Parents from Mexico coming to visit with tourist Visa

[stfiii 33]

My wife who came here on a K1 is having her parents come to visit us next month. Her parent's have always had valid Visa's to visit from Mexico to the US and they've never been denied entry and they have never overstayed, but for some reason my wife's mother is worried they might get turned away at the border. My mother in law seems to think they're only allowed to travel a restricted distance (less then 300 miles) from the border into the USA. I can't find any information about a restriction like this online and hopefully someone here can answer. 

 

Here's the travel scenario if it matters: The parents have round trip tickets and are flying into the Tijuana Airport,  from there they will be crossing the border at the new Airport CBX Bridge into San Diego. We'll be waiting for them in the CBX lobby and from there we will drive north to Ventura County where they'll live with us for one month before we take them back to the CBX crossing in San Diego.  

 

Does this seem like an unusual arrangement and does anyone see any red flags with this? I think her mom is just a little high strung and worries to much about things that she shouldn't . 

 

 

[MacUK 983]

Where did she hear that?

[Illiria 980]

46 minutes ago, stfiii said:

they'll live with us 

Only strange thing is using the above terminology for a visit, make sure the in laws don’t pick this habit up and they should be fine.

[az2014 381]

1 hour ago, stfiii said:

My wife who came here on a K1 is having her parents come to visit us next month. Her parent's have always had valid Visa's to visit from Mexico to the US and they've never been denied entry and they have never overstayed, but for some reason my wife's mother is worried they might get turned away at the border. My mother in law seems to think they're only allowed to travel a restricted distance (less then 300 miles) from the border into the USA. I can't find any information about a restriction like this online and hopefully someone here can answer. 

 

Here's the travel scenario if it matters: The parents have round trip tickets and are flying into the Tijuana Airport,  from there they will be crossing the border at the new Airport CBX Bridge into San Diego. We'll be waiting for them in the CBX lobby and from there we will drive north to Ventura County where they'll live with us for one month before we take them back to the CBX crossing in San Diego.  

 

Does this seem like an unusual arrangement and does anyone see any red flags with this? I think her mom is just a little high strung and worries to much about things that she shouldn't . 

 

 

She wont be living anywhere, she will be visiting.

 

If she already has a tourist visa she should be fine.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

2 hours ago, Illiria said:

Only strange thing is using the above terminology for a visit, make sure the in laws don’t pick this habit up and they should be fine.

Agree

They will be staying with your or visiting you... mention the word "live" to a CBP official and they're toast. Apart from that, doesn't sound like it should be a problem.

[Boiler 45,932]

BCC not a visa?

[AnaidAaron 42]

I think your mother in law might be confused. There is a restriction though, of 60 miles I believe, but it is only when you are crossing by land, like the CBX or the Otay Border. When you fly into an american airport, you're more than 60 miles into the border, so they CBP agents stamp your passport and thats your i-94 proof, they issue it electronically you never really get it physically. I didn't know this so the first time I crossed by land  and I thought my visa was enough, but since I was going more than 60 miles from the border (or whatever the restriction is), the CBP officer requested I showed him my permit. I obviously didn't have it so I had to go to the permits office right by the border and get it, It's $6 dollars, multi entry and valid for 6 months, just like the electronic i-94. You can pay it on the spot, or online. The line is usually long so I recommend paying for this online. There is a permits office right by the Otay border and another one inside the CBX, right before the lobby exit. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me. 

 

 

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

 

[Unlockable 7,315]

19 hours ago, Illiria said:

Only strange thing is using the above terminology for a visit, make sure the in laws don’t pick this habit up and they should be fine.

Very good point. A simple (mis)use of the word "live" at the POE can cause a major problem.

[stfiii 33]

55 minutes ago, AnaidAaron said:

I think your mother in law might be confused. There is a restriction though, of 60 miles I believe, but it is only when you are crossing by land, like the CBX or the Otay Border. When you fly into an american airport, you're more than 60 miles into the border, so they CBP agents stamp your passport and thats your i-94 proof, they issue it electronically you never really get it physically. I didn't know this so the first time I crossed by land  and I thought my visa was enough, but since I was going more than 60 miles from the border (or whatever the restriction is), the CBP officer requested I showed him my permit. I obviously didn't have it so I had to go to the permits office right by the border and get it, It's $6 dollars, multi entry and valid for 6 months, just like the electronic i-94. You can pay it on the spot, or online. The line is usually long so I recommend paying for this online. There is a permits office right by the Otay border and another one inside the CBX, right before the lobby exit. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me. 

 

 

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

 

Thank you so much AnaidAaron, 

 

So it appears Ma Marta was partly correct, because my In-laws are crossing by land and they plan on traveling more then 60 miles beyond the border they need to have an i94, which they can purchase online or buy it at the border. That put's my mind at ease and I will make sure they have everything they need for a hassle free border crossing. If I have any additional questions I will PM you. Thanks a ton!  

[AnaidAaron 42]

5 minutes ago, stfiii said:

Thank you so much AnaidAaron, 

 

So it appears Ma Marta was partly correct, because my In-laws are crossing by land and they plan on traveling more then 60 miles beyond the border they need to have an i94, which they can purchase online or buy it at the border. That put's my mind at ease and I will make sure they have everything they need for a hassle free border crossing. If I have any additional questions I will PM you. Thanks a ton!  

Just to make myself clear, what you do online is only pay for the application, but you still gotta get in line at the permits office and get the physical permit handed to you, after you give the info of where you will be staying to the agent. I actually found people who work at CBX to be extremelly friendly and helpful, they even joked with me about how I met my boyfriend, so I don't think your mother in law has nothing to worry about, just make sure she always answers questions truthfully. 

 

Safe travels to them!

[stfiii 33]

7 minutes ago, AnaidAaron said:

Just to make myself clear, what you do online is only pay for the application, but you still gotta get in line at the permits office and get the physical permit handed to you, after you give the info of where you will be staying to the agent. I actually found people who work at CBX to be extremelly friendly and helpful, they even joked with me about how I met my boyfriend, so I don't think your mother in law has nothing to worry about, just make sure she always answers questions truthfully. 

 

Safe travels to them!

Ok thanks. So you're saying they still need to stand in line for the i94, but it's quicker if we purchase the i94 online before they arrive. I see that we have to wait until we are within 7 days to the arrival to purchase the i94. 

 

Can you give me as much detail as possible of how the CBX crossing works. From the point that they land and they've picked up their luggage until they enter into the US side of the CBX. 

 

Someone told me if they leave the area where they grab luggage and go into the main airport they won't be allowed back into the area where the CBX bridge is (I had a nightmare that they called us from the airport taxi stand and we had to cross the border to pick them up) 

[AnaidAaron 42]

10 minutes ago, stfiii said:

Ok thanks. So you're saying they still need to stand in line for the i94, but it's quicker if we purchase the i94 online before they arrive. I see that we have to wait until we are within 7 days to the arrival to purchase the i94. 

Exactly, there are two lines, one for paying and one for getting the permit, if you pay online you go directly to the second line. Let me tell you how it all works. 

 

Tijuana Airport is fairly small and there's no way you can get lost. After you pick up your luggage, to the right of the baggage claim area you can see the big orange sign that says CBX, you go through and walk about a mile and get to the CBP checkpoint. First stop is with an officer and he will ask you the regular questions and if you have a valid permit, you can go through and there's no need to get a new one, you go straight to the lobby. For example, I visited back in December and have a permit that's good until June. I'll visit again in a month, so when I go through that first officer I can just go straight to the lobby, since the permitis are multi entry. 

 

 

Now the second scenario, like your in laws, you do not have a valid permit, the first officer will send you to pay and then there's staff directing the travelers to the permits line (Hope I am not confusing you lol). The second officer at the permits office will ask you a couple questions and give you your i-94 that's good for 6 months. 

 

18 minutes ago, stfiii said:

Someone told me if they leave the area where they grab luggage and go into the main airport they won't be allowed back into the area where the CBX bridge is (I had a nightmare that they called us from the airport taxi stand and we had to cross the border to pick them up)

Now about this, I haven't personally done this myself, but yes, there is a time limit, here's what it says on the CBX website: 

 

If I do not travel, can I go along with my relative from the CBX to Tijuana airport?

No; the CBX skybridge is only for passengers carrying a valid boarding pass for a flight either departing Tijuana Airport within the following 24 hours or having arrived within 4 hours. If you are not flying, you may not use the skybridge.

 

https://www.crossborderxpress.com/faq

 

 

So as you can see, they can only use the CBX within 4 hours of having arrived to Tijuana, but they can't go past security, since they would be technically leaving the arrivals area. They need to have their boarding pass on them as well. 

 

The whole process is fairly easy, the only hassle is getting the permit. If they need to exhange currency there's a little kiosk in the baggage claim area but the rates are very expensive, so I'd recommend doing it at their home airport. There are also taxi and bus services inside the CBX, just in case they needed them, there are also ATMs and food stands. Don't worry, it'll be fine, everyone speaks spanish and the service is amazing. Going back from the US there is also a special area to check in your luggage for CBX users, so you don't waste time at the airport  

 

[stfiii 33]

2 hours ago, AnaidAaron said:

Tijuana Airport is fairly small and there's no way you can get lost. After you pick up your luggage, to the right of the baggage claim area you can see the big orange sign that says CBX, you go through and walk about a mile and get to the CBP checkpoint.

Whoa, is that a typo about having to walk 1 mile??? My father in law is a double amputee, I thought from baggage pickup in TJ airport they simply went upstairs or in an elevator to a skybridge and walked a few hundred yards across the bridge that runs along the airport into the CBX on the American side. 

[AnaidAaron 42]

20 minutes ago, stfiii said:

Whoa, is that a typo about having to walk 1 mile??? My father in law is a double amputee, I thought from baggage pickup in TJ airport they simply went upstairs or in an elevator to a skybridge and walked a few hundred yards across the bridge that runs along the airport into the CBX on the American side. 

Haha oh my gosh I totally calculated wrong, I remember walking for a very long time   go to the FAQ site, they say it's 400 feet long and they provide weelchair assitance. 

Edited February 23, 2018 by AnaidAaron

[stfiii 33]

11 minutes ago, AnaidAaron said:

Haha oh my gosh I totally calculated wrong, I remember walking for a very long time   go to the FAQ site, they say it's 400 feet long and they provide weelchair assitance. 

Your information has been really helpful, absolutely Super Duper! Thank you!