So, we've booked our tickets, and will be arriving in Canun on Jan 23! I'm very excited, but also a wee bit nervous. Because we're traveling with kids, animals, and a TON of luggage, I'm trying to make our arrival as hassle-free as possible. My concern is going through immigration, when the officer asks how long we'll be staying, do you think it would be wise or unwise to say that we plan on processing my permanent residency? I've never been asked to produce proof of a return ticket, and in this case I wouldn't be able to because we're flying one way. Opinions appreciated.
I think the kids, animals & a ton of luggage might be a dead give away, also having a one way ticket, they probably know all that before hand and might have a eye out for you. Honesty is always the best policy, if you're moving there & they have questions for you, smile and be happy and excited to answer their questions fully. If you're staying in Mexico permanently, it's worth it. They may even have some helpful resources to get you through the process quicker. Hopefully everything goes smoothly for you and I look forward to reading how everything goes for you on here, we are hopefully doing the same thing one day soon.
Bon voyage and good luck in Mexico. Just curious....why didn't you apply in your country of residence (I assume is US) and get your pre-approval in your local MX consulate? Things would be way easier that way.
Your situation has been much discussed on this forum, so I'll rely on my memory of the details. Your husband, a Mexican citizen needs no special permissions to move himself and his belongings back to Mexico. He does not need to justify his one way ticket. As I recall, your children are also Mexican citizens, and may possess Mexican passports, making their entry a non issue, too, I suppose. You are at liberty to enter Mexico as a tourist, with permission to remain 180 days, and then have your status changed to resident, in country, if your husband requests it. So says the new immigration law. During your 180 days, should you get a nice job offer you will then be all set to join your husband in his request for you to join him in Mexico, having both his employment, and your offer of employment, to establish your economic viability as a couple, with children. _____________ Your husband could go through passport control and then customs, with your children and all effects in tow. They have a right to enter, and remain, without further ado, I suppose. You are the lose end in this equation, coming in without a visa, though planning to stay, and holding a one way ticket. IT IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN no matter what you do but I'd be tempted to suggest you enter alone, not with the family, and say nothing about your long term intention. It is extremely unlikely you'll be asked to produce your return ticket (people come here all the time and are not asked for one). You will be asked where you will be staying, and should have the address with you. __________________ I wouldn't have set this up quite the way you did, but now you will have to deal with the situation as it's been established by yourself and your husband. You are doing absolutely nothing wrong, and this does not involve a question of right or wrong: it is, instead, a matter of the law and how the pieces fit together in your case. Since the law gives you permission to do what you are doing (with the possible exception of not having a return ticket), it is simply a matter of how to make the law work best for you. Others may advocate "coming clean" about your intentions from the beginning, but they are doing so without considering the full implications of deviating from the path the law lays before you, even slightly. If you choose to follow the path I've outlined, and the question is asked why you don't have a return ticket a straightforward answer would be that you really don't know how long you might want to stay and that, if you're having fun, you might stay the entire 180 days! With indefinite plans, there is sense to having a one way- at least some would think so, it seems to me. There is always a chance I've overlooked something important, but perhaps others will catch it if I didn't, and call it to our attention.
Since we no longer have internet in our apartment here, I have to type this on my crappy phone with a screen slightly larger than a business card. So apologies in advance if my spelling/punctuation is off for the next week or so ;-). To answer the question as to why we didn't process the PR visa in advance, the closest consulate is 12 hours away round-trip, and my work schedule was crazy to the point of being prohibitive. By the time we slowed down it was already the beginning of January, and we wouldn't have had enough time. Additionally, I was told by the INM that it could be processed either in the US or Mexico, so we didn't feel that there was any particularly significant advantage to doing it here in the US first (especially taking into account the travel time to the consulate).
Thanks, V. We actually considered something similar to what you described, but it was pretty unrealistic in our circumstances. Our kids are 2 years old and 4 years old, and there are no direct flights from our local airport. So he would have to handle the kids on his own through 2 airports, then try to get a ton of luggage through customs with both of them in tow (and probably tired and cranky by that point). I think we may do as you say and answer with "4 months" or so if asked how long we're staying. If we're all together, it's much less likely they'll ask for my return ticket.
Thanks! We have less than I week left before we leave, and I'm waking up early every morning in a panic that I'm forgetting something. Then again, I'm generally an anxious person...
