A Border Crossing Card (BCC) is an identity document used by nationals of

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Gua ...

to enter the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. As a standalone document, the BCC allows its holder to visit the border areas of the United States when entering by land or sea directly from Mexico for up to 30 days.Extension of Border Zone in the State of New Mexico
Federal Register, 12 June 2013.8 CFR §235.1, Scope of examination
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. The document also functions as a B1/B2 visa when presented with a valid Mexican passport, for entry to any part of the United States by any means of transportation.8 CFR §212.1, Documentary requirements for nonimmigrants
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

History

Since 1953, Mexico and the United States have agreed to make special accommodations for Mexican nationals who cross the

Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...

into the immediate area to promote the economic stability of the region. On November 12, 1953, the two countries entered into an agreement concerning the border area, which included a provision allowing Mexican nationals who resided near the border to be issued border-crossing identification cards. These cards could be used for multiple applications for admission during the validity of the card. In 1982, the border zone that may be visited with a BCC was defined as the area within from the border. In 1999, the portion of the zone in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fo ...

was expanded to from the border. In 2004, the allowed period of stay in the border zone with a BCC was expanded from 72 hours to 30 days. In 2013, the portion of the zone in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, ...

was expanded to from the border or up to

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pla ...

Eligibility

The BCC is issued only to Mexican nationals residing in Mexico and by the U.S. diplomatic missions in Mexico. Applicants must satisfy the same requirements as for a B visa, including demonstrating their ties to Mexico that would compel them to return after a temporary stay in the United States.

Description

The first generation of machine-readable BCCs, known as "laser visas", was produced from April 1, 1998, until September 30, 2008. The

laminate Lamination is the technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance, or other properties from the use of the differing material ...

credit card A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the o ...

-size document is both a BCC and a B1/B2 visitor visa. The cards are valid for travel until the expiration date on the front of the card, usually ten years after issuance. They are nearly identical to the previous generation U.S. permanent resident card. October 1, 2008, marked the beginning of production of a second generation B1/ B2 visa/BCC. The new card is similar in size to the old BCC, but contains enhanced

graphics Graphics () are visual perception, visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustration, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of dat ...

and technology. The original BCC was produced by the now defunct

Immigration and Naturalization Service The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. Referred to by some as former INS and by others as legacy INS, ...

but the current card is produced by the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...

. It is virtually identical to the U.S. passport card, which is issued to nationals of the United States for the purposes of land and sea border crossings, in its general design layout. The card includes an

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electrom ...

chip and integrated contactless circuit and is part of the same PASS system as the passport card.

Use

As a standalone document, the BCC allows its holder to visit the following border areas of the United States when entering by land or sea, for up to 30 days: *

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

within of the border *

within of the border or up to

, whichever is further north *

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

within of the border When presented with a Mexican passport, the BCC functions as a B visa, accepted for entry to any part of the United States by any means of transportation.

References

{{reflist

External links

Border Crossing Card

International travel documents

History

Eligibility

Description

Use

See also

References

External links