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I'm from Belgium and I'm traveling by car from Canada to Patagonia (Argentina). I left the USA just in time (90days) but I got my visa from Mexico 1 day after my (90days) VWP expires. My plan is to drive to Patagonia and come back to the USA in 6 months.

Will it be a problem if they see at the US airport that I got my Mexican visa after my US VWP was already expired?

I left within the 90 days. I have an I-94A visa so the date on my passport is the day I have to leave. I crossed the border by car around 7pm but I wasn't able to stop at the border so I drove to Ensenada (because they have an immigration office there as well). But that office was closed so I had to wait another day. So that's why my Mexican visa has 1 day difference with my VWP and I'm not sure if that's a big problem if I come back to the US after 6 months. Technically I left the US within the 90 days but will they check when I got my Mexican visa?

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    I still don't understand what you're saying. You seem to be saying you left the US by going to Mexico the day your VWP expires? (Note that the date of expiry should be "89 days" from the date of entry because the 90 days includes the entire days of entry and departure.) But they you said you got a Mexican visa one day later? How is that possible? You entered Mexico before you got a Mexican visa?
    – user102008
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 2:51
  • Also, you know that there are no roads to drive from Central America into South America, right? (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap)
    – user102008
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 2:53
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    So you drove? Did you cross 2 min before midnight or something, for this to occur?
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 8:16
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    What did you do with the I-94W? You were supposed to turn this in at the border when you left.
    – Michael Hampton
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 20:33
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    I think what is happening is that Mexico allows foreigners from certain countries to visit the "border zone" for less than 72 hours without getting another document. And if they need to travel further into Mexico, they need to get a document called an FMM at an immigration office (at the border or elsewhere). The OP crossed the border, but got the FMM on a later date. The OP was inspected when they crossed the border, but they don't always stamp passports on entry. If they OP didn't specifically request they stamp the passport, the OP may have no proof of having entered Mexico on that date.
    – user102008
    Commented Nov 16, 2015 at 23:59

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This shouldn't be a problem for you. Since you did leave within your 90 days, and you have a reasonable explanation for the later date of your Mexican visa, there shouldn't be any problems on return to the US. They're more likely to have questions for you about what you were doing in South America.

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    Technically he didn't overstay - he left within the 90 days, no?
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 8:14
  • @MarkMayo: Oh, perhaps I misread. The missing piece is perhaps where he was on the day after his VWP expired. Not enough information to determine.
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 8:18
  • yeah, I've commented asking about this. It's possible if he flew somewhere first (Transit) or if he crossed at 2 min to midnight and then got the visa 5 min later, but as you say, not enough info at present :/
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 8:26
  • Hey, thank you for replying. I left within the 90 days. I have an I-94W visa so the date on my passport is the day I have to leave. I crossed the border by car around 7pm but I wasn't able to stop at the border so I drove to Ensenada (because they have an immigration office there as well. But that office was close so I had to wait another day. So that's why my Mexican visa has 1 day difference with my VPW and I'm not sure if that's a big problem if I come back to the us after 6 months. Technically I left the us within the 90 days but will they check when I got my Mexican visa?
    – quinten
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 19:24
  • @quinten: Thanks for the detail. I've edited my answer. It would be helpful if you add this additional info to your question too.
    – Greg Hewgill
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 19:28

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