Travelling to Mexico and Central America, stop in US and no return flight booked
Upvote:2
It would be taking it too far that Mexico is "treated in the same as the US".
But even without going that far, it does look like you have a problem. One of the criteria for being eligible to enter the US under the VWP is that you have a "round trip ticket" that takes you somewhere else -- and for this particular purpose, contiguous territory (that is, Canada and Mexico) are not considered "somewhere else" enough.
The relevant rule is 8 CFR 217.2(c)(1) which says
Applicants arriving by air and sea. Applicants must arrive on a carrier that is signatory to a Visa Waiver Pilot Program Agreement and at the time of arrival must have a round trip ticket that will transport the traveler out of the United States to any other foreign port or place as long as the trip does not terminate in contiguous territory or an adjacent island; except that the round trip ticket may transport the traveler to contiguous territory or an adjacent island, if the traveler is a resident of the country of destination.
(emphasis added). This implements the statutory requirement in 8 USC 1187(a)(8). There's even a legalese definition of "round trip ticket":
Round trip ticket means any return trip transportation ticket in the name of an arriving Visa Waiver Pilot Program applicant on a participating carrier valid for at least 1 year, electronic ticket record, airline employee passes indicating return passage, individual vouchers for return passage, group vouchers for return passage for charter flights, and military travel orders which include military dependents for return to duty stations outside the United States on U.S. military flights. A period of validity of 1 year need not be reflected on the ticket itself, provided that the carrier agrees that it will honor the return portion of the ticket at any time, as provided in Form I-775, Visa Waiver Pilot Program Agreement.
Unless the bus to Guatemala is run by a "participating carrier" (which I very much doubt) there seems to be a definite risk that you will be determined not to qualify for entry under the VWP and thus be denied entry. Exactly what that would entail is not completely clear; there seems to be a chance that you'd just be escorted to the flight to Mexico you have a ticket for anyway, but it also appears to be a possibility that you'll be put on a flight back to Europe instead.
What's even worse is that the airline might not even allow you to board the flight to the US based on an ESTA, since they know the rules too, and according to their ticketing system what you have is definitely not the kind of "round trip ticket" required by 8 CFR 217.2(c)(1).
So unless you enjoy gambling you should try to secure an ordinary US visa before you travel.
More post
- 📝 Dual British/Irish Citizen - Can I sponsor someone coming to meet me in Greece?
- 📝 Filipino citizen married to UK citizen, both US Green Card holders, traveling to France - visa needed?
- 📝 Do I need transit visa through Netherlands on a British passort and a Ghanaian citizenship card?
- 📝 Thai visa on arrival for Indians
- 📝 Connecting in Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport to travel to the UK
- 📝 Going from USA to India via London with expired US visa but valid Canadian visa
- 📝 Emirates and Known Traveler Number: they want place of issue and date of issue. How/where do I get these?
- 📝 Going to Fenqihu vs. Alishan
- 📝 luggage allowance on multi-city bookings
- 📝 Is it safe to stand next to airport X-ray machines?
- 📝 Should I select 'I live with family' in UK visit visa application since I live with my sister?
- 📝 UK: Train vs. Car in 2015
- 📝 Carrying Liquor from Heathrow to Bangalore via Abu Dhabi
- 📝 UK Standard Visitor visa refused (V3.6(b), deception on prior convictions, 10 year ban), can I reapply immediately?
- 📝 Kotor Montenegro restaurants
- 📝 US: Immigration officer demanded I leave the country after 2 months (when VWP gives me 3 months)
- 📝 Subsequent visits to US for 10 Years US Visa Holders
- 📝 Is leisure travel a valid reason to get a second French passport?
- 📝 If I have a British seamans book, do I still need a British transit visa to join my ship?
- 📝 Changing flights after getting a Schengen visa and staying longer
- 📝 Can I apply for a UK or any EU country visa after removal?
- 📝 Can an Italian non-EU resident obtain a tourist visa to travel to USA?
- 📝 travel with dual passport (UK passport and Chinese Passport) from Japan to South Korea
- 📝 Is there a simple procedure or what are the procedures to obtain a permit to visit Lakshadweep islands?
- 📝 Refund of tickets due to travel warning to Turkey
- 📝 Getting USD cash in Munich on UK cards
- 📝 Does a Tunisian wife of a Brit need a visa to visit the UK?
- 📝 Short-term mobile plans for Japan with voice calling
- 📝 Visa required for marrying an Australian citizen in Australia, when neither party is or intends to be resident
- 📝 Medical travel Insurance for Ecuador
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Travelling to Mexico and Central America, stop in US and no return flight booked
- 📝 Travelling to the US, Mexico and Central America (with a VWP for the US)
- 📝 Best flight connections between Amsterdam and Central America
- 📝 Going to US on ESTA before going Central America and then back to US for flight home all within 90 days. This all good?
- 📝 Traveling to the USA for 4 months and then South America for 6 months, will they still allow me into America if my return flight a year later?
- 📝 Do we need a transit visa we have a 12 hour stop over and have booked a hotel, we are flying with AirIndia from Sydney to Rome return
- 📝 Outward and return flights booked on different (low-cost) airlines through online agency - Passenger rights in case of outward flight cancellation
- 📝 Don't use first flight, but use return flight (both flights on same ticket) -- on which airlines and under which circumstances is this possible?
- 📝 Ditch the second leg of a return flight and avoid checked baggage issues
- 📝 Flight search engine for specific date for outbound flight and undefined date for return flight?
- 📝 Can the gasoline in Mexico or Central America mess up a US-made car?
- 📝 I booked a non-refundable non-stop flight and airline dropped nonstop service. Any recourse?
- 📝 I accidentally booked the same flight twice and only noticed at check-in – do I have reasons to get refund back for one of them?
- 📝 Traveling from EU to Canada with stop in US without return flight
- 📝 I did not receive visa papers when entering Mexico and have a flight in 2 weeks. Can I exit and re-enter through Guatemala to fix this?
- 📝 Entering canada without a return flight (visitor). Leaving and coming back
- 📝 Is there a flight search engine that allows me to pick the departure and return flight separately?
- 📝 Entering the US with ESTA Visa waiver program with a one way flight and a bus ticket to Mexico
- 📝 I've been given only 65 days tourist visa to Mexico but my return flight is 9 days later... should I rebook or risk being fined 40 dollars per day?
- 📝 International Student From Canada travelling to South America with USA Layover (With B2 visa and trip to USA with I-192 form)
- 📝 Leaving USA to Central America and coming back to reset a 90 day VWP? Part 2
- 📝 Travelling to the UK without a return flight - What to expect?
- 📝 Can I negotiate missing the last connecting flight on a journey with an airline and still use the return ticket?
- 📝 Return trip flight search with fixed takeoff/departure date and landing/arrival date
- 📝 Can an airline check a person's flight history and future booked flights?
- 📝 Travelling to USA and Mexico as a UK citizen
- 📝 Do you take off luggage tag for return flight and out new one on?
- 📝 Transit or visitor when travelling through Newark en-route to Canada - with a stop in US on return journey
- 📝 Eligibility for free overnight stay since Turkish Airlines cancelled return flight and rebooked me the next day
- 📝 Can one cancel the return flight with Qatar Airways and if so, what is the fee?