Taking MIL to Mexico on US Tourist Visa with Philippines Passport

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

Can I get a confirmation that MIL can enter Mexico (Cancun Airport) from USA with a US Tourist Visa attached to a Philippine Passport

 

 

[JeanneAdil 6,610]

US tourist visa not for visiting Mexico 

 

A Philippine citizen needs a visa to visit Mexico for tourism or business purposes, meaning they must apply for a Mexican visa before traveling to the country; this applies to both transit and non-remunerated activities

 

https://immigrationtomexico.mx/which-countries-need-a-visa-to-enter-mexico/

 

lists all countries that do not need visa to travel to Mexico and has info to apply for one

[top_secret 2,493]

A valid multiple entry visa for the US or any other G7 nation IS accepted by Mexico as a substitute visa that is valid for entry to Mexico.  Your MIL CAN visit Mexico with a valid US B2 visa in a Philippine passport.   https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/toronto/index.php/en/servicesforeigners/doclegalization/52-conservices/225-visitors-who-do-not-require-a-visa-with-a-stay-up-to-180-days

 

Quote

All foreign visitors, regardless of their nationality, traveling to Mexico for tourism, business or in transit to another destination, are exempt from presenting a Mexican visa as long as they have a valid visa issued by any the following countries: Canada, Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom or any of the countries comprising the Schengen Area.

In addition, foreign visitors who, regardless of their nationality, have a valid permanent resident card from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Peru, the United States of America, the United Kingdom or any of the countries comprising the Schengen Area, do not require a Mexican visa.

 

Edited December 21, 2024 by top_secret

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

On 12/21/2024 at 9:31 AM, top_secret said:

A valid multiple entry visa for the US or any other G7 nation IS accepted by Mexico as a substitute visa that is valid for entry to Mexico.  Your MIL CAN visit Mexico with a valid US B2 visa in a Philippine passport.   https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/toronto/index.php/en/servicesforeigners/doclegalization/52-conservices/225-visitors-who-do-not-require-a-visa-with-a-stay-up-to-180-days

 

 

Thank You that is what I had read as well. Do you know someone whom has actually entered Mexico with US Tourist Visa? We are booked in May for Cancun.

[top_secret 2,493]

2 hours ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Thank You that is what I had read as well. Do you know someone whom has actually entered Mexico with US Tourist Visa? We are booked in May for Cancun.

 

 

Well, we had experience with my wife being refused entry to Mexico with a 5 year multiple entry Japan visa in a Philippine passport.  But even in that whole debacle there was total consensus between Mexican Immigration, the airlines and my wife that the Japan visa was absolutely a valid substitute visa for Mexico.  Rather she was refused entry based on Mexico's "we reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone for any reason or even no reason" policy.  She was never given a reason and thrown out on the same plane she came in on.  Sent to Germany, where we re-routed her and went on vacation to Brazil instead.  Our experience is that valid visa or not, Mexican immigration treats Filipino passport holders very differently than they treat US passport holders.

 

In the case of the MIL, if she is coming from the US, traveling with you, with a valid B2 visa in a Philippine passport she should be fine.  Have round trip ticket, hotel reservations and available funds very well documented for the entire stay.  Mexican immigration is very strict about that.   Be aware that it does NOT reset her I94.  The US sees it as a side trip during her allowed stay in the US.  Her entire round trip to Mexico must fit comfortably within her allowed stay in the US.  If Mexican Immigration sees it as an attempted "visa run" she would be denied entry for that.  IE, if she spent 5 1/2 month in the US and flies to Cancun, they would deny her entry because her US stay was about to expire.

 

If she is arriving alone or directly from the Philippines and using a US B2 visa to enter Mexico rather than from the US and traveling with you, she is still fine to enter but will face a lot of scrutiny and should have a very high level of preparation. 

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

26 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

 

Well, we had experience with my wife being refused entry to Mexico with a 5 year multiple entry Japan visa in a Philippine passport.  But even in that whole debacle there was total consensus between Mexican Immigration, the airlines and my wife that the Japan visa was absolutely a valid substitute visa for Mexico.  Rather she was refused entry based on Mexico's "we reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone for any reason or even no reason" policy.  She was never given a reason and thrown out on the same plane she came in on.  Sent to Germany, where we re-routed her and went on vacation to Brazil instead.  Our experience is that valid visa or not, Mexican immigration treats Filipino passport holders very differently than they treat US passport holders.

 

Wow

 

What a nightmare, That's an odd one for sure and don't make any sense in Mexico.

 

I wonder if Philippines BI would of off loaded her if she didn't have a valid Japan Visa? 

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

41 minutes ago, top_secret said:

In the case of the MIL, if she is coming from the US, traveling with you, with a valid B2 visa in a Philippine passport she should be fine.  Have round trip ticket, hotel reservations and available funds very well documented for the entire stay.  Mexican immigration is very strict about that.   Be aware that it does NOT reset her I94.  The US sees it as a side trip during her allowed stay in the US.  Her entire round trip to Mexico must fit comfortably within her allowed stay in the US.  If Mexican Immigration sees it as an attempted "visa run" she would be denied entry for that.  IE, if she spent 5 1/2 month in the US and flies to Cancun, they would deny her entry because her US stay was about to expire.

 

She is only staying in USA for 2 months we will head to Cancun after 4 weeks. I have itenary with Flights/Hotel/Transporation booked from Costco Travel for all of us already. She will arrive early April, since it will be spring time in Texas and nice weather.

 

Wife and MIL already have ticket booked back Philippines for mid June thru Delta website via Korean Airline and I will follow a few days later thru Delta website via Korean air one stop in Icheon and and then onto Manila. 

 

Proof of fund, I figured Immigration can see that me and wife have 8 trips to Cancun from USA since 2021 and they would see it's a common trip for us. 

 

 

 

 

[top_secret 2,493]

34 minutes ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Wow

 

What a nightmare, That's an odd one for sure and don't make any sense in Mexico.

 

I wonder if Philippines BI would of off loaded her if she didn't have a valid Japan Visa? 

 

 

That was in August 2020 during the Philippines non-essential outbound travel ban.  We expected trouble from Philippines BI and were well prepared for that.  They detained her and interrogated her for an hour but eventually let her go. We weren't expecting so much trouble from Mexican immigration since at that time they were soliciting tourism and touting themselves as the only open destination during the rona-travel bans.   She had to fly Manila-Istanbul-Frankfurt-Mexico City.   I flew Tijuana to Mexico City to meet her.  She got kicked back to Frankfurt.  I re-booked her Frankfurt to São Paulo Brazil and we went to Rio de Janeiro together from there.  Going back to Manila she flew São Paulo to Addis Ababa Ethiopia to Manila.  Good times traveling under rona travel bans.

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

2 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

 

That was in August 2020 during the Philippines non-essential outbound travel ban.  We expected trouble from Philippines BI and were well prepared for that.  They detained her and interrogated her for an hour but eventually let her go. We weren't expecting so much trouble from Mexican immigration since at that time they were soliciting tourism and touting themselves as the only open destination during the rona-travel bans.   She had to fly Manila-Istanbul-Frankfurt-Mexico City.   I flew Tijuana to Mexico City to meet her.  She got kicked back to Frankfurt.  I re-booked her Frankfurt to São Paulo Brazil and we went to Rio de Janeiro together from there.  Going back to Manila she flew São Paulo to Addis Ababa Ethiopia to Manila.  Good times traveling under rona travel bans.

Crazy story

 

What is her or your thought of every going to Mexico like Cabo or Cancun? I bet she has no desire to ever step foot inside Mexico again, I wouldn't blame her.

[top_secret 2,493]

5 minutes ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Proof of fund, I figured Immigration can see that me and wife have 8 trips to Cancun from USA since 2021 and they would see it's a common trip for us.

 

 

Traveling with you she should be fine but do bring an actual printout of hotel reservations.  Traveling alone on any kind of visa and with a Philippine passport she better have at minimum bank statements, credit cards, atm cards and a stack of US $100's.  Mexican Immigration is dead serious about proof of funds for holders of challenged passports.  

[top_secret 2,493]

1 minute ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Crazy story

 

What is her or your thought of every going to Mexico like Cabo or Cancun? I bet she has no desire to ever step foot inside Mexico again, I wouldn't blame her.

 

That was before she had her green card.  She never wanted to visit mexico again but after she has been here in San Diego a year she finally decided to try Tijuana for the afternoon.  There the local TJ police hassled us very aggressively on the street.  I'm used to that and know how to handle those guys but yet a second bad Mexico experience for her.  More recently we drove down to San Felipe, hired a panga boat and caught an absolutely ludicrous amount of fish so she's happy now.  In two weeks we are flying from Tijuana to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo which is super easy from San Diego.  We'll see how that goes.  Should be fun.

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

5 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

That was before she had her green card.  She never wanted to visit mexico again but after she has been here in San Diego a year she finally decided to try Tijuana for the afternoon.  There the local TJ police hassled us very aggressively on the street.  I'm used to that and know how to handle those guys but yet a second bad Mexico experience for her.  More recently we drove down to San Felipe, hired a panga boat and caught an absolutely ludicrous amount of fish so she's happy now.  In two weeks we are flying from Tijuana to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo which is super easy from San Diego.  We'll see how that goes.  Should be fun.

When you crossed into Mexico I assume you walked? Did you ever have to show a passport to enter Mexico or enter USA or do they just wave you thru if you look American? In Texas I saw you pay like 4 quarters in a turn stall thing to enter Mexico and they don't ask for ID's, not sure how it works coming back to USA. I was watching a person going down there for a dental procedure.

 

 

Edited January 11 by DELTAFOXTROT

[DELTAFOXTROT 74]

13 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

 

Traveling with you she should be fine but do bring an actual printout of hotel reservations.  Traveling alone on any kind of visa and with a Philippine passport she better have at minimum bank statements, credit cards, atm cards and a stack of US $100's.  Mexican Immigration is dead serious about proof of funds for holders of challenged passports.  

She will be with us whole time. I have itineary print out I take and also have email on phone from Costco Travel.

 

Do you remember when you could fly into Mexico from USA with only a US Driver License and your Birth Certificate? They started requiring Passports in 2009, I think it was same for US Citizens flying to Canada.

[top_secret 2,493]

2 minutes ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

When you crossed into Mexico I assume you walked? Did you ever have to show a passport to enter Mexico or enter USA or do they just wave you thru if you look American? In Texas I saw you pay like 4 quarters in a turn stall thing to enter Mexico and they don't ask for ID's, not sure how it works coming back to USA. I was watching a person going down there for a dental procedure.

 

 

When we went to TJ we just walked in.  There was a Mexican immigration guy playing on his phone while hundreds walked in past him.   Driving to San Felipe we drove in at Tecate and although not strictly necessary we did stop at the INM office and complete FMM's and got stamped in properly just to be cautious.  A FMM is free by land for a trip less than 7 days.  For the trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in two weeks, Tijuana Airport is immediately adjacent to the border and they have a bridge from San Diego, literally directly into the terminal at Tijuana airport so we cross the bridge, get a land FMM in Mexico and fly a domestic Mexico flight from Tijuana to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.

[top_secret 2,493]

13 minutes ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Do you remember when you could fly into Mexico from USA with only a US Driver License and your Birth Certificate? They started requiring Passports in 2009, I think it was same for US Citizens flying to Canada.

 

When I was 16, me and my buddies used to drive from San Diego into Tijuana just about every weekend because 16 year olds could buy booze and get in all the 'most exciting' bars back then.  I had a drivers licence.  Im sure my buddies often had no ID at all but never had any problem coming back because they just looked obviously American