Vacation Mexico on the extension letter

[Sashasasha 1]

Hi everyone

 

My green card expired in June, 2020 and I received an extension letter for 18 months. I wanna go to Mexico for my vacation next week. But will they accept the extension letter? How the Mexico boarder officers know it’s a valid document? Is there a chance they won’t let me in back to USA with this extension letter?

 

thank you everyone.

[payxibka 10,045]

8 minutes ago, Sashasasha said:

Hi everyone

 

My green card expired in June, 2020 and I received an extension letter for 18 months. I wanna go to Mexico for my vacation next week. But will they accept the extension letter? How the Mexico boarder officers know it’s a valid document? Is there a chance they won’t let me in back to USA with this extension letter?

 

thank you everyone.

Sorry to break the news, but you aren't the first to travel on an extension letter.  They have seen it before.

[Crazy Cat 41,898]

14 minutes ago, Sashasasha said:

Hi everyone

 

My green card expired in June, 2020 and I received an extension letter for 18 months. I wanna go to Mexico for my vacation next week. But will they accept the extension letter? How the Mexico boarder officers know it’s a valid document? Is there a chance they won’t let me in back to USA with this extension letter?

 

thank you everyone.

Take original extension letter along with your expired Green card.  The extension letter is an extension of your Green Card.  ALL CBP personnel are aware of that fact.  

[Sashasasha 1]

Thank you everyone! And will I be able to enter Mexico with my expired green card? I am a citizen of Russian and I need to apply for eTA if I travel with my Russian passport. But if I travel with green card I can enter without eTA.. but will they let me in with an expired green card?

[Mike E 11,739]

The expired green card + extension letter will 100% guarantee entry to the USA. Actually the expired green card is all you need, but that will get you a secondary.

 

There are lots of reports of people entering Mexico with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport. I've yet to find a report of the Mexican immigration department at a Mexican port of entry denying entry to people with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport.

 

There are reports of airline personnel being reluctant to permit boarding (either from USA to Mexico or Mexico to USA) with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport.

 

Worse case you walk into Mexico and you walk out of Mexico.

 

 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

The expired green card + extension letter will 100% guarantee entry to the USA. Actually the expired green card is all you need, but that will get you a secondary.

 

There are lots of reports of people entering Mexico with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport. I've yet to find a report of the Mexican immigration department at a Mexican port of entry denying entry to people with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport.

 

There are reports of airline personnel being reluctant to permit boarding (either from USA to Mexico or Mexico to USA) with the above combination plus unexpired (6 months of validity) passport.

 

Worse case you walk into Mexico and you walk out of Mexico.

 

 

Or Mexico bans non essential travel. I read an article some border towns were pushing for it. (Has not been out into place yet)

[Dashinka 24,514]

FYI, also make a couple of copies of the extension letter.  You need the original for re-entry into the US and probably entry into Mexico, but one time my wife ran into an airline employee that wanted to keep it.  Luckily my wife had a copy with her that satisfied the airline employee.

[Just Paul 4,595]

2 hours ago, Sashasasha said:

And will I be able to enter Mexico with my expired green card?

Yes

2 hours ago, Sashasasha said:

I am a citizen of Russian and I need to apply for eTA if I travel with my Russian passport. But if I travel with green card I can enter without eTA.. but will they let me in with an expired green card?

The green card and the extension letter is all you need.    

 

Since you keep refencing border - if you are crossing by land  you only need an FMT VISA from Mexico depending on where you are crossing and how far south you are going and if you are staying more than 72 hours.

 

[DiamondEyes490 126]

On 10/29/2020 at 2:16 PM, Paul & Mary said:

Yes

The green card and the extension letter is all you need.    

 

Since you keep refencing border - if you are crossing by land  you only need an FMT VISA from Mexico depending on where you are crossing and how far south you are going and if you are staying more than 72 hours.

 

Have you driven over the border just with your wife's extension letter then? We were thinking of driving to Rosarito for New Year's, but I've heard mixed things (at least with flying) for the extension letter + expired green card in the past. 

[da95826 387]

The Green card + extension letter will get back into the USA no issue. Mexico will require a valid passport from your home country to enter and you may need a Mexican visa depending on the Mexican visa requirements base on your citizenship. 

 

Check with a Mexico consulate on visa requirements for you and how to get any needed visa.

 

I far as I know the boarders are still closed for non essential travel. 

[Just Paul 4,595]

9 hours ago, DiamondEyes490 said:

Have you driven over the border just with your wife's extension letter then? We were thinking of driving to Rosarito for New Year's, but I've heard mixed things (at least with flying) for the extension letter + expired green card in the past. 

Yes  no issue driving across (and back).  If you are flying, use an american carrier and you won't have an issue.  Ironically when we use an american carrier we have pain arriving into Mexico because we also have Mexican green cards.   

 

If you drive you don't need a FMT if you are staying less than 72 hours. I have American cousins that retired there and love it.