PHOENIX — If you’re planning to travel to Mexico for spring break, there’s something that is not new, but important that you need to know. Mexican immigration authorities are asking U.S. citizens to process an immigration form before traveling. Jim McCauley and his wife who live in Scottsdale had no idea about the change when they were traveling to Los Algodones on Thursday. McCauley said they were taking a day trip to get some prescriptions and lunch. A trip they have taken many times before. "Walking into Mexico is just like walking into a Walmart," McCauley said. However, this trip was much different. When they got out of their car and walked to the port of entry near Yuma, the line was the longest he has ever seen. "Most of the people in line did know what was going on," McCauley said. He said the only time the line would move was when people got tired of waiting and left. Others McCauley said had been waiting for three to four hours to get in. After waiting about 45 minutes he and his wife decided to cancel their trip and take the three hour drive back to Scottsdale. "It was frustrating because we didn't expect it," he said. McCauley later learned the delay was caused by U.S. tourists not knowing they had to submit for a travel visa to get south of the border. It's not a new process but is now being strictly enforced by immigration authorities. On the website for the Consulado de México en Phoenix , there's a tile that reads “ Visas para personas extranjeras ” (visas department). There are several options, but under general information, it explains that "All USA citizens are required to present a passport when entering Mexico. The second bullet point concerns the requirement to "register your entry into Mexico" by filling out an electronic form . The permit is valid for 180 days upon the migratory stamp and needs to be presented with a valid and current U.S. passport. Once you enter the information, the document is generated and you have to print it. The printout needs to be presented at the time you encounter immigration agents while traveling to your destination in Mexico. Mexicans with a US residence card or people with dual citizenship (Mexican and US) don’t need to process the document.
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