My 7 day tourist visa

The OP of this thread is now in Mexico illegally

According to the Mexican law (not the forum marms), his status is "pending administrative resolution." The only thing that would make their stay "illegal" would be to leave the country without resolving it. If they were going to "detain" the man, they would have done it at the INM.

Good point re: leaving via the Baja land border without turning it in and OP could probably do that with no problem... apparently the law has been changed as of September 2015 so that this is not technically necessary (even though it says it is on the back of the card). From what I've read, people do turn it in at the immigration office, but if you don't need to according to the letter of the new law, then that's that.

For the southern border, they definitely do stamp you out and definitely do collect the FMM (or fine). Could someone sneak out without resolving their situation? Hey... if that's what floats their boat, why not?

Yes, obviously, Mexico has denied the OP's presence in Mexico for more than 7 days, for reason. The OP is in Mexico without permission.

LW

Yes, because it was already expired, and that's how the system works. Deal.

Fortunately, in Mexico, these kinds of decisions are up to the INM, and not random forum gringos with a bone to pick. The law is the law, and it's probably better not to misrepresent it, just in case they decide to go through your browser history next trip down to see if you're an "inconvenient foreigner" as defined by the Mexican Constitution... because it sounds like you're accusing federal employees of aiding and abetting criminal activity, which I wouldn't recommend.

The OP of this thread is now in Mexico illegally

According to the Mexican law (not the forum marms), his status is "pending administrative resolution." The only thing that would make their stay "illegal" would be to leave the country without resolving it. If they were going to "detain" the man, they would have done it at the INM.

It’s only the INM agent that the OP dealt with in Guadalajara that would have detained him if he or she was going to. There is no guarantee that all INM agents will be so accommodating.

As far as leaving Mexico without being stamped out and turning in your FMM being a "real no-no" (as the forum marms would have you believe) at Tijuana-San Ysidro that is how it is done (no stamp out and no FMM turn in).

Enroute, when you leave the USA no one looks at your passport. When you leave Canada, no one looks at your passport. When you fly out of Mexico, the airline only cares that you have a legal right to enter the country you are flying to, no Mexican immigration looks at your passport.

when you leave the USA no one looks at your passport.

This is some bizarro world stuff right there... you're saying you've let on a plane in the US in the last two decades and nobody looked at your passport? I think this may be some Canadian misunderstanding, because in 2017 your passport is checked multiple times, at check-in (always), at security, and usually at the gate.

no Mexican immigration looks at your passport

Again, I have no idea how anyone could think this... maybe you just got lucky. They check it in CDMX, they check it in Cancun (very carefully, as this is a big source of income), and they check it at the southern border.

As far as leaving Mexico without being stamped out and turning in your FMM being a "real no-no"

While that one crossing is an exception for whatever reason, it is still illegal to leave without having your status resolved, even at that crossing... that doesn't mean it's not easy to get away with, but it's technically a crime.

There is no guarantee that all INM agents will be so accommodating.

Yes, I agree, and there is inconsistency from state to state and official to official. The chances are still incredibly slim that anything would happen in-country, but if it were me I would've resolved it right away anyhow just to be safe.

Enroute, when you leave the USA no one looks at your passport. When you leave Canada, no one looks at your passport. When you fly out of Mexico, the airline only cares that you have a legal right to enter the country you are flying to, no Mexican immigration looks at your passport.

As pertains to air travel: airline personnel require travelers present a valid passport before being given a boarding pass ... or allowed to board ... in the USA and Canada ... and Mexico ... and in other countries I travel to. It's standard practice to require passengers to present a passport before being allowed to board a plane ... for many years now. At Toronto Pearson airport, travelers are required to clear USA immigration ... there, in Toronto before boarding ... and not at the USA destination city. But, yes, in Mexico City ... no federal immigration agent checks passports on departure; the airline personnel do. Well, there may be times a federal police officer mans the security checkpoint and looks at it.

LW

I suppose I will report back when I finally cross the border leaving Mexico. I would have preferred to settle the $500 pesos at the INM office in Guadalajara, in order to avoid the possibility of a border official who wants a bribe or something like that at a Guatemala border crossing. But that was not to be.

Well, you had 7 days to take care of it, right? After that it's sort of out of their hands according to the . Nobody's going to ask you for a bribe at the Guatemala border, it's strictly business down there (I mean, it's not theoretically impossible, but no). Just be ready to speak Spanish and pay the thing.

You'd BETTER report back! Or else I'm sending the forum squad down to the border to break you out, and you're not going to like the very, very stern words they will have for you.

But, yes, in Mexico City ... no federal immigration agent checks passports on departure; the airline personnel do.

At least United has automated checkin at Aeropuerto Internacional Ciudad de Mexico, including scanning of your passport, so this raises the possibility that this info is transmitted along with the passenger list to Department of Homeland Security for vetting before departure of flights flying through USA.