there are two groups of people who don't check in or out. Those who are ignorant of the requirement and those who are aware of it but choose to not comply. The ignorant ones may get caught by "sometimes" checking in/out or not and by leaving other trails of evidence. But the knowing ones would know to be consistent in not checking in/out and not to anything stupid.

All I'm saying is that a person from Chapala can visit Nvo Laredo and cross into Laredo and then return back to Chapala, while making himself completely indistinguishable to authorities from someone in Chapala visiting Nvo Laredo and staying solely in Nvo Laredo and then returning back to Chapala.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

One can 'get away with' speeding, or any of a long list of things.
If you want to 'work the system', have at it. You may 'get away with it' for ever. Maybe not.
I won't bring you food.
But ...... Why do you want to do it the 'wrong way'?


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't know, ask the 12 million illegals in the U.S.

People will generally do things the 'right way' when that way is available and relatively easy. Make it a pain in the royal behind and they'll skirt around it. That's human nature and no amount of righteousness will change it.

At least we have clarified that your advice is based upon your moral view of what is the 'right way' versus the 'wrong way', rather than your initial implication that there was a high probability of getting busted.


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## Mexicodrifter (Sep 11, 2011)

I, we, are guests in this country called Mexico. It does not matter what a Mexican person might do in the country called the U.S.A. 
When I am in someone elses house I try to act with courtesy. I follow the rules of that house. Why would I not! Of course, that is just me. There are lots of people that have been in my houe and abused my hospitality. 
When I do go to the states I will do the expected course of stopping at the "Ofice of Migracion" and register that I am leaving. When I come back, the same day or the next, I will stop again. I like being a good neighbor and a GOOD CITIZEN.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> Since you have a visa, a 'no inmigrante' card, you will go to INM on the way out, fill out a FMM, keep part of it for your return, stop again and they'll collect that, check your visa and passport, etc. All routine but may be unfamiliar to some agents.
> CAUTION: If you should take a bus that actually crosses the border, like to McAllen, etc., be absolutely sure to tell the driver that you must stop at INM and that he'll have to wait for you.


I am a no inmigrante and I cross on foot from Reynosa to Hidalgo/McAllen frequently and always stop at migracion for an FMM. There are no through buses from Zacatecas to McAllen and the bridge and migracion are far enough from the Reynosa bus station that it doesn't make sense to go to the bridge and then return to the bus station, I walk across. Returning from McAllen, there's no way to avoid migracion because they get on the bus and check documents. They direct you to get off the bus to turn in your FMM and get your passport stamped.

One time when I didn't get an FMM on the way out, when challenged I got off the bus, walked towards migracion and when I thought nobody was looking, turned around and got back on the bus. The migracion officer just smiled and thanked me.

I have no idea what the actual penalty might be for not complying with the rules. I don't think it would be a good idea to find out by getting caught.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You might check the possibility of taking a bus from Zacatecas to Monterrey, then perhaps a different bus line to McAllen. Some years ago, we used Sendero between McAllen and Monterrey. They ran every hour.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

I am well aware of the rules which state you should check out and check in with the "FM-3" (what the officials at the border still call the new thing) but when I asked at Reynosa, they told me to go ahead, not to bother.

When I go again in the fall, I will ask again.

In Mexico, the rules are whatever the person on the other side of the desk says they are, with no hope of appeal except bribery.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Those folks, who told you 'don't bother', can get you into real trouble. They don't know the rules & many have never dealt with visas before. That just gets rid of you.
However, If that is what you want to hear from them, go ahead. Sooner or later, it may catch up with you.
I'm not here to argue; just to help.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Inm*



RVGRINGO said:


> Those folks, who told you 'don't bother', can get you into real trouble. They don't know the rules & many have never dealt with visas before. That just gets rid of you.
> However, If that is what you want to hear from them, go ahead. Sooner or later, it may catch up with you.
> I'm not here to argue; just to help.


I felt that when I went around with a 180 day FMM card for 180 days because I asked the 3 INM officers the rules and they told me to "come and go in and out of Mexico as I please for 180 days with this FMT/FMM card" that I WAS doing the right thing until someone here posted the INM page that stated otherwise. It was hard to believe that they were wrong. It became another learning experience for me.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Those folks, who told you 'don't bother', can get you into real trouble. They don't know the rules & many have never dealt with visas before. That just gets rid of you.
> However, If that is what you want to hear from them, go ahead. Sooner or later, it may catch up with you.
> I'm not here to argue; just to help.


I have to confess that I am one of the people who hasn't bothered in the past. I have an inmigrante visa. Several times a year I walk across the border in Tijuana and back a few days later. The main reason I haven't checked out in the past is the long line. The immigration office is near the front of the line of people waiting to cross into the US and I never want to get out of line to stop at the office. The line is just to cross the border, there is no line at immigration. In fact I have never seen anyone else in the Mexican Migración offices. They have an office on both sides, just before you leave Mexico and right after you come back in. This thread has convinced me to change my behavior. In the future I will walk up to the immigration office and check out with them before I get in line.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*TJ INM office.*



TundraGreen said:


> I have to confess that I am one of the people who hasn't bothered in the past. I have an inmigrante visa. Several times a year I walk across the border in Tijuana and back a few days later. The main reason I haven't checked out in the past is the long line. The immigration office is near the front of the line of people waiting to cross into the US and I never want to get out of line to stop at the office. The line is just to cross the border, there is no line at immigration. In fact I have never seen anyone else in the Mexican Migración offices. They have an office on both sides, just before you leave Mexico and right after you come back in. This thread has convinced me to change my behavior. In the future I will walk up to the immigration office and check out with them before I get in line.


If you are going to get into the car lanes to cross over to the US at the Otay Mesa crossing they have a convenient driveway beside the closed off car lanes off of Belles Artes Blvd. to their building on the right side with parking. It takes no time as I never see people waiting there very often.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

PieGrande said:


> I am well aware of the rules which state you should check out and check in with the "FM-3" (what the officials at the border still call the new thing) but when I asked at Reynosa, they told me to go ahead, not to bother.
> 
> When I go again in the fall, I will ask again.
> 
> In Mexico, the rules are whatever the person on the other side of the desk says they are, with no hope of appeal except bribery.


That is exactly how it works.
With the new law "pending?"(I haven't followed it because I'm good till Sept.) no telling what may happen. In Reynosa, a couple of times, aduana made sure I went into migracion. 6 times out of 10, migracion made sure out and in stamps in my passport were equal.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> You might check the possibility of taking a bus from Zacatecas to Monterrey, then perhaps a different bus line to McAllen. Some years ago, we used Sendero between McAllen and Monterrey. They ran every hour.


Thanks RVGRINGO,
Senda (different line) has service from McAllen to Reynosa and a good connection to Zacatecas. As far as I know, there's no major Mexican bus line that has service from Reynosa to McAllen. I guess the buses from McAllen originate somewhere in the US.
One day, I may just schedule things so I have time in Monterrey to check at all the companies in the terminal. Not all of them have websites.


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

PieGrande said:


> I am well aware of the rules which state you should check out and check in with the "FM-3" (what the officials at the border still call the new thing) but when I asked at Reynosa, they told me to go ahead, not to bother.
> 
> When I go again in the fall, I will ask again.
> 
> In Mexico, the rules are whatever the person on the other side of the desk says they are, with no hope of appeal except bribery.


Where you get into trouble is when records don't match. Checking back in without having checked out, or vice versa.

IF you don't check out for whatever reason (you're lazy, they told you no, etc) then you had better not check back in upon return.

IF you check out, then you had better check in on return.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

ReefHound said:


> Where you get into trouble is when records don't match. Checking back in without having checked out, or vice versa.
> 
> IF you don't check out for whatever reason (you're lazy, they told you no, etc) then you had better not check back in upon return.
> 
> IF you check out, then you had better check in on return.


Do they really check? I was concerned about that last year. I checked out with Migración in Cabo San Lucas, then returned through Tijuana without checking in with Migración. I got worried about exactly the point you mentioned. So I went to Migración in Guadalajara and asked them whether I should check in. They told me to forget about it. They did not look at my visa or my name and did not note my reentry in their computer system. 

I was still mildly concerned about the fact that I had checked out and never checked back in, probably just because I tend to obsess about details sometimes. However, when I renewed my visa last month, no one said anything about it. 

I have been told by Migración a couple of times that, if you have a visa, the only thing the FMM form is used for is statistical.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

AlanMexicali said:


> I felt that when I went around with a 180 day FMM card for 180 days because I asked the 3 INM officers the rules and they told me to "come and go in and out of Mexico as I please for 180 days with this FMT/FMM card" that I WAS doing the right thing until someone here posted the INM page that stated otherwise. It was hard to believe that they were wrong. It became another learning experience for me.


Things change and, as another person commented, it's still Mexico and your treatment depends a lot on the official you encounter.

I never had a 180day FMT. That's a tourist card, isn't it? The rules may have been a lot different. The old FM2 and FM3 and now Photo ID used to have rules of their own.

Just curious, with FMT did they stamp your passport in and out?


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Do they really check? I was concerned about that last year. I checked out with Migración in Cabo San Lucas, then returned through Tijuana without checking in with Migración. I got worried about exactly the point you mentioned. So I went to Migración in Guadalajara and asked them whether I should check in. They told me to forget about it. They did not look at my visa or my name and did not note my reentry in their computer system.
> 
> I was still mildly concerned about the fact that I had checked out and never checked back in, probably just because I tend to obsess about details sometimes. However, when I renewed my visa last month, no one said anything about it.
> 
> I have been told by Migración a couple of times that, if you have a visa, the only thing the FMM form is used for is statistical.


Have you ever walked out or gone out by bus then come back by bus? Depending on the crossing, you may find it difficult to avoid migracion.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Fmm*



gudgrief said:


> Things change and, as another person commented, it's still Mexico and your treatment depends a lot on the official you encounter.
> 
> I never had a 180day FMT. That's a tourist card, isn't it? The rules may have been a lot different. The old FM2 and FM3 and now Photo ID used to have rules of their own.
> 
> Just curious, with FMT did they stamp your passport in and out?


Once I showed the INM officer my booklet passport at the Mexicali airport when getting an FMM and then paid at the Volaris airline desk rifgt in departures and he kept it until I returned with the payment form and he stamped it at that point and gave me an FMM. since then I only give them my passport card. I never did get my booklet passport stamped out.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

gudgrief said:


> Have you ever walked out or gone out by bus then come back by bus? Depending on the crossing, you may find it difficult to avoid migracion.


I have never crossed the border by bus. I have taken a Mexican bus to the border, walked across, then taken a US bus, and done the same in the reverse direction lots of times.


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

gudgrief said:


> Have you ever walked out or gone out by bus then come back by bus? Depending on the crossing, you may find it difficult to avoid migracion.


I've crossed both ways by bus many times. Never have they stopped for INM. Coming in to Mexico they stop for Aduana to check bags (sometimes, we usually would 'pass the hat' to be waved by) but that's not INM. I used to ride the Mexican bus lines and usually was the only one needing a FMT and would have to tell the bus driver to wait while I went in to get it. Otherwise he wouldn't have stopped at immigration at all. Leaving Mexico the bus never stopped at INM or Aduana, the only checkpoint was the U.S. entry and they couldn't care less about your FMM.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

Since coming down to Mexico in 2008, I hadn't worried much about going through Migracion. The buses leave Zacatecas batween 8 & 11PM. I take 1/2 of a Xanax, otherwise I can't sleep. After the 3rd time the driver didn't wake me (Senda and ODM just don't like to be delayed) I started walking across from Reynosa. That was fine till about the middle of 2011 when they started getting on the return bus and checking documents. They demand you go to Migracion. I got away with pretending to go to Micracion once in Nuevo Laredo and once in Reynosa, but decided it was best to just but my ticket to Reynosa, take a cab to Micracion right there at the bridge, walk across and take a local bus from Hidalgo to McAllen. Coming back in, they stop the bus right at the end of the bridge, do the customs inspection while you take the 100ft. walk to Migracion. 9 times out of 10, Migracion only takes a couple of minutes.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

>>Those folks, who told you 'don't bother', can get you into real trouble. They don't know the rules & many have never dealt with visas before. That just gets rid of you.
However, If that is what you want to hear from them, go ahead. Sooner or later, it may catch up with you.
I'm not here to argue; just to help.

You are not helping me when I tell you the immigration officials at the bridge told me not to bother, and you say they don't know the rules and many have never dealt with visas before. Amazing!!!

Or, did you assume I am such an idiot it never occurred to me I might actually need to ask an immigration official a question in immigration officials? How offensive.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

It may be 'amazing', but it is very, very true. It is also a cultural trait, that you will be told what you want to hear. Mexicans consider it very impolite to disappoint by giving a negative response. As mentioned above, many agents have never seen a visa and they do not know the process for renewal of a visa; the point at which 'errors' can be found and cause 'problems'. If that happens, one cannot use the excuse of another agents instructions. It is too late. The fines & penalties will be entirely yours. We've had one of those incidents ourselves, in our decade here, and know of other 'catch-22' situations with visas and cars; caused by failure to 'do it by the book' and not by what a border agent advised or what you can get away with.
I made no assumptions about you, but tried to warn you and others of these possibilities. If you don't like the advice, please ignore it and keep your fingers crossed.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> ... many agents have never seen a visa and they do not know the process for renewal of a visa ...


The first time I went to get a visa, I got into a long line at the federal building. After waiting awhile, I got into a conversation with one of the other people in line. It turned out I was in a line to get a Mexican passport. The guy told me I needed to go the US consulate to get a visa. That is where Mexicans go to get US visas, so he assumed if I needed a visa, I should go there too. I was indeed in the wrong line, but the right line was a couple of floors up, not at the US Consulate. Don't believe everything you are told.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

I live at the border when I am in the States, and have crossed often, even for short day shopping trips, e.g. - New progreso, etc. This is over a 15 year period, and includes bus trips into Mexico involving walking across and re-joining the bus at the other end.

It is different when you have local Texas plates at the border, they assume you are, er, local.

In any case, assuming it did happen to you once, RVgringo, not ruling out the high possibility it was an example of the rules being that day what a person across the desk said they were. I simply do not know what a person is supposed to do when the officials refuse to sign you out.

Your posting did sound like there was something else I was supposed to do if I am responsible and prudent, and if they refuse to sign me out there is absolutely nothing more I can do but go on. Think about it. Once I have asked about signing out, it is out of my hands.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

I had a situation years ago that might bear on the problem of running into a agent that doesn't know he has to sign you out and give you an FMM. If you decide to continue, call the nearest Mexican Consulate as soon as you get to the US. It worked for me. Fortunately, my son played soccer with the Consul General's son when we were in the States.

The difference between now and 1982 is like the difference between night and day. INM people seem to be a lot more professional, if not better trained. I've got nothing but courteous treatment here in Zacatecas and pretty much the same in Reynosa. One time in 2008 I ran into a new agent in Reynosa going out. I firmly and politely explained that INM in Zacatecas told me it was obligatory to check out and would he please check with his supervisor just in case the rules had changed recently. It worked and I got checked out. I've been through Nuevo Laredo on one round trip since 1985 and even though things were busier, received the same courtesy as Reynosa.

I've been to the Zacatecas INM office 4 times. Each time, I was treated very professionally. If I had the situation where they didn't pick up my FMM at the border, I ask the bus to stop at the garita at 20,30,36km (technically you don't need to turn it in till you leave the border zone (Franja Fronteriza) and if that didn't work, I'd feel comfortable turning it in as soon as I got back to Zacatecas. I might be wrong and other INM offices might not take it in stride, so don't take this as any kind of authoritative.

If they refuse on the way out, figure out a way of getting a supervisor involved without calling the agent's competence into question and if that doesn't work and you decide to continue, call the consulate. That reminds me, going back to the garita might may be a good choice to get checked out. I doubt they'd stop you from turning around, you haven't left Mexico yet.


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## gudgrief (Jun 20, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> The first time I went to get a visa, I got into a long line at the federal building. After waiting awhile, I got into a conversation with one of the other people in line. It turned out I was in a line to get a Mexican passport. The guy told me I needed to go the US consulate to get a visa. That is where Mexicans go to get US visas, so he assumed if I needed a visa, I should go there too. I was indeed in the wrong line, but the right line was a couple of floors up, not at the US Consulate. Don't believe everything you are told.


No matter how things have changed, Mexico is still Mexico. I had something similar but mirror image happen to me at the US Consulate in Monterrey when I went to renew my passport. I took a cab from the bus station and when I got at the consulate, a Mexican security guard directed me to a block long line after I asked him, in Spanish, where I go to get my passport renewed. After about 10 min., another guard came up to me and ask why I was in line. It turns out that was the line for Mexicans to get US visas. There were a couple other missteps that made the renewal process take longer than necessary, but it was all on the part of US personnel.

Mexico is still Mexico. If it has anything to do with something I have never done before, I call and ask. I might go and ask. If I have to be somewhere on a certain day, I make arrangements ahead of time. I generally buy bus tickets at the bus station a few days ahead of time because I've found out that the Internet may not show all departures or all available seats.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

gudgrief said:


> I had a situation years ago that might bear on the problem of running into a agent that doesn't know he has to sign you out and give you an FMM. If you decide to continue, call the nearest Mexican Consulate as soon as you get to the US. It worked for me. Fortunately, my son played soccer with the Consul General's son when we were in the States.
> 
> The difference between now and 1982 is like the difference between night and day. INM people seem to be a lot more professional, if not better trained. I've got nothing but courteous treatment here in Zacatecas and pretty much the same in Reynosa. One time in 2008 I ran into a new agent in Reynosa going out. I firmly and politely explained that INM in Zacatecas told me it was obligatory to check out and would he please check with his supervisor just in case the rules had changed recently. It worked and I got checked out. I've been through Nuevo Laredo on one round trip since 1985 and even though things were busier, received the same courtesy as Reynosa.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much. An actual solution to the problem of being told by the immigration officials I do not need to sign out. I will keep it in mind. There is a consulate right down town in McAllen, too. We go by it often. Sounds like a very practical solution, and if the Consulate tells me no big deal, then I will take my chances.


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## PieGrande (Nov 16, 2008)

Let me add that the Anzalduas bridge itself is very new, only a couple years, and most of their traffic is cars, they don't do trucks yet, I think. They are very friendly and very helpful, not that the Pharr Bridge was that bad, but Anzalduas is really excellent. We cross there because it keeps us out of Reynosa traffic. And, gunfire, heh, heh.


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