TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 18

سمنا

GRS 304

UNCLASSIFIED

FM MEXICO CITY 15213OZ JULY 1995

TO IMMEDIATE HAMILTON

TEL NO 7 OF 15 JULY

INFO FCO

HWB 348

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

16 JUL 1908

SPICER

PA

edd 23/5

I PEETH

1

TOP COPY

YOUR TEL NO MISC 35 AND HERDURAN,S LETTER OF 3 JULY: VISAS FOR

BERMUDEANS TRAVELLING TO MEXICO

1. CONSUL CALLED TODAY 15 JULY ON RAMON XILOTL, SUBDIRECTOR OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS AT SECRETARIAT OF FOREIGN RELATIONS (SRE) AND EXPRESSED BERMUDA GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN AT THE IMPOSITON OF

VISA REQUIREMENT FOR BERMUDEANS VISITING MEXICO,

2.

XILOTL EXPLAINED THAT MEXICAN ENTRY CLEARANCES FOR VISA

NATIONALS (INCLUDING BERMUDEANS) CONSISTS OF TWO ELEMENTS -A} A VISA ISSUED BY A MEXICAN CONSULATE, AND

-B) AN IMMIGRATION PERMIT(TOURIST, BUSINESS, STUDENT ETC CARD)

ISSUED ON THE AUTHORITY OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARMENT OF THE SECRETARIAS DE GOBERNACION. ONE COULD NOT BE ISSUED WIHOUT THE OTHER, UNLESS THERE WAS A VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT.

3.

FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BNA 1981, SRE HAD CONFIRMED

TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT THAT BDTC'S WERE NOT COVERED BY THE

UK/MEXICO VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE

CONSIDERED AS VISA NATIONALS. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAD CONSEQUENTL

Y

ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS THAT ALL APPLICATIONS FOR ENTRY CLEARANCES

FROM BDTC'S SHOULD IN FUTURE BE REFERRED TO MEXICO CITY. THAT

THIS REQUIREMENT HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN ENFORECED WAS AN

ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT.

4. SRE ARE CONCERENED AT THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THIS REQUIREMENT

HAS CAUSED BERMUDA AND AS A PRO TERM SOLUTION ARE TRYING TO COME

TO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WHICH WOULD ALLOW

MEXICAN CONSULATES THROUGHOUT THE USA TO ISSUE VISAS AND 30 DAY TOURIST CARDS WITHOUT PRIOR REFERENCE. IN THE MEANTIME THEY

RECOMMEND THAT BERMUDEANS WISHING TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO SHOUD APPLY

FOR ENTRY CLEARANCE AT MEXICAN CONSULATES AT LEAST 2-3 WEEKS

IN ADVANCE OF TRAVEL DATES. ANY URGENT CASES SHOULD BE REFERRED TO US FOR ONWARD TRANSMISSION TO SRE WHO WILL DO THEIR BEST TO EXPEDITE. IN SUCH INSTANCES WE WILL REQUIRE FULL NAME, PASSPORT DETAILS, PROPOSED DATE OF TRAVEL AND POINT OF ENTRY.

5. XILOTL WENT ON TO SAY THAT AS A LONG TERM SOLUTION, SRE

WOULD ON PROPOSAL BE PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE A VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENT

SETWEEN MEXICO AND BERMUDA ALONG THE LINES OF THE UK/MEXICO

AGREEMENT.

16.

96

t