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Author: Subject: According to the GN Immigration guy..
sancho
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[*] posted on 2-15-2012 at 04:46 PM


Read of a guy on the Baja fishing board 4 weeks
back or so, asked at TJ Immigration for a free
7 day fmm, was told they would issue him 1 as
long as he was going no further so. than
Rpsarito Beach, 12 so. of TJ, if going further than Rosarito
he would
need the $20 fmm, yes things change but to drive
400 mi into Baja wiht no fmm is not what I call prudent.
These IMM offices seem to make their own regs
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Udo
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[*] posted on 2-15-2012 at 04:54 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Oy Vey. Seems to me that it wasn't too long ago that the official word was that if you don't get it at the border you be in BEEG trouble.

Over the years, especially with the GN office, it has been hit and miss, and all over the place.

I have to chime in with the folks who advocate getting it at the border. Unless you feel like you need some potential "adventure".

Even as Shari noted, if you find an IMM guy at the GN office, and you are there during banking hours, it is a couple of miles drive to get to the bank. Just seems like wasted time if you can get it all done as you cross the border.
:?::bounce::bounce::?:



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[*] posted on 2-23-2012 at 06:56 PM


Stopped to get fmm for the family didnt know my kids needed passports not passport cards. Went back to the car to tell wife we were just going to wing it at the check point, She makes me go back in the office I get a diffrent guy who says no problem here you go and stamps and signs everything. Done deal. That said Iam 8 for 8 crossing at GN never been stopped in 13 years other than my $20.00 peso for spray.
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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 03:28 AM


Better yet, get a pre-paid FMM. 3 minutes at the Tecate crossing and you are on the road...



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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 07:46 AM


"No problema"
means maybe there's a problem or why would you think of saying 'No problem'




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David K
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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 12:41 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
Better yet, get a pre-paid FMM. 3 minutes at the Tecate crossing and you are on the road...


Besides Discover Baja in San Diego (and maybe Vagabundos near Sacramento), where else can you easily get a pre-paid tourist card?




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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 01:15 PM
Who knows the rules anymore?


Last week my friend presented to the Migration desk in the Tijuana Bus Terminal for her FMM visa.

The officer on duty asked her destination (Baja Sur) and length of stay (7 days).

He proceeded to stamp her passport and informed her she did not need a visa as her visit was only one week. He would not issue her a visa.




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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 03:52 PM


It really isn't a 'visa' but actually a "Tourist Card" allowing you to be anywhere in Mexico for a limited period of time for vacation. Just what was stamped in the passport (if not a visa)?

Technically any stay more than 72 hours or any trip south of the 'Border Zone' requires a Tourist Card (FMM, formery FM-T).




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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 04:38 PM
Just to clarify, and confuse, the issue


Quote:
Originally posted by David K
It really isn't a 'visa' but actually a "Tourist Card" allowing you to be anywhere in Mexico for a limited period of time for vacation. Just what was stamped in the passport (if not a visa)?
The stamp of the Mexican migra office, an official emblem, was rubber-stamped permanently into her passport and dated, I believe. He gave her a dated application form for an FMM with the instructions to "get ye to an immigration office, pay and obtain a card" if her visit in-country exceeded her anticipated one week stay. He did not suggest she visit an immigration office to receive an exit stamp in her passport, btw.
Quote:
Technically any stay more than 72 hours or any trip south of the 'Border Zone' requires a Tourist Card (FMM, formery FM-T).
Yes, this is what I've known to be the letter of the law, too, but... that wasn't my friend's experience last Sunday morning when she crossed in.



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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 05:10 PM


And, the prepaid cards, which cost more than you would pay at the actual IMM office, are technically not valid if you don't get them stamped.

Scratching my head here, because, most likely in retaliation for what our guys are doing NB, getting a "visa" at the SY crossing seems to take much more time than it used to, simply because they want to inspect every vehicle that pulls into the parking area. My feeling is that actually getting your "visa" stamped anywher other than at the border is really hit and miss.

So, if you get a prepaid one, and go into the SY office, you may as well have just applied there. And it will cost you less.
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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 07:36 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
And, the prepaid cards, which cost more than you would pay at the actual IMM office, are technically not valid if you don't get them stamped.

Scratching my head here, because, most likely in retaliation for what our guys are doing NB, getting a "visa" at the SY crossing seems to take much more time than it used to, simply because they want to inspect every vehicle that pulls into the parking area. My feeling is that actually getting your "visa" stamped anywher other than at the border is really hit and miss.

So, if you get a prepaid one, and go into the SY office, you may as well have just applied there. And it will cost you less.


This is so true (at Tijuana)... but not as easy at Tecate or other borders without a 24/7 bank window to pay.




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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 07:40 PM


At TJ, you can park on the US side, walk across and get your visa and walk back then drive through to avoid parking in the inspection parking lot.
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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 07:58 PM


From Wikipedia

"A visa (from the Latin charta visa, lit. "paper that has been seen")[1] is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport. Some countries do not require a visa in some situations, such as a result of reciprocal treaty arrangements. The country issuing the visa typically attaches various conditions of stay, such as the territory covered by the visa, dates of validity, period of stay, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit, etc."




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[*] posted on 2-25-2012 at 08:22 PM


It is legal to arrive at any port of entry within a limited time frame of entering the country and request a visa. Meaning people do arrive to GN, La Paz, Cabo, etc... and get Visas while having driven down, and without paying a fine. One must demonstrate that you made your best effort to comply (e.g. original port of entry INM was closed) and you made your way directly to your destination and the nearest port of entry.

People who do not make their way immediately to the port of entry are fined. It's a fine line and is determined by your statements related to your actions.
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[*] posted on 2-26-2012 at 11:37 AM


November 2010...we were stopped in GN, no FMM's between the three of us....Baja Mill chasers.....fine was $50 US + $25 for the FMT....

Next, February 2011, armed with FMT we were waived through GN on motos with no undercarriage spray applied....20 days between BC and BCSur without any request to see documents.

February 2012, picked up current FMM's when crossing at Algodones, probably 30-40 minutes spent....no guards at GN.......asked for "papers" twice on the trip north......at military check points.....the one near the construction in Baja Sur, north of Rosarito on H1....and again at the military checkpoint north of San Felipe on H5....both military checkpoints were more rigorous than previous trips and only heading north.........

FWIW, I recommend getting your papers at crossing if possible...fee was $26 in Algodones.........





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[*] posted on 2-26-2012 at 02:36 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
"A visa 1] is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was



With you on that, this arguing the definition of a Visa is
pointless, the Mex Govt uses the the term Visa to describe an fmm,
for ALL intent, an fmm is a visa, permission to be in the country. I remember a post here, a guy boarded a Volaris
out of TJ, was told he did not need an fmm for his short
stay in Cabo, go figure. Why 1 would pay approx $59 for a
prepaid fmm. $25 to join, approx $34 for the fmm as
opposed to $20 at the border to save 3 min in the bank
line escapes me
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[*] posted on 2-28-2012 at 01:01 PM


Just FYI, Last summer I finally talked my parents into coming out and riding down Baja with us to La Paz. Things turned out that we didn't get visas in TJ or Ensenada so we were going to wing it and just get them at GN if required. Well, we got the very "official" immigration woman who sternly told us that we were being held until we paid the 1200 pesos fine per person and got the visas. It was literally 15 min before the bank closed in GN and we were racing thru town to get there, 110F outside, got there and they had just locked up. Begged our way inside and proceeded to have to use the ATMs while we all got enough out to pay the fines. Needless to say, the bank manager who was anxious to leave was very frustrated with the process of having to do each passport/fine one at a time. When we got back to Immigration we told the lady that we thought it was terribly heavy-handed that this fine was also charged on the three smaill children. Doing 7 of those fines/tourist cards took 2-1/2 hrs while my parents whose vacation had just started sat in the hot car. The total cost was $900.

Now, I'll be the first to say that ignorance is no excuse and the law's the law and don't complain when you get caught. But the whole experience seemed heavy-handed, especially considering that Mexico is in terrible need of dollars.

The suspension of that fine can only be a good thing for BCS.

[Edited on 2-28-2012 by LaPazGringo]
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[*] posted on 2-28-2012 at 04:32 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by LaPazGringo
Just FYI, Last summer I finally talked my parents into coming out and riding down Baja with us to La Paz. Things turned out that we didn't get visas in TJ or Ensenada so we were going to wing it and just get them at GN if required. Well, we got the very "official" immigration woman who sternly told us that we were being held until we paid the 1200 pesos fine per person and got the visas. It was literally 15 min before the bank closed in GN and we were racing thru town to get there, 110F outside, got there and they had just locked up. Begged our way inside and proceeded to have to use the ATMs while we all got enough out to pay the fines. Needless to say, the bank manager who was anxious to leave was very frustrated with the process of having to do each passport/fine one at a time. When we got back to Immigration we told the lady that we thought it was terribly heavy-handed that this fine was also charged on the three smaill children. Doing 7 of those fines/tourist cards took 2-1/2 hrs while my parents whose vacation had just started sat in the hot car. The total cost was $900.

Now, I'll be the first to say that ignorance is no excuse and the law's the law and don't complain when you get caught. But the whole experience seemed heavy-handed, especially considering that Mexico is in terrible need of dollars.

The suspension of that fine can only be a good thing for BCS.

[Edited on 2-28-2012 by LaPazGringo]


So so true... taxation of tourists (like anything) reduces income to the people.

They only hit up travelers on Hwy. 1 crossing into Baja Sur... There are other roads that cross the border with no such government theft or even personal. Mordita to the 'rich gringos' who innocently didn't know the procedure for getting tourist cards at the Mexican border (there are no signs informing tourists what is required if they drive south of Maneadero or San Felipe).




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[*] posted on 2-28-2012 at 05:31 PM


There is another thread here started by DENNIS that asked about what could be done to increase tourism to Baja and Mexico.

IMHO, the visa thing is among the least annoying aspects considering what many other countries do, including the US. If a Mexican wishes to get a visa to enter the US legally, they have to fill out tons of paperwork, and pay literally hundreds of dollars that is non-refundable if the visa is denied.

Given the relatively easy process to obtain legal documents to enter the foreign nation of Mexico, it just seems to me that anyone who figures they can play games with their system deserves penalties.
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[*] posted on 2-28-2012 at 05:38 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Given the relatively easy process to obtain legal documents to enter the foreign nation of Mexico, it just seems to me that anyone who figures they can play games with their system deserves penalties.


I totally agree but what do you think we deserved as a penalty? $9? $90? $900? $9000? It seemed very heavy-handed to pay $900 to obviously confused tourists, especially when a big part of that was for three children who did nothing to evade the visa law. It was the first day of our vacation, I had spent years trying to convince my parents to come to Baja and then that. Yeah, ultimately it was my fault. But I think the fines were counter-productive to the Mexican economy and in the first place, I was perfectly willing to pay for the tourist visa when required at GN.

What's fair is the suspension of the hefty fines and I'm glad to see they wised up.
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