The internet is full of stories that if you were denied a US visa, then your path to Mexico is blocked. It’s no secret that many people choose Mexico for wintering or for further transit to the US. Among such people, there are quite a few who have been denied a US visa at different times.
I recommend: The Situation with U.S. Visas in 2023 (Updated)
Can a US visa denial be considered an obstacle to traveling to Mexico? What if your American visa has been canceled? What are the chances of entering the US in this case?
Do Mexican border officials have access to US databases?
Let’s figure it out.
The fact that Mexican border officials have access to American databases is a myth, and this is confirmed by practice. However, it is true that agents of American agencies are present in Mexican airports. Agents appeared in Mexican airports after the migration crisis at the Mexico-US border in 2021. They assist their Mexican colleagues in assessing migration risks. The presence of agents is confirmed by travelers who have been denied entry into Mexico.
But the denial of entry was not related to a previous US visa denial! This is important.
A US visa denial is not recorded in your passport. A person who has been denied a US visa simply receives their passport back at the visa interview, and there are no markings on it.
Quite a few travelers with a US visa denial have obtained an electronic permit to enter Mexico and have traveled around the country and even spent the winter there without any problems.
To summarize! A US visa denial DOES NOT mean that you will be denied entry into Mexico. You may be denied for other reasons. For example, excessive nervousness or rude behavior at the airport – such cases have occurred.
But what if there is a US visa in your passport that has been canceled? What happens in that case?
US visas are often canceled, for example, for violations of stay periods in the US when a person has stayed there for an extended period and could not prove the tourist purpose of their trip. A visa can also be canceled when attempting to obtain a new visa, in which case they may refuse a new visa and cancel the existing US visa.
In the case of visa cancellation, a “canceled” stamp is placed on it.
If you have any negative markings on your US visa – cancellation, deportation note, even if the visa has long expired, it may be a reason for a ban on entry into Mexico.
What to do in such a case?
Use another passport that does not have such markings!
Important! If your US visa has a stamp that says “without prejudice,” then there is nothing to worry about – you will not be denied entry into Mexico because of it. Such a marking is made, for example, when you have a valid tourist visa and you are obtaining a student or some other type of visa. In this case, the previous visa is marked as “canceled without prejudice,” which means “canceled without bias.”
