Help!!!! -5 days - One way ticket and immigration

[JArcherM]

Bought a sailboat in SXM. - Awesome.

Immigration says they will not let me in with a one way ticket.

Ive explained I purchased a boat, have a bill of sale and plan on leaving in 45 days. They say no.

Ideas? I cant be the first to go into SXM one way.

Flight is Monday.

[MountainKing]

Easy to change tickets right now. Change it to round trip or buy another one-way back out for a few weeks later, then cancel it once you're in. Might have to take a credit instead of refund, buy it on the cheapest day you can find.

[Nicholas_nolte]

Book the round trip and then cancel the return trip once you're in the country.

[Dsanduril]

If you're flying from the US, use the DOT 24-hour cancellation rule. Show up at the airport with your one-way ticket. Just before you catch your flight buy a return ticket for at least 7 days away. When you arrive in SXM you have a ticket. Then cancel it once you've shown it to Immigration. As long as you cancel within 24 hours of purchase, the trip is at least 7 days away, and the trip begins or ends in the US then the DOT requires airlines to allow cancellation with full refund.

Buy your temporary ticket direct from the airline, they are the ones required to honor the rule, not all web vendors do. Many airlines give you until midnight the day after purchase (rather than exactly 24 hours), check with the airlines you are considering.

Timing is critical, be ready to cancel your flight as soon as you get through Immigration.

American flies SXM-SEA and describes this on their website.

Here's a short article.

[AZUS]

And, as an idea - the return has to be to YS but not necessarily the point of departure, I believe. Shop for the cheapest US destination. That should count as a ‘return’.

[astokel]

Why are members advising someone to break the law? I'm sorry being a good citizen is such a bother for those who feel they are pseudo-exceptional.

[Dsanduril]

What law is being broken? The St. Martin tourism departments says:

US and Canadian citizens are required to present a valid passport as well as a return ticket or a ticket for onward travel. Naturalized citizens must also present their original naturalization certificate with photo identification. Tourists are permitted to stay in St. Martin for a maximum of three months.

The OP has been advised on ways to do exactly that, while not losing money since his actual onward travel is by a method not particularly well recognized by the authorities at the time of entry.

[sailingabe41ds]

Originally Posted by astokel

Why are members advising someone to break the law? I'm sorry being a good citizen is such a bother for those who feel they are pseudo-exceptional.

Really? The OP is trying to resolve a problem that is made difficult because the government can not accommodate special situations. He is simply given advise on how he can resolve that problem.

Got to love self righteous people who think they are exceptional...when they are the ones who are pseudo-exceptional.

My 2 cents

Abe

[ahun]

It's not breaking the law, they just want to make sure you have a mean to leave the country, if necessary. That's all.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by astokel

Why are members advising someone to break the law? I'm sorry being a good citizen is such a bother for those who feel they are pseudo-exceptional.

OMG! We have to do this and have done so several times in the past. It is totally legal. It's a stupid law, everyone knows it and everyone knows how to get around it legally.
A good citizen not only obeys the law, but questions every single one of them.

[JArcherM]

We were able to make it in. We got to immigration, they asked where we were staying, We had a hotel set up for the first night. We had bill of sale for the boat. We explained our plans. Had return flights just incase (which we cancelled a few hours later) no biggie ... right through. Been on the boat for 12 days. Went to immigration yesterday and discussed plans for leaving. They require documentation of bill of sale and USCG documents or our run packet to leave. Thank you everyone for the help.