Complex Decision -- Port of Entry at US Border in California from Mexico?

[Kate + Evgeny 54]

Hi, everyone.

 

Well, after filing in late December of last year (2016), it looks like we may FINALLY be about to receive our K1 visa. Just one or two more steps and hopefully (please, please, please!) those will be done within the month and then we'll be making our trip.

 

Here is the situation: I have been living with my fiance for a little over two years in his home in Costa Rica. We are here, everything we own is here, and (here's the hardest part) our three cats and car are here. We could take a plane. I've found the best options there, and it's more or less straightforward. It would definitely be simpler. But we would have to leave one of our cats, and our car -- which would mean giving up a very good vehicle that works well and that we love, and also having to sign up a power of attorney to handle the legalities of selling it from a distance.

 

Because of this, we're thinking of actually DRIVING from here in Costa Rica to the boarder of Mexico and having our POE be there. We'd have to pass through four other Latin countries between here and the States -- FIVE boarder points in all -- and it would be a LOT of work. But again, we'd have the car and we'd have the cats, if we could pull it off. So we have a big decision to make.

 

Here is the BIGGEST point, of course: What is known about the POEs on the Mexican boarder to California? Are they any worse in terms of potential to get turned away than POEs at airports? How do you think the fact that we'd be traveling with a vehicle, a bunch of possessions, and three cats(!) will effect the decision?

 

Any insight or suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated!!

 

Thank you so much,

Kate and Evgeny

[f f 725]

check the laws for bringing animals across all of the boarders since at the very least you will need proof of vaccinations for them and mabye even have to quarantine them which would delay you.

 

all of the ports of entry have the same criteria for entry so it makes no difference except for how bad traffic is at it.

 

for driving with all your possessions I would be concerned about being robbed mostly, even driving through the us it is a risk too so check your car insurance to see if you can get your possessions covered.

 

and most importantly take lots of pictures it sounds like a nice trip.

[TBoneTX 43,422]

The best source would be the port(s) at which you're contemplating entry.

Go to www.cbp.gov and search for "ports of entry."

Then phone there, explain your circumstances, and see what they say.

Document names/places/times of your conversations.

 

If you'd rather enter through a Texas port, I might have some insights to offer.

[Ontarkie 13,958]

You don't say where your car is from? So the only real pain in t butt part that I see is importing the car. 

[Kate + Evgeny 54]

f f, TBoneTx, and Ontarkie, thank you so much for your replies!!

 

I agree -- the trip would definitely be interesting, if troublesome.

 

Thank you for the link to www.cbp.gov; I will check that out. We will be living in CA so heading in that way is what we feel we should do.

 

The car is from Costa Rica. Honestly, that's the biggest reason I'd like to do it this way. That car has taken us everywhere and even been where we've slept at night more than once because we had nowhere else. But it's looking more and more complicated at this point, and based on some research that Evgeny has been doing, he feels that it may not be worth the danger of driving through a lot of these towns, potentially even breaking down somewhere there if something went wrong. We don't really have any money to spare, so to avoid as much as possible having to pay for rooms or staying by the side of the road, he and I would be switching off on the driving, meaning we'd be traveling through a lot of those areas at night.

 

[TBoneTX 43,422]

I was going to mention the safety aspect, but it wasn't my place to do so.

Part of your realistic budgeting process would be for emergencies (repairs), and perhaps bribes.

Would you need visas or transport documents or bills of sale (for property & the car) as you crossed borders?

 

The important part would be to stay on the major roads as much as possible.

 

An idea (tedious, yet prudent) would be to plan your route, then phone the police officials all along it, to ask their opinions and advice.  Or, find a chief official (of law enforcement or tourism) high up in the governments of the countries through which you'd be passing, and pick their brains.  Or, perhaps best of all, contact the U.S. Citizen help-lines of the embassies of each country, to let them know your route.

 

If you have to spend time driving at night, or if you pull over to sleep, try to befriend a couple of local citizens beforehand.  They'll have a vested interest in protecting their town's reputation by watching out for you.

 

The bright side is that if the trip is successful, you could write up your story and probably sell it to a magazine or newspaper for a very handsome sum.  Most definitely take lots of photos.

 

Honestly, when I read your original post, my first thought was "how exciting!"  If it were me, I'd be reasonably cautious and do my due diligence in regard to research, but I'd certainly want to do it.

 

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

Good grief, my cats can't be in a car 5 minutes without going crazy, I can't imagine driving them all that way  😳 Plus the practicalities of doing their business etc - and the imo high possibility of losing at least one along the way because cats dart when they're frightened. You're surely not going to have them caged all the way?

I don't understand why you'd have to leave one behind if you fly? You can transport pets in the hold, you're not restricted by number of seats in the cabin, if that's what you're thinking.

[Kate + Evgeny 54]

On 9/29/2017 at 11:19 PM, TBoneTX said:

I was going to mention the safety aspect, but it wasn't my place to do so.

Part of your realistic budgeting process would be for emergencies (repairs), and perhaps bribes.

Would you need visas or transport documents or bills of sale (for property & the car) as you crossed borders?

 

The important part would be to stay on the major roads as much as possible.

 

An idea (tedious, yet prudent) would be to plan your route, then phone the police officials all along it, to ask their opinions and advice.  Or, find a chief official (of law enforcement or tourism) high up in the governments of the countries through which you'd be passing, and pick their brains.  Or, perhaps best of all, contact the U.S. Citizen help-lines of the embassies of each country, to let them know your route.

 

If you have to spend time driving at night, or if you pull over to sleep, try to befriend a couple of local citizens beforehand.  They'll have a vested interest in protecting their town's reputation by watching out for you.

 

The bright side is that if the trip is successful, you could write up your story and probably sell it to a magazine or newspaper for a very handsome sum.  Most definitely take lots of photos.

 

Honestly, when I read your original post, my first thought was "how exciting!"  If it were me, I'd be reasonably cautious and do my due diligence in regard to research, but I'd certainly want to do it.

 

Wow! Very, very interesting suggestions! Thank you so much for your thoughts and input. Definitely a lot of good things to consider. It sounds very romantic when you describe it, and a very sweet idea about writing the story along with the pictures.

 

But now there is another issue, a different one all together. We are getting a little bit (maybe a little bit more than a little bit) worried here. We had our interview on the 25th of September and they told us we were approved, and gave us no extra paperwork but only said the visa would be ready within about ten days. But our CEAC status has been "Administrative Processing" since the 26th, then the "Case Last Updated" date got changed again on the 28th and then the 29th, but still no change in status as of now (October 3rd), and still says "Immigrant Visa."   We heard from a friend that they got their visa (a different one though, a visitor's visa) within two days. We are getting concerned now that this could be bad.

[Kate + Evgeny 54]

Shoot, I just noticed I put an "a" in "boarder" over and over including in the title. Not sure why I did that because I know that's the wrong spelling. Looks like I can't edit it, either. Oops.

[TBoneTX 43,422]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 8:36 AM, Kate + Evgeny said:

Shoot, I just noticed I put an "a" in "boarder" over and over including in the title. Not sure why I did that because I know that's the wrong spelling. Looks like I can't edit it, either. Oops.

Thred tittle editted tu fixx mispeling.

Some visas take longer for issuance than others.  At least they're doing something.