Mexican permit is also sometimes referred to as border permit or visitor's pass. Mexican permit is NOT a Mexican visa.

Mexican permit is issued by Mexican immigration authorities. It is a dated legal document that allows you to enter Mexico by land. It is valid for 72 hours from your entry time into Mexico. With this permit, you are not permitted to travel more than 22 kilometers (13.75 miles) away from the US border. Mexican permit is a single entry document and you must surrender it to the Mexican Immigration Officer before your return to the US.

In order to get a Mexican Permit, the following documents are required (all copies, no originals).

• Confirmation letter for appointment at US Consulate in Mexico.
  
  
• The biometrics page on your valid passport that shows your name, photo, etc.
  
  
• Approved Notice of Action Form I-797
  Samples: New H1, Extension
  
  
• Form I-20 for F1 extension.
  
  
• Employment verification letter from the employer
  
  
• Your birth certificate
  
  
• Your children's birth certificate(s), if applicable
  
  
• Current transcripts, student ID, proof of enrollment
  
  
• US visa currently printed on your passport, even if it has expired
  
  

Depending upon your visa type, some of the above mentioned documents may not be applicable to you.

Even though some persons think and have reported that Mexican permit is not required and it may be a waste of time and money to get one, it is very important to get one before entering Mexico.

In case your visa is refused (or delayed) under section Section 221(g) and put under MANTIS Clearance, you may have to wait in Mexico for 30 days. It is possible that consular officer may require advance degree holders that are third country citizens to go through special processing that can take weeks or months. Even though it may be possible to avoid such lengthy processing in the home country, it may be too late to do so if you are stuck in Mexico. Your visa stamp might have already expired and if there were any previous visa stamp for a different category or even same category, that would have already been cancelled at the time of interview. Therefore, you can't enter the US again and it may be very expensive to travel from Mexico directly countries like Mexico. It may be around $3,000 to $5,000 one way.

Mexican visa is just like any other regular visa from any other country. Mexican visas are issued by Mexican immigration officials. It takes around 4 weeks to get Mexican visa.

Visas can either be single entry or multiple entries.

The process for getting a Mexican visa is not described here in detail as you are not supposed to get it for visa stamping purposes at the border.