Engineer Yuri Farias, 28, was supposed to have boarded this Tuesday (14) for his honeymoon in Mexico. But a flaw in the Mexican government’s online visa-issuance system has caused him to put off his dream of visiting the country. “The feeling is one of discouragement, anger, disappointment. We planned for a long time, saved up money, arrives on time and because of a mistake that no one explains, we can’t travel. It’s just frustration.”
Like Yuri, thousands of Brazilians have been unable to issue electronic visas to travel to Mexico since May 30, which has resulted in lost trips, protests at the doors of consulates and on the internet and collective efforts to help strangers.
The visa to enter the country was again required in December last year, after pressure from the United States, as a way of trying to reduce the number of Brazilian immigrants who seek to cross the land border with Mexico irregularly.
The procedure, however, should be simple. It was enough to fill in the passport details and basic information about the trip and in a few minutes the portal generates an electronic authorization — to be validated by immigration agents at the airport. But since May, after the form is filled out, the system warns: order not processed. In a test, the report received the same error message that other travelers report.
Melissa Jung, 32, has a trip scheduled for July 13 and has also not been able to obtain authorization. “Just today I tried at least 200 times and it didn’t work. It’s very lucky. On Monday [13], several people said they did. On Tuesday, almost no one”, says she, who created an Instagram page, @mexico.umpesadelo, to gather reports from those who have the same problem.
In a WhatsApp group, Melissa and nearly 300 other travelers got together and created a system to help people with an upcoming trip. Based on the dates of flights, compiled into a list, dozens of people try to get permits for others they don’t even know who have tickets in a few days — or hours, in some cases.
To do so, they devise strategies, such as trying to obtain authorization during “full hours” —2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, for example. Sometimes someone will let you know that they’ve made it, to the relief of many participants, but it’s never simple. “It’s been two weeks of trying guys. I’ve opened 25 browser windows,” said one person in the group. “I opened 40 tabs. In the penultimate one, it worked”, reported another.
Last week, Itamaraty stated that it “has been following with concern the reports of hundreds of Brazilians” and that it “requested, at a high level, urgent measures from the Mexican government”. The report questioned whether the Brazilian authorities had a response, but did not receive a response until the conclusion of this text.
The Mexican Consulate in São Paulo advises anyone who cannot obtain an electronic authorization to seek a physical visa at consular posts — this document, which costs US$ 48 (R$ 245), has a series of requirements, which include net income above BRL 4,500, average bank balance of at least BRL 13,000 per month in the last six months and ties to Brazil.
The problem is that this path has also proved difficult. Tourists report that the representation has stopped answering the phone and responding to emails in the face of high demand. On the door, a notice informs that there is only service with scheduled time.
The report was unable to speak by phone or email in the public service channels. The Consulate in São Paulo sent an automatic response, warning that it has no participation in the process of issuing an electronic authorization, which can only be issued by the National Institute of Migration of Mexico.
“Take into account that the INM’s electronic authorization system continues to have problems. So far, there is no estimate of when it will return to normality”, says the text sent this Tuesday. “The consulate reiterates that it has no control over the electronic authorization system and that it assumes no responsibility for lost airline tickets, hotels or any other losses.”
The agency also reminds that Brazilians who already have valid visas to travel to Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom or countries in the Schenguen area (which comprise most of the European Union) do not need an electronic authorization or a Mexican visa.
