Imagine being all set for a beautiful vacation in Mexico.
Bags packed, excitement in the air, and you’re at the airport ready to check in, just like any other trip.
But then, you’re hit with a bombshell: you and your partner are told you won’t be boarding your flight.
Not only that, you’re informed that no airline would let you fly to Mexico. This is exactly what happened to my wife Jessi and me last week when we tried to leave from Portland, Oregon to San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico.
We found ourselves stuck, with airline and Mexican consulate staff telling us there was no way we’d get into Mexico with our travel documents. So, what went wrong? Why were we sent back home instead of enjoying our vacation?
Well, I’m going to share our story with you because it’s a lesson we learned the hard way, and it might just save you from a similar situation.
Delta Airlines Wouldn’t Let Us Board
When Jessi and I stepped up to check in for our flight, we hit a roadblock right away.
After the Delta Airlines representative checked our passports, she asked Jessi if she had a visa for Mexico. Even though Jessi is from Brazil, we didn’t think this would be a problem because she has a green card from living in the USA.
The airline rep told us Mexico wouldn’t accept the I-797 document that extended Jessi’s green card. This was confusing because this document, along with her expired green card, was supposed to be enough, and it always had been before, even when we traveled to other countries.
I tried to explain how the I-797 form worked, thinking maybe the rep was just not familiar with it.
But after checking her system, she insisted Mexico wouldn’t recognize it, and because Jessi is Brazilian, she must have a visa to enter. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing, so we asked to speak to a supervisor, hoping for a different answer.
The supervisor seemed to understand our situation a bit better and for a moment, it looked like he might let us through. But then, he checked his computer and said there was nothing he could do; the system wouldn’t allow Jessi to board the plane without a visa.
Feeling stuck, we decided to look for another way to solve our problem.
We thought if we could get an emergency visa from the Mexican consulate in Portland, we might still make it to Mexico in time for the wedding. So, off we went to the consulate, hoping we could explain our situation and get the visa Jessi needed.
Trying To Get An Emergency Visa At The Mexican Consulate
Racing against time, Jessi and I hurried to the Mexican consulate in Portland, hoping we could get an emergency visa. We thought if we explained our situation, they might understand and help us out.
But when we got there and talked to the consulate staff, our hopes were quickly put down.
The person we spoke to wasn’t very sympathetic and told us directly that getting into Mexico wasn’t going to happen.
They explained that processing a visa could take 7-8 weeks, and there was no such thing as getting one on the same day.
This was a big shock to us because we had read stories online about people getting emergency visas pretty quickly.
Feeling pretty low, we didn’t give up yet.
We started calling everyone we knew, hoping maybe someone had a contact that could help us with Mexican immigration. Hours passed, and it seemed like we were out of options until finally, something promising happened.
The wedding coordinator in Cabo, where my sister’s wedding was going to be, told us they knew someone at the airport in San Jose Del Cabo who worked in immigration.
We quickly sent over Jessi’s I-797 document and her passport information, hoping this connection might be our ticket to Mexico. It was a long shot, but at this point, we were willing to try anything to make it to the wedding.
This immigration officer in Cabo told us something surprising: Jessi’s expired green card and the I-797 document should be fine for entering Mexico.
This was completely different from what the airlines had been telling us. It was frustrating to hear that the airlines wouldn’t let us fly as well as the Mexican consulate, even though it seemed like we’d actually be allowed into Mexico once we got there.
With this new information, Jessi and I made a big decision. If the airlines wouldn’t let us fly directly to Mexico because of their rules, we’d find another way. We decided to go to San Diego and try to enter Mexico by crossing the border on foot.
This plan felt a little risky because we weren’t sure if it would work.
But we had heard of other people successfully entering Mexico this way, and it seemed like our only option left.
So, we booked a last-minute, expensive flight to San Diego, planning to cross into Mexico from there. It was a huge change in our travel plans, but we were willing to try anything to make it to the wedding on time.
Crossing The Border In Tijuana
Crossing the border was way easier than we expected.
We went to the San Ysidro transit center, where there’s a pedestrian bridge that people can use to walk into Tijuana, Mexico.
It was late at night, almost 11 pm, and there weren’t many people around. Once we got past the initial gate, we were officially in Mexico. We just had to walk through, put our bags through a security check, and then we were waved through by the officers. They didn’t ask us about visas or the I-797 document. It felt like all the worries the airlines and Mexican consulate had given us were for nothing.
Once we were in Tijuana, we took a taxi to a simple hotel where we spent the night. The next day, we caught a taxi to the airport for a domestic flight to Cabo. There were no problems checking in for this flight since it was within Mexico.
Finally, we arrived in Cabo, ready to enjoy the vacation we thought we might miss.
The wedding and the rest of our stay in Cabo were amazing, just like we hoped. After all the stress and changes to our plans, we had a wonderful time. It was a journey with unexpected twists, but in the end, it was all worth it.
Final Thoughts:
Looking back on our whole adventure, Jessi and I learned a lot, especially about how different the rules can seem depending on who you’re talking to.
The biggest surprise was finding out that the airlines and the actual immigration officers in Mexico had such different ideas about what documents were needed to enter the country.
The airlines wouldn’t let us fly because of their strict rules, but once we got to Mexico by crossing the border on foot, the immigration officers didn’t have any issues with our documents.
For anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation, here’s a piece of advice: think about crossing the border by land if flying directly doesn’t seem possible because of paperwork issues. Our experience showed that land crossings can be much more straightforward when you’re dealing with certain types of immigration documents.
Navigating through immigration rules can be really tricky, especially with something like an expired visa or the I-797 form.
Our journey was full of ups and downs, but it taught us that there’s usually a way to make things work, even if it’s not the way you originally planned. Sometimes, you have to get a bit creative and be ready to adapt your plans based on the information and resources you have at the time.
So, if you’re traveling with complex immigration documents, it’s important to remember that airline policies might not always match up with the actual immigration laws or practices.
Always look for alternative ways to reach your destination if the direct route seems blocked. And most importantly, don’t give up hope – there’s often a solution out there, even if it takes some extra effort to find it.
Mexico’s Official Stance on Letting You Enter With an Expired Green Card and a I-797 Form
According to the official stance found on Mexican government websites, travelers cannot enter Mexico if they have an expired green card, even if accompanied by an I-797 form. Just be aware of this as there are never any guarantees of getting let into the country like we were.
