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"You can easily get that information first hand next time you're in El Paso. I already told you it's one of the "non-immigrant" visas that only requires Mexican citizenship and ties to Mexico (sure) that would indicate the visitor would return home when they should.
I know they don't cost any real amount of money because I know the kinds of people who have them but I never asked how much they actually cost them, I believe they cost nothing. Shoppers from Juarez use them all the time, and some actually honor the terms of their visa and do go back, but really there is nothing stopping them from just staying here.
They've always been convenient to use for getting over the border. One girl of 15 and her husband came over when she was pregnant of course, they were from Chihuahua and easily obtained a visitor visa. Of course they never went back, since she was going to have a baby, she found a relative to put them up and of course once the baby was born she qualified for WIC and food stamps and her own government-provided place to stay.
Another guy I know was caught by the border officials for coming over daily at the same time "to shop" and they took his card away. He got back over without it, but didn't have his car with him since that wasn't so easy to drive over without the card so he had to buy another car on this side. Now he can't go back and forth like he did before and just stays here working."
Is there any further clarifications (especially the more technical name the Department of State uses for these "shopping visas") or answers to the questions I have asked above?...
Check with the US Consulate - I'm sure there is a more official term for them, I just know my information directly from those who get them, or more often from those who lost them, they call them shopping passes but in Spanish.
Basically they are a non-immigrant or visitor visa, easily obtained by those who wish to come over and shop here, visit friends.
It's how a lot of the domestic workers and lawn boys come over legally - it's that gray area of immigration and illegal workers, they don't all crawl under the fence but have non-immigrant visas. Several of my neighbors had their shopping passes taken away because if they notice you come over every morning at the same time, sometimes they suspect you aren't just shopping.
Check with the US Consulate - I'm sure there is a more official term for them, I just know my information directly from those who get them, or more often from those who lost them, they call them shopping passes but in Spanish.
Basically they are a non-immigrant or visitor visa, easily obtained by those who wish to come over and shop here, visit friends.
It's how a lot of the domestic workers and lawn boys come over legally - it's that gray area of immigration and illegal workers, they don't all crawl under the fence but have non-immigrant visas. Several of my neighbors had their shopping passes taken away because if they notice you come over every morning at the same time, sometimes they suspect you aren't just shopping.
I have checked with the U.S. Consulate: Nothing on their pages even mentions these "shopping passes" at all. Border Crossing Cards became known as "Laser Visas" in Spanish, why isn't there any mention of these on any website if they are more common than the BCC? In my previous comments, I provided links and quotes from the official sites, saying that all non-immigrant visas are required to use the DS-160 form online, and must interview at a U.S. Consulate (or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City).
You know your information directly from "those that get them", but stated that there are Mexicans coming from away as far as Chihuahua and Mexico City DF (quite a ways from El Paso) to use them. In fact you said the "shopping passes" were known across Mexico, specifically in Juarez ("almost everyone has them") and other Mexican border cities, but I have to talk to the people on the street in El Paso and Juarez to learn more about them? The distance of travel in Mexico even brings up if the CBP officers at the El Paso Airport are accepting them (there is each a single flight from and to Chihuahua daily, the only reason El Paso is considered as having an "international" airport).
Most of the "non-immigrant" visas types processing at U.S. Consulates in Mexico, including "Tourist" B1/B2 visas and Border Crossing Cards, have an expense of $140 (for an adult) to cover the cost of the application, processing, and interview (as well as the cost for DHL to deliver the card). You remarked that there was no or minimal cost for these "shopping visas", which doesn't contrast very well to that. Why even create the provision of an additional (unmentioned) non-immigrant visa type, when a similar program for the Border Crossing Card, with almost the same provisions, already exists?
No information on an expiry date or basic layout (it would have to have a photo of some type, and hardened against forgery, but maybe you will explain that as no or low cost compared to other visa type as well) of the card? For maintaining how these "shopping passes" are misused by your accounting (to use them for crossing, but then to stay illegally in the United States), it is just strange it hasn't been more newsworthy. Too many details seem to be missing for me to believe you.
This page talks of "shopping visas", and has this image:
...but the conditions (3 days, which is 72 hours, and up to 25 miles within Texas) are equal to that of the Border Crossing Card. You have identified that the "shopping visas" you are referring to are different from a "Border Crossing Card"/"Laser Visa", and have a shorter allowance of time, easier qualifications, and lower/no cost (also stating that one could board an inward-bound bus after crossing with the "shopping visa", but not explaining how it would get them through a Border Patrol checkpoint). With this page, it seems that the author is misidentifying "Border Crossing Cards" as "Shopping Visas".
All other searches of "shopping visa" display results for topics not linked to the Mexican-U.S. border, or past topics on this forum with only you using that terminology...
EDIT: The page shows information about the author's reporting awards in 2009, so it seems very current...
Last edited by IBMMuseum; 10-11-2011 at 02:45 PM..
Reason: Adding information about the author's awards...
I have checked with the U.S. Consulate: Nothing on their pages even mentions these "shopping passes" at all. Border Crossing Cards became known as "Laser Visas" in Spanish, why isn't there any mention of these on any website if they are more common than the BCC? In my previous comments, I provided links and quotes from the official sites, saying that all non-immigrant visas are required to use the DS-160 form online, and must interview at a U.S. Consulate (or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City).
You know your information directly from "those that get them", but stated that there are Mexicans coming from away as far as Chihuahua and Mexico City DF (quite a ways from El Paso) to use them. In fact you said the "shopping passes" were known across Mexico, specifically in Juarez ("almost everyone has them") and other Mexican border cities, but I have to talk to the people on the street in El Paso and Juarez to learn more about them? The distance of travel in Mexico even brings up if the CBP officers at the El Paso Airport are accepting them (there is each a single flight from and to Chihuahua daily, the only reason El Paso is considered as having an "international" airport).
Most of the "non-immigrant" visas types processing at U.S. Consulates in Mexico, including "Tourist" B1/B2 visas and Border Crossing Cards, have an expense of $140 (for an adult) to cover the cost of the application, processing, and interview (as well as the cost for DHL to deliver the card). You remarked that there was no or minimal cost for these "shopping visas", which doesn't contrast very well to that. Why even create the provision of an additional (unmentioned) non-immigrant visa type, when a similar program for the Border Crossing Card, with almost the same provisions, already exists?
No information on an expiry date or basic layout (it would have to have a photo of some type, and hardened against forgery, but maybe you will explain that as no or low cost compared to other visa type as well) of the card? For maintaining how these "shopping passes" are misused by your accounting (to use them for crossing, but then to stay illegally in the United States), it is just strange it hasn't been more newsworthy. Too many details seem to be missing for me to believe you.
$140 is very minimal. With just $140 they can travel back and forth, come over and give birth at the county hospital (and then it's on over to the welfare office), bring their kids to schools here, find jobs and never go back home if they don't feel like going.
Like my original point was, for a mere $140 each much of the population of Juarez has been able to pack up and relocate to the USA. Technically they aren't even coming over illegally since they have that cheap border crossing card and once over the rest is gravy.
This page talks of "shopping visas", and has this image:
...but the conditions (3 days, which is 72 hours, and up to 25 miles within Texas) are equal to that of the Border Crossing Card. You have identified that the "shopping visas" you are referring to are different from a "Border Crossing Card"/"Laser Visa", and have a shorter allowance of time, easier qualifications, and lower/no cost (also stating that one could board an inward-bound bus after crossing with the "shopping visa", but not explaining how it would get them through a Border Patrol checkpoint). With this page, it seems that the author is misidentifying "Border Crossing Cards" as "Shopping Visas".
All other searches of "shopping visa" display results for topics not linked to the Mexican-U.S. border, or past topics on this forum with only you using that terminology...
EDIT: The page shows information about the author's reporting awards in 2009, so it seems very current...
The shopping visas are different than the laser visas, the laser visas cost about $400. And like you pointed out the shopping visas can be had for only $140 - I'm sure there is a highly discounted rate for children.
Yes one can easily board a bus, why do you suppose they have the Autobuses Los Paisanos bus line located downtown El Paso? And everyone knows how easy it is to get around the inside border checkpoints. 30 million or so illegals figured it out.
$140 is very minimal. With just $140 they can travel back and forth, come over and give birth at the county hospital (and then it's on over to the welfare office), bring their kids to schools here, find jobs and never go back home if they don't feel like going.
Like my original point was, for a mere $140 each much of the population of Juarez has been able to pack up and relocate to the USA. Technically they aren't even coming over illegally since they have that cheap border crossing card and once over the rest is gravy.
So you are referring to the $140 for a Border Crossing Card, or $140 for a "shopping visa"? Are they using the Border Crossing Card, or "shopping visa"? You haven't even answered how someone is getting through a Border Patrol checkpoint with a "shopping visa" while traveling by bus.
The shopping visas are different than the laser visas, the laser visas cost about $400. And like you pointed out the shopping visas can be had for only $140 - I'm sure there is a highly discounted rate for children.
Yes one can easily board a bus, why do you suppose they have the Autobuses Los Paisanos bus line located downtown El Paso? And everyone knows how easy it is to get around the inside border checkpoints. 30 million or so illegals figured it out.
It is the "Border Crossing Card" that is being named as a "Laser Visa" (which is not Spanish for "shopping visa"). They are $140 for adults, $14 for children. You said the "shopping visas" were not the same as a Border Crossing Cards, with a lower or non-existent cost.
So you are referring to the $140 for a Border Crossing Card, or $140 for a "shopping visa"? Are they using the Border Crossing Card, or "shopping visa"? You haven't even answered how someone is getting through a Border Patrol checkpoint with a "shopping visa" while traveling by bus.
They call them shopping visas, but you can call them whatever you prefer.
They don't make you show anything at all when you go through those checkpoints. I go through them quite often, I've never been asked to show even a drivers licence much less a shopping visa. I've gone through them with hispanics and no one was asked to show any ID ever.
I highly doubt you've ever been asked to show a shopping visa, a border crossing card, laser visa, passport or even a NM drivers license when you've gone through these checkpoints either.
It is the "Border Crossing Card" that is being named as a "Laser Visa" (which is not Spanish for "shopping visa"). They are $140 for adults, $14 for children. You said the "shopping visas" were not the same as a Border Crossing Cards, with a lower or non-existent cost.
Do I need to quote your posts back at you?...
Actually I'm not the one insisting there are other ways they must be called. I know them as shopping visas because the majority of people first got them for that reason, that is to be able to come over and shop.
A lot of people call them shopping visas but you aren't required to call them that. I thought the laser visa was $400 ($500 rented on the black market) -- but it's not really surprising to find out they are much cheaper.
...They don't make you show anything at all when you go through those checkpoints. I go through them quite often, I've never been asked to show even a drivers licence much less a shopping visa. I've gone through them with hispanics and no one was asked to show any ID ever.
I highly doubt you've ever been asked to show a shopping visa, a border crossing card, laser visa, passport or even a NM drivers license when you've gone through these checkpoints either.
It really doesn't sound like you are familiar with the Border Patrol checkpoints at all. They are typically open 24/7, and will stop the Mexican-based bus lines to check each passenger individually. I've had times (even with my family) that I have been waved through (one time following a car with Canadian plates that was also waved through), but on several other occasions having to show passports and Resident Cards.
The primary reason for the checkpoints (beyond 25 miles from the border) is to screen for the cases of Border Crossing Cards. That violates the conditions of the card, and it does happen (you related in a post months ago that your neighbors were caught at the Westbound checkpoint of I-10 some miles past Las Cruces).
I'm remembering what you have said in the past better than you are...
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