I have a friend who was visiting the USA on a tourist visa from Colombia. She overstayed the visa and now has exceeded the visa by about one year. She has family (son and mother) in Colombia and a valid passport (Colombian), and she wants to return. She is trying to figure out what here options are. Can she fly directly back from LAX? Will the expired visa give her a problem?
She is considering returning through Mexico because she thinks that she cannot leave directly from the USA. Is this really a valid option? I don't know if she would have similar problems in Mexico, although I know she could make it across the border (they really dont care about the people going in that direction).
Any info would be appreciated,
Zeus
Full Version: Visa Overstay return options
VisaJourney.com > General Discussion Area > Regional Discussion > Latin America, Mexico & the Caribbean
QUOTE(Zeus @ Jan 27 2008, 09:19 PM) 
I have a friend who was visiting the USA on a tourist visa from Colombia. She overstayed the visa and now has exceeded the visa by about one year. She has family (son and mother) in Colombia and a valid passport (Colombian), and she wants to return. She is trying to figure out what here options are. Can she fly directly back from LAX? Will the expired visa give her a problem?
She is considering returning through Mexico because she thinks that she cannot leave directly from the USA. Is this really a valid option? I don't know if she would have similar problems in Mexico, although I know she could make it across the border (they really dont care about the people going in that direction).
Any info would be appreciated,
Zeus
Can fly directly home from any international airport, not needed to go through Mexico. How do you think people who have overstayed from Europe, Asia,and any other country in the world return hone after an overstay? They don't make a land crossing to Mexico first, they just book a plane ticket home and get on the international flight.She is considering returning through Mexico because she thinks that she cannot leave directly from the USA. Is this really a valid option? I don't know if she would have similar problems in Mexico, although I know she could make it across the border (they really dont care about the people going in that direction).
Any info would be appreciated,
Zeus
Expired visa will not cause any problem, just turn in the I-94 card when leaving.
She won't need anything but her Colombian passport to get back to Colombia. She can fly directly from LAX on any flight she chooses.
Diana
Diana
They don't care if she's overstayed her visa...they'll let you leave just won't let her back in 
QUOTE(athena_ny @ Jan 28 2008, 10:23 PM)
They don't care if she's overstayed her visa...they'll let you leave just won't let her back in
Yeah - Thats why she was/is considering leaving through Mexico. She believes that wthout proof of exiting the US, she might be able to return one day. She could say she was in Mexico - but she has no proof of that either, except when she left. I am not hot on the idea, but it seems to be what she wants to do. Does any one know if a return to the US is possible if you they never have proof of you leaving?
Zeus
QUOTE(Zeus @ Jan 29 2008, 09:15 PM)
QUOTE(athena_ny @ Jan 28 2008, 10:23 PM)
They don't care if she's overstayed her visa...they'll let you leave just won't let her back in
Yeah - Thats why she was/is considering leaving through Mexico. She believes that wthout proof of exiting the US, she might be able to return one day. She could say she was in Mexico - but she has no proof of that either, except when she left. I am not hot on the idea, but it seems to be what she wants to do. Does any one know if a return to the US is possible if you they never have proof of you leaving?
Zeus
The burden of proof is on her to show that she left without overstay. This is usually accomplished by turning in the I-94 on departure. If there is a doubt about when she left and she can't prove she left ontime, she may well be turned away. The burden is not on the US to show that she overstayed--the burden is on her to show that she did not.
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