Return ticket issue

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JohnFrusciante
JohnFrusciante

Hello. I'm an Italian national. I will travel to the United States in mid October. My plan is to visit there for a while, then apply for temporary residency in Mexico. I have already lived there (in Mexico) for a while and I have decided to live there. The consulate in Phoenix told me it's fine if I apply for my Visa there, even if I'm not a US resident/citizen.

However, to enter the US with the ESTA permit, I may need to show either a return ticket, which I don't wanna buy, or a onward ticket that should not be to Mexico or Canada.

I was thinking of getting a refundable ticket to either Italy or another Latin American country, but that can be risky if they find out it's refundable, though it's unlikely and I'm being too paranoid. The other solution might be a ticket to another country like Ecuador, which I already wanna visit, though I wouldn't prefer that. And I think tickets to South America are expensive from either US or Mexico.

Any insight? Thanks in advance.

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pwzapancho.1565739
pwzapancho.1565739

If you mean the up to 4 year temporary resident in Mexico you need to apply for that in your home country, in your case Italy. You can no longer extend the 90 day FMM to temporary resident without dealing with your home country Mexican consulate first. Should you need an onward ticket for your ESTA an option is to buy a refundable ticket, expensive but you will get the money back. You could alternately tell migration your plans to travel by land to Mexico, go to the MX forum and ask this. You can book bus tickets for example. The consulate of Phoenix is incorrect since 2011.

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pwzapancho.1565739
pwzapancho.1565739

There are also rather stringent financial requirements to secure your Mexican Temporary Resident visit - make sure you check those out and qualify. Not as relaxed as it used to be as here in MX we also have lots of illegal migrants who cause problems. OOps I meant 180 day FMM that is typical. Here is some info:
https://www.mexperience.com/lifestyle/living-in-mexico/visas-and-immigration/

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JohnFrusciante
JohnFrusciante
In response to #1

You are wrong. You can apply at any consulate that is outside of Mexico, it is not necessary that it's in your home country. I got in touch with the Phoenix consulate and they told me it's ok that I do that there (I've known Canadians or Europeans that did that in the US, for example in Laredo, TX). And I'm aware of the financial requirements, I do fit them. However, this is not a post about that, I only wanted to know a way to satisfy US custom officers since I won't buy a return ticket. So I was thinking of buying a refundable one... what if they figure out it's a refundable one? Can they suspect I want to cancel it?

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pwzapancho.1565739
pwzapancho.1565739

No, I have done that often, buy refundable, its at the airline ticket counter that they would turn you back - there are many reasons people buy refundable tickets and they are just checking off the boxes. I would triple check with the Mexican consulate - another one, like in Mexico City - my Brit friends have had to do this from England. And just be really careful with all the paperwork - any consulates and migration agents are experts at bureaucracy!

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JohnFrusciante
JohnFrusciante

Where are you from if I may ask?

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nutraxfornerves
nutraxfornerves

In order toenter the US under the Visa Waiver program, you must "be in possession of" an onward ticket that takes you somewhere that is not Canada, Mexico, or a Caribbean island. US immigration officials do not always ask to see the ticket, but the requirement is still there. I have also see a few reports where an airline has refused to let someone board a flight to the US because they did not have the onward ticket.

Yes, some people do buy a refundable ticket for the sole purpose of meeting he requirement. I have not seen a report of US officials objecting.

US officials also want to be satisfied that you plan to leave the US before 90 days has passed. They may or may not ask you about this.

Nutrax
The plural of anecdote is not data.
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pwzapancho.1565739
pwzapancho.1565739

Yes - I am from California and New York, USA with 13.5 yrs residency in México, currently in Guadalajara which is great, formerly in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí states, also fantastic in their own ways. Its nice for us with US passport here as there are lots of cheap flights up there for biz and stuff, tougher with prices to commute to Europe.

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hermosajoe
hermosajoe

I've had some friends use this site before in Central America, no problems. It's an actual ticket and they cancel it for you, $10us bucks.

http://flyonward.com/

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JohnFrusciante
JohnFrusciante
In response to #8

How can they do this? I mean, I know it's legal, but how do they manage to get those tickets available etc.?

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