BajaNomad - Turning in your Tourist Visa (in Tijuana) can be a real challenge

Turning in your Tourist Visa (in Tijuana) can be a real challenge

Ken Cooke - 5-1-2011 at 12:43 PM

If you are turning in your Tourist Visa in Tijuana after 10 p.m. on a weekend night, chances are the main INM office will be closed, and literally nobody will know that the new building *BEHIND* the INM office is where you turn in your expired Tourist Visa.

I see this as poor top-down management, as many of the INM employees do not know what to do, or tell Tourists what to do with their expired Tourist visas.

DENNIS - 5-1-2011 at 12:44 PM

Ken....we have discussed this ad nauseum. Just throw it away.

Ken Cooke - 5-1-2011 at 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Ken....we have discussed this ad nauseum. Just throw it away.

In Mexicali, the information was documented in the INM network. The days of written ledgers are now gone by the wayside. That is why I sought to it that this visa would be turned in.

What???

Dave - 5-1-2011 at 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Ken....we have discussed this ad nauseum. Just throw it away.

I seem to recall someone writing this: :rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally posted by SOMEONE I CAN'T RECALL

When were the INM regs of Mexico offered up for personal interpretation? That's a rather self-righteous attitude toward the issue, don't you think?

mtgoat666 - 5-1-2011 at 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Ken....we have discussed this ad nauseum. Just throw it away.

In Mexicali, the information was documented in the INM network. The days of written ledgers are now gone by the wayside. That is why I sought to it that this visa would be turned in.

ken,
what did the clerk do with your visa when you turned it in? i imagine they get so few that they probably have a very small file 13 for returned visas
:lol:

Ken Cooke - 5-1-2011 at 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

ken,
what did the clerk do with your visa when you turned it in? i imagine they get so few that they probably have a very small file 13 for returned visas
:lol:

Honestly, I was so blurry-eyed whatever she did with the Visa didn't register on my radar screen.

DENNIS - 5-1-2011 at 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Ken....we have discussed this ad nauseum. Just throw it away.

I seem to recall someone writing this: :rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally posted by SOMEONE I CAN'T RECALL

When were the INM regs of Mexico offered up for personal interpretation? That's a rather self-righteous attitude toward the issue, don't you think?

If Mexico INM won't offer a method to return the document, as they clearly do not at San Ysidro, what is the option?

Ken Cooke - 5-1-2011 at 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

If Mexico INM won't offer a method to return the document, as they clearly do not at San Ysidro, what is the option?

The clerk stated (in Spanish) that their office is open 24/7. Their office near the first steel turnstyle behind the principle INM building at the 'Revision' complex is where these visas are turned in.

DENNIS - 5-1-2011 at 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

If Mexico INM won't offer a method to return the document, as they clearly do not at San Ysidro, what is the option?

That isn't an option. That would require returning to Mexico. You gonna try and tell me that's the required procedure? You know gosh darn well it isn't.

woody with a view - 5-1-2011 at 01:16 PM

my nauseum added.

isn't the return policy for those flying out?

bajagrouper - 5-1-2011 at 01:52 PM

When I tried to turn in the auto permit at Lukeville AZ they had me first turn in my FMM at the next trailer over, don't know what he did with it...

Bajahowodd - 5-1-2011 at 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajagrouper
When I tried to turn in the auto permit at Lukeville AZ they had me first turn in my FMM at the next trailer over, don't know what he did with it...

Baja be different. No auto permit required.

Although I know that I've preached about respecting a soverign foreign nations laws, I have to agree with Dennis.

Although it has always seemed to me that the somewhat recent changes in the FMM rules were designed to ferret out folks who were living either full time, or long term part time in Mexico, so far, I have not seen a single post on this forum, from folks who journey SOB often, that they were denied a new FMM, regardless of the status of their previous one.

Hook - 5-1-2011 at 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajagrouper
When I tried to turn in the auto permit at Lukeville AZ they had me first turn in my FMM at the next trailer over, don't know what he did with it...

Are you saying that you were able to turn in your all-of-Mexico permit or your all-of-Sonora permit at Lukeville?

DENNIS - 5-1-2011 at 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Although I know that I've preached about respecting a soverign foreign nations laws, I have to agree with Dennis.

I also am on the side of respect for the law, but, in the first place, I don't think it is a law that says, "Turn it in." I don't even think it's a universal request. Obviously, it means little or nothing to the San Ysidro office evidenced by the complete absense of a method to gather them.
One might imagine that, if for some reason, they did want them back, a mail-in method would be developed, but I really don't care what they do.
I know that at other crossings, it may be an easy matter to return the document, but that isn't the case with SY.

So....I guess Ken will just keep doing international loops to fulfill his imagined obligation.
Good. Have fun.

mulegejim - 5-1-2011 at 05:58 PM

Ken, I mail my wife's FMM to the address below - pretty simple and I'll not enter the discussion of if you really need to turn the FMM in or not:

Instituto Nacional de Migracion
Puente Puerta S/N
Colonia Federal
Tijuana, B.C. Mexico C.P. 22310

Jim

Ken Cooke - 5-1-2011 at 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNISSo....I guess Ken will just keep doing international loops to fulfill his imagined obligation.
Good. Have fun.

Loops? You park near the border and walk it over. :light:

RichBaja - 5-1-2011 at 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNISSo....I guess Ken will just keep doing international loops to fulfill his imagined obligation.
Good. Have fun.

Loops? You park near the border and walk it over. :light:

Um Ken, Then why did you make this thread saying "Turning in your Tourist Visa (in Tijuana) can be a real challenge"

You make no sense. :no:

Riom - 5-1-2011 at 06:32 PM

The US doesn't have any proper system in place for returning their equivalent document at land borders either. The US document (exactly like an FMM) is an I-94 Entry Permit, required by Mexicans staying over 48 hours or travelling away from the US border zone, and by all non-North Americans.

Last couple of times I've turned it in (when leaving the US) at Algodones. Which involves parking along the road (no longer possible, I'll have to pay for a day's parking next time) and then walking to the US secondary (from the US side), explaining what I want (it's very much out of the ordinary of what they deal with), get escorted into the building, then handing the form in after they've finally understood I want to hand it in, rather than applying for it.

And then return with an escort to the US side. I can then go pick up the car without the permit that allows me in the US to do that, but a blind eye is turned to that lapse in the rules! I can then finally drive out.

The US does log these forms on the computer and keeps track of entries/exits for ever, so it has to be turned it (or later mailed to an address in Kentucky, but that requires proof of the tickets etc that were used to leave the country, which don't exist for land crossings).

The new FMM does appear to be a close copy of the US I-94, serves the same purpose. With rules made by beaurocrats in a capital who forget there are land borders, so don't put any system in place to deal with the return of the permits at those borders.

Rob

[Edited on 2011-5-2 by Riom]

DENNIS - 5-1-2011 at 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Loops? You park near the border and walk it over. :light:

Then what? Do you stay there?
No. You get in a pedestrian line to return that can be two hours long. It's part of the looooop.
This isn't the way it's supposed to be, Ken. And you know it, but you want to do what you think is right.
That's wonderful.