Anyone experianced Mexican border with AP?

[Paul&Adri 0]

I'm originally from a border city in Mexico (Matamoros - Brownsville, TX). I'm waiting for my GC (Marriage Based) which doesn't seem like it will be here anytime soon. I have an EAD card and I'm currently working in the US. My husband and I want to go visit my family in Mexico for Christmas, but I only have AP documents. We're worried they wont let me back in for whatever reason they might come up with.

The immigration officers in the border when you cross by land can be tough sometimes, so we're worried about this. I don't have any criminal record or anything, but the AP document says that re-admission is up the the immigration officer even though you have AP. I'm confused, and don't know what to do. We only plan on going for 10 days in December.

Has anyone experience any trouble coming back? has anyone cross the Mexican border with AP?

It also seems like the problem is that the immigration officers there have more knowledge about visitors visa than any other kind, because I even had problems with my student visa a couple times because they didn't seem to know how F1 visa worked!

Anyways.. Any help?

[Johnnie J 0]

I'm originally from a border city in Mexico (Matamoros - Brownsville, TX). I'm waiting for my GC (Marriage Based) which doesn't seem like it will be here anytime soon. I have an EAD card and I'm currently working in the US. My husband and I want to go visit my family in Mexico for Christmas, but I only have AP documents. We're worried they wont let me back in for whatever reason they might come up with.

The immigration officers in the border when you cross by land can be tough sometimes, so we're worried about this. I don't have any criminal record or anything, but the AP document says that re-admission is up the the immigration officer even though you have AP. I'm confused, and don't know what to do. We only plan on going for 10 days in December.

Has anyone experience any trouble coming back? has anyone cross the Mexican border with AP?

It also seems like the problem is that the immigration officers there have more knowledge about visitors visa than any other kind, because I even had problems with my student visa a couple times because they didn't seem to know how F1 visa worked!

Anyways.. Any help?

If you check the site most people recommend to wait for the GC before travelling, that to be on the safe side of things. Like the AP says it's up to the CBP officer, my personal advice is you wait for the GC. I've read that alot of people have problems at the border while still pending on their case.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

My husband (English) has crossed the land border a couple of time w/ AP and his passport. It was no problem whatsoever. Because his AOS was delayed for so long (AOS took over 2 years) because of FBI name check, he used the AP quite a bit. In fact, the land crossing tended to be easier than at the airport because land POEs are often a lot busier than the airports in terms of the total numbers going through. The whole purpose of the AP is to allow people with pending cases the ability to travel out of the country and return w/o complications. You should be fine.

A lot of people stress about the wording on the AP, but it's extremely unlikely that you'll run into any problems if everything is in order. I think that wording just gives the officers a bit more leeway in denying or delaying entry to someone they deem suspicious. etc.

[TBoneTX 45,308]

To be more certain, phone them and find out:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/tx/2301.xml

Ask for the Port Director, or at least a supervisor above front-line rank. Get the name of whomever you talk to, and remember that plus the date and time when you called.

Another option would be to visit the U.S. port (without crossing over into Mexico) with the AP paperwork, show it to a couple of people (front-liners and a supervisor), and ask directly "Will this be adequate for re-entry when we come back? If we're questioned, may we use your name as someone who has deemed it acceptable?"

If my fiancee survives K-1 POE, I hope that we get married sooner vs. later so that we can apply for AP as a priority. I want to take her to several Mexican border towns for shopping and as my own personal (and cute) translator! I plan to follow the "another option" with her AP documents; if we're met with doubt, we'll simply drive up the road to the next border-crossing. Of course, it's most efficient to phone the U.S. ports first, unless you're already down there in the area.

[Maad 0]

I plan to follow the "another option" with her AP documents; if we're met with doubt, we'll simply drive up the road to the next border-crossing.

I would be VERY careful with that. Once denial is in the system, it will be there... unless the CBP officer won't bother to put her name into the comp.

[Paul&Adri 0]

To be more certain, phone them and find out:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contact...rts/tx/2301.xml

Ask for the Port Director, or at least a supervisor above front-line rank. Get the name of whomever you talk to, and remember that plus the date and time when you called.

Another option would be to visit the U.S. port (without crossing over into Mexico) with the AP paperwork, show it to a couple of people (front-liners and a supervisor), and ask directly "Will this be adequate for re-entry when we come back? If we're questioned, may we use your name as someone who has deemed it acceptable?"

If my fiancee survives K-1 POE, I hope that we get married sooner vs. later so that we can apply for AP as a priority. I want to take her to several Mexican border towns for shopping and as my own personal (and cute) translator! I plan to follow the "another option" with her AP documents; if we're met with doubt, we'll simply drive up the road to the next border-crossing. Of course, it's most efficient to phone the U.S. ports first, unless you're already down there in the area.

Yeah, I called the US immigration department at one of the border offices, and they just kept transferring me to different people (5 different persons). They werent sure what AP was, finally they said i should be ok... but I wasnt that convinced after they said they didnt know what AP was. I think they really deal with B1 visas so much and theyre not well informed in other kind of visas. But i dont know. I've been thinking about making a trip there and just stop by their immigration office before crossing and making sure I can come back!! We'll see... I'm desperate for my GC to get here!

[Paul&Adri 0]

Ok, I just called again, just a different bridge office (border crossing office) I ask to speak to the immigration officer supervisor and I explained to her that i was in the process of adjusting status to permanent residency and that I had recieved my AP a month ago. I asked her if I was going to have any trouble comming back from the US if I used my AP. She said, they will make you come inside to our office and we will do background checks on you, if you're clear, you are fine. She said, basically, cleared as in maybe if my record showed i comitted a crime, murder somebody or something, then of course they wouldn't let me back in the US. I remarked to her that I was worried about it because it says "re-admission is up to the immigration officer" She just said, that's right, it is up to us.. but if everything seems in order, and like I said you havent comited a crime or anything like that, we will let you back in the US. so basically she just told me not to worry about it and that it was fine.

so... with that said... I want to go see my family!!!

but I'm still nervous about it....

I still have a couple months... and we plan on driving (18 hours) to get there... so we'll see!