Notice to new members intending to register - from January 9th 2012

fidelsgirl · #1 11-19-2009, 11:51 AM

My passport was stolen last week! AGH!! My fiance's last day in state prison is tomorrow and then will be moved to an INS facility. He is from Mexico and probably will not spend much time there before he is returned to Mexico.

When he returns, he wants to go down to Michoacan to see his family, and then return to Mexicali for us to restart our lives there. He will probably not return until around March or so, since I still need more time to save more $$.

We thought it would be a great idea for him to call me when he gets to Tijuana (IF that is where he ends up being) and I can get a quick flight to San Diego, hop across the border and be able to spend a few days together before he travels further south. I could be there in about 8 hours, give or take.

But now that my passport has been stolen I am not sure what to do. I know obviously I need to apply for a replacement, but normal processing is around 6 weeks. Expidited takes about 2-3 weeks. I've contacted the Seattle immigration office and they said they could issue me a Passport card on site, but I would need to bring proof of my travel date that is within the next 2 weeks. I can't make any plans until I know he is there, PLUS it takes about 2 weeks to even get an appointment with them for same day processing.

My other idea was just to go and deal with the problem when I come back. Plan on taking my drivers license and my birth certificate with me and just take my chances on the border control just lecturing me on how I really needed to have my passport or ??

Or yet another idea was to go to the American Consulate in Tijuana when I got there and report it stolen and see if they can issue me something to get me across the border. (I have not yet reported it stolen to anyone.)

Does anyone have any experience with friends, family or yourselves crossing since June without their passports? Anyone have any advice on what I should plan on doing? I know I just just apply and take my chances, but what if he calls in a week and a half and says, "I'm here, come on down!!!" and I don't have my passport back yet?

Any advice greatly appreciated...

pamela_c · #2 11-19-2009, 12:11 PM

As crazy as it is, I was lectured last year on the need to get my passport for land crossings.............yet, in August, coming back and forth from Tijuana several times, nothing was said at all to my middle daughter about only having BC n ID. Same thing today, my oldest daughter just crossed back with ID n BC....they never said a word. She has just spent 2 weeks in Michoacan with her BF after he was deported.
You should be fine crossing on land. However, you can get docs to travel from the consulate in Tijuana if you felt better having them. An international flight would be the only problem without a passport. I spent all last summer flying to TJ, crossing on land to the San Diego airport to fly to Portland or Redmond because I did not yet have my passport.(Or vice versa, if I flew down.)
Another thing, none of my family's passports have taken longer than 3 weeks to get to us...and those were not replacements, which should be even faster.
If your hubby signs for VD, he may only be with ICE for like a week. SIL was longer, cuz they had 2 weeks of quarantine due to H1N1, so he ended up with them about 3 weeks. ICE from Tacoma only deports to TJ n Juarez(for Mexico) , to my knowledge. Although, I have never known anybody that was taken to Juarez. TJ flights usually leave on Fridays. However, SIL was woke up @ 1am on Saturday n told to roll up. (This different day may have had to do with the quarantine). He was in TJ with Grupo Beta at 4 in the afternoon. Everybody that I have known being deported, gets to TJ in the late afternoon.
A nephew who was deported after suffering a severe head injury in a car accident, was why one counselor was very helpful in giving me alot of info, so that family could be waiting for my nephew.
So, I wouldn't sweat the no passport thing. Just go and have a great time with your honey!!

fidelsgirl · #3 11-19-2009, 12:34 PM

Thank you for your quick response.

Do you know if anyone had to spend much time in secondary processing? I'm scared I'll miss my flight back to Portland if it takes much more than I am allowing in my thoughts. If it's not going to take that long I would much rather spend that time with honey than sitting by myself in an airport...

I think I will just go see the consulate there in TJ, hopefully they will be open on the weekend!

Do you know much about the flights from TJ to Michoacan? Honey is from Uruapan and the only service I can find is with Volaris....

pamela_c · #4 11-19-2009, 05:22 PM

The consulate is not open on the weekend. And they have limited hours for many things. We went on a Friday afternoon at 2pm to try and get a paper notarized for my youngest daughter's passport and they had closed at 1pm and we were told to come back Monday morning.
I haven't known anybody American that had to go through secondary processing.
Your biggest time issues will be getting from the border to the airport in San Diego & checking in early enough there. It's usually pretty quick to get through on foot. I haven't waited in line more than 20-30 minutes and then it's right through. (Although, sometimes, I have ended up waiting on the US side, cuz my taxi has taken longer to get through.)They usually only ask where you've been, what you've been doing in Mexico. That's about the extent of it , then you put your stuff on the belt, grab it at the other end and you're done. My daughter was highly surprised this morning how easy it was getting through....in her car n with 2 chihuahuas that she was bringing from Michoacan. She expected it to take more than a couple of minutes, but it didn't.
I'm not sure about the flights to Michoacan, cuz Guadalajara is the airport closer to my daughter's BFs family. You probably just want to look on a map to see where the closest airport is, which might be Guadalajara, Toluca, in Colima or somewhere that's not actually Michoacan. Volaris is what I have used alot and like. My hubby says Aviacsa is usually pretty cheap. Alma is another airline, but I think they might have closed. Interjet is another one that we have used in Mexico. They all seem to have their certain routes and not all airlines serve all cities.

albiesgirl · #5 11-19-2009, 05:42 PM

I would say another soulution would be to take a bus there and back or just back my cousin does it because they required it to fly back so until she recieves her passport she has been taking the bus she has done it like 2 times she should be getting passport soon they told her 8-10 weeks said they were backed up. Good luck

TeExtrañoBebe · #6 11-20-2009, 12:39 AM

My parents are from Michoacan too and when they would fly to Mex they would gfly into Guadalajara, that might be the best bet, unless Morelia is closer to where he's from.

wendy tyler · #7 11-20-2009, 08:12 AM

I have been to secondary many times. They search everything regardless whether you are pulled over for immigration or whatever. I have never been held up long than 40 or 45 minutes. Good luck.

wendy tyler · #8 11-20-2009, 08:15 AM

I just read albiesgirl's post, and that might be your best bet, taking the bus. Checking docs on the bus are hit and miss. Make sure you keep the copy of your arriving ticket with you when you leave.

pamela_c · #9 11-21-2009, 01:08 PM

You don't need a passport to fly if you are not flying international. I fly all the time in country both in the US and in Mexico, and passport is not necessary if it's not an international flight. She can easily fly from Portland to San Diego and then shuttle or taxi across into TJ. I've done this a dozen of times without any problems.

albiesgirl · #10 11-21-2009, 04:59 PM

I suggested the bus because she has to go far into Mexico ehich would cost alot in a taxi. But I still say fly to as close as you can get than take a bus or something else into Mexico, because you would need a passport to fly in but not if you drove in, good luck. I am editing this because I went back and seen she wants to go to Tijuana I was thinking Michoacan but so yea a taxi would work too and should not be too much also much better than the bus.

pamela_c · #11 11-21-2009, 11:26 PM

I believe there is some sort of shuttle that goes from the airport to the border. Volaris actually will shuttle you from San Diego airport to Tijuana airport (or vice versa) for free if you are flying Volaris. However, most of the time, I just end up taking a taxi cuz it is faster. It costs me $50. to get from airport to airport. Not cheap, but since it is a ways, it's not like it's outrageously expensive either. San Diego is so close to Tijuana that it would not be worth the hassle to get from the airport to the bus station, if that's even an option.

zunigan · #12 11-30-2009, 07:51 PM

Having a passport is not a law. You can travel in and out of mexico by land with just your id and bc. My friend does it all the time. They might ask you why you don't have one but you can let them know it was stolen and its getting replaced. I see people all the time with no pass port crossing into the usa.

pamela_c · #13 12-05-2009, 05:35 PM

It is now required to have a passport for adults for land crossings. However, for whatever reason, they are being lenient with it.

From the state dept website -

Effective June 1, 2009, all U.S. citizens are now required to present a passport book, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document when entering the United States.
Please Note: Children under age 16 will be able to continue crossing land and sea borders using only a U.S. birth certificate (or other form of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate.). The original birth certificate or a copy may be used. See the Department of Homeland Security's Ready, Set.. Go! for more information on the changing travel requirements.

zunigan · #14 12-12-2009, 09:45 AM

Thats what the site says, but its just not enforced. My two friends don't have one and they pass each time we go with their ID and Bc. They have asked us a few times why they don't have one and they just tell them they are going to get one sometime. I see them everytime I pass using just those papers. I am guessing that at some point they will enforce it all the time.