immigration kiosk in Cancun beware

[ReefHound]

The kiosks for scanning your green card at every US airport had wrong instructions for a very long time. If you followed them, it just didn’t scan your docs properly. The US and Mexico are neighbors so this shouldn’t really come as a surprise ;-)

What were the instructions? I've been flying into IAH international 3x a year since before the kiosks and never had it not scan my docs or remember seeing screwy instructions. Maybe it scans passports differently? There are always a few workers there directing people to next open machine and assisting people with issues. I also don't remember ever having to do both - paper form and kiosk print.

 

[loudives]

if confused I try to explain. follow sings to couples/ family kiosk.
scan passport and accepted
then asked for additional passport to scan, accepted it
and asked to scan another or finished. ( instructions said it could scan upto 4 passports.)
Review information -- if correct press print. (both our passports were on the screen)
Printed the form.
Form came out and screen went to HOME ready for next traveler.
Live immigration person accepts form and says good for one person (first passport scanned).
said fill out paper form or go back to kiosk. go to any kiosk will work for 1 person.
single traveler kiosk only allows scan of 1 passport
multi kiosk can scan up to 4 but only prints a single form for 1 person. and everyone needs a form Don't know why only one form printed, thats how they work since installed.
Immigration person then scans passport again and stamps form like normal.

so if the airline does not give you a form (american airlines) at terminal 3, you have to scan passport at kiosk and answer on screen questions to get a printed immigration form, then present form to officer and they do exactly the same thing as normal.

Maybe if we all would have printed our names legibly on the paper forms all these years we would not have to use the kiosk. That's all there good for right now as I could see, printing by computer makes consistent legible letters.

 

[divinh]

if confused I try to explain. follow sings to couples/ family kiosk.
scan passport and accepted
then asked for additional passport to scan, accepted it
and asked to scan another or finished. ( instructions said it could scan upto 4 passports.)
Review information -- if correct press print. (both our passports were on the screen)
Printed the form.
Form came out and screen went to HOME ready for next traveler.
Live immigration person accepts form and says good for one person (first passport scanned).
said fill out paper form or go back to kiosk. any kiosk will work for 1 person.
single traveler kiosk only allows scan of 1 passport
multi kiosk can scan up to 4 but only prints a single form for 1 person. and everyone needs a form
Immigration person then scans passport again and stamps form like normal.

so if the airline does not give you a form (american airlines) at terminal 3, you have to scan passport at kiosk and answer on screen questions to get a printed immigration form, then present form to officer and they do exactly the same thing as normal.

Maybe if we all would have printed our names legibly on the paper forms all these years we would not have to use the kiosk. That's all there good for right now as I could see, printing by computer makes consistent legible letters.

For the US, it adds a photo of you, which wasn't required before (for US citizens), just a step away from fingerprinting... though the last time, someone who I was helping asked me a question right when the photo was taken and my photo became a smeary mess and I was told to move along and not redo the form for the printout.

 

[WetInPortland]

I'm not certain if it's still the case, but when the kiosks were first introduced, they would only handle/issue tourist visas. This is a huge headache for those with residency status, as re-entering Mexico under a tourist visa completely voids your residence visa - so you have to start the whole residence process over again!

 

[ggunn]

Mexico sometimes treats their own kinda crappy but when it comes to handling tourists are usually quite efficent. Anyone that's stepped off the plane with 200 other people, joining 400 other people from a couple of other planes, and found themselves clear of immigration, customs, and baggage in 20 minutes would know Mexico typically handles airport operations extremely efficiently.

A couple of years ago we landed in Cozumel right behind two other planes.The serpentine line was full and outside it the line doubled up and then extended out the door to the terminal. We were, quite literally, standing in line to the only two manned kiosks longer than were were in the air from Houston.

 

[Captain Bravo]

A couple of years ago we landed in Cozumel right behind two other planes.The serpentine line was full and outside it the line doubled up and then extended out the door to the terminal. We were, quite literally, standing in line to the only two manned kiosks longer than were were in the air from Houston.

My ex was a customs officer at a major airport. The situation you describe would typically happen when one or more airplanes would arrive significantly late. So one could argue that the fault would reside more on the airline than on the customs agency miscalculating the number of agents required at that specific time.

 

[ggunn]

My ex was a customs officer at a major airport. The situation you describe would typically happen when one or more airplanes would arrive significantly late. So one could argue that the fault would reside more on the airline than on the customs agency miscalculating the number of agents required at that specific time.

Of course, but Cozumel is a small island and most folks that live there reside within a few minutes of the airport. It seems to me that they could have called someone to come in to work the other kiosk(s). But it's their country and their operation; I don't claim to know the back story.

My point was not to complain but to point out that sometimes stuff like this happens.

 

[fk2005]

Flew into Cancun terminal 4 today, there were no kiosks (I think this report was for terminal 3? so it doesn't seem to apply to terminal 4 despite it being newer)

Our plane didn't have any forms on board, but they got some after landing and handed them out as we deplaned. I had done mine online, but there were a lot of people filling them out in the hallway... then just a long (but fast-moving) line to see an officer. Took maybe 10 minutes.

 

[cvchief]

As a related side note, a few years ago we signed up for the MX Viajero Confiable, their version of global entry. Supposed to be way cool, like GE, hit the kiosk and GO. So in the T2 we went around to departures on arrival and appeared for our appointment. They took us to the 'closet' behind the INM office where they had a fancy new machine for taking prints and photos AND a retinal scan!. So apparently they didn't have training. It took like 4 hours to get it done. Just the two of us in the closet with INM. So next trip we check out the fancy kiosk. There is a big orange cone blocking it off. So we went in the Nationals line and said we got VC. They asked for the VC card. I tried to tell them there was no card. I even showed them the approval letter than said there is no card, you just get approved and it is linked to your passport. The INM guy refused to accept there was no card. He passed us through and said go immediately to the INM office in Cancun and get the non-existent card. Of course we didn't. And every trip the nice kiosk was closed. Someone said they didn't have the right paper for it to print a receipt?

So we got our resident cards, so we couldn't use the kiosk, which remained closed every time. Then it was announced that the kiosks would now also be available to people with resident cards, so I thought cool. Since our paid membership was still good, I went in to update the records with our new passport numbers. The website was broken. That page wouldn't load for months. I emailed a couple different help email addresses. Only one answered and told me to email one than never answers. Then after like a year, the website came up and I entered our VC number. Not on file. I tried emailing again with the same result.

In the meantime, brand spanking new terminal 4 opened at Cancun. Guess what? It has a brand new VC kiosk, also a brand new orange cone marking it as closed....

Of course in the US, I forgot to update our GE accounts with our new passports. Both issued at the same time. The missus sailed through. Mine failed. After talking to the Customs guys, he said your mismatch was the problem. (just for me though) and I was the LAST person through the regular people kiosk and was stuck in an optional agricultural inspection when the next to the last person on the plane left the customs hall.....