Can F-1 Visa from China travel on a mexican cruise from US?
 

Hi,

I tried to google this and search for an answer but I keep getting mixed answers...

My girlfriend has an unexpired F-1 Visa on her Chinese passport. She is a student in California and I would like to take her on a cruise. I am wondering if she needs to apply for any Mexican visa??? Or can she just go onto the cruise with her current passport, f-1 visa, and I-20 and able to enter the US with no problems??

I heard that you don't need a Mexican visa if its on a cruise.

We are planning on traveling on a Carnival/Princess Cruise from LA to Ensenlada. I need someone to confirm this..

Thanks in advance!

I would have her ask her school.
 

The Foreign Students' Offices usually have up to date info.

Call and ask the US State Department help line, ask at school as suggested above, just ask somebody who KNOWS.

Timatic says OK
 

According to Timatic (which is the system that airlines and cruise lines use), yes she can go if Mexico is the only stop since she has a valid US visa...

/ 05FEB14 / 0116 UTC



National China (People's Rep.) (CN)
Embarkation USA (US) /Destination Mexico (MX)


Mexico (MX)



Passport required.
- Passport and/or passport replacing documents must be valid
on arrival.
- Warning: if departing from the USA (regardless of any

destination passport exemptions), a valid passport and/or

accepted departure document For details, click here is required by the
US immigration authorities.

Passport Exemptions:

- Holders of emergency or temporary passports.

Visa required, except for A max. stay of 180 days:
- for holders of Hong Kong (SAR China)or Macao (SAR China)
passports;
- for holders of a valid visa issued by the USA.
Visa required, except for Holders of an APEC Business Travel
Card (ABTC)For details, click here provided endorsed Valid for travel
to MEX":
- traveling on business, for a max. stay of 180 days.
Minors:
- Passport not required for alien minors (up to/incl.17 years
of age) registered in their parent/guardian passport,
provided travelling with the passport holder.
- All minors under 14 years of age, when travelling alone,
should be met by an adult.
Additional Information:

- A valid Mexican visa in an expired passport is accepted,
provided also carrying a valid passport.
Warning:
- Passport number and nationality must match those stated on

the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC).
- Visitors not holding return/onward tickets For details, click here co
uld be refused entry.

But there is a LOT of info on school sites
 

That the student needs to have a special stamp to leave the US for Canada or Mexico. SO I'd definitely check with the school.

Someone MIGHT HAVE (edited by mod) directed OP to the Mexican immigration services, not the US State Department. Always consult the country that KNOWS.

The cruise company should have specific information regarding immigration (particularly if you are talking about a short cruise of a few days).

I took a four-day cruise from Long Beach CA down to Catalina Island and Ensenada and back on a British passport, as part of a three-week holiday in the US. I had no dealings whatsoever with the Mexican authorities for the cruise trip. One of the days the ship was docked at the Mexican port of Ensenada and we were permitted to go into town unaccompanied (with no Mexican immigration checks). I had started out on the cruise from the US and had entered the US as a visitor on the Visa Waiver Program (i.e. just a regular tourist from the UK). On docking back in the US, the immigration officer saw that I was within the 90 days allowed on the VWP and that the green I-94W form was still in my passport. I think I was asked some cursory friendly questions about my travel itinerary; where I was heading next.

There is in fact a fair amount of information on Carnival Cruise Lines' website:

U.S. Alien Residents and Non-U.S. Citizens

Non-U.S. citizens require a valid machine readable passport and a valid, unexpired U.S. Multiple Re-entry Visa, if applicable, to travel on all Carnival cruises. Guests are advised to check with their consulate, travel agent or appropriate government authority to determine the necessary documents.

Non-U.S. citizens that are eligible to apply for admission under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, must still have a valid unexpired passport. U.S. State Department regulations require all guests traveling from visa-waiver countries be in possession of a machine-readable passport that includes a biometric identifier - e.g., embedded digital photograph. Otherwise, guests will be required to obtain a U.S. Multiple Re-entry Visa. Guests without proper identification may be refused boarding or entry into the United States.

On occasion, non-U.S. citizens and U.S. Alien Residents may be asked to surrender their passport and/or Alien Resident Card at time of embarkation. These documents will be returned upon completion of the Immigration inspection at the time of debarkation.


All Guest Traveling to Mexico

To debark for more than 24 hours in Mexico, guests must have obtained a Mexican Tourist Card from either a travel agent or a Mexican consulate prior to their departure.
Source: http://www.carnival.com/Core/FAQ.asp...tion#q-1394828

It would seem that if you are just taking a short cruise with less than 24 hours on land in Mexico (check cruise line website for individual trip itineraries), as long as your girlfriend's F-1 visa is Multiple Entry, and still valid on her return to the US after the cruise, it should all be fine.

(SNARK edited by mod)

The other question asked was

Folks,

It is *never* acceptable to hurl blanket insults at fellow members. Please leave the character attacks out of the discussion or violators will face time on the sidelines.

---------
essxjay
TS/S moderator

She will have no issues. When you are a student under F-1/J-1 Status, you are subject to Automatic revalidation. All she needs to do is to make sure her I-20 signatures that allow her to re-enter are up to date (this only takes a 5-minute stop at the International Students Office).

For those of you who said that this is something to be asked at the University... In my experience as a Student in the US for 5 years, the International Students office NEVER provided an accurate information. Most of the time I had to ask them to go to the CBP website and read themselves what the rules were.

She will have no problem re-enterint the US as long as she has her I-20 with her also. Back in the days my I-20 was a letter size paper:) and my was valid for 4-5 years.

Mine was a letter size paper 4 years ago, I doubt things changed.

Yep, current F1 visa holder and the I-20 is still two sheets of paper unfortunately, with a signature required from the school every six months in order to make it valid for re-entry.