Finally, all the inspection lanes at the San Ysidro border crossing are open! This has resulted in a much shorter wait time for crossing back into the US. This is especially helpful for those Americans who have chosen to rent a home in Baja, and are living in Mexico but are working in San Diego. It has become very popular, not just for retirees to find a home in Mexico, but now there are many young professionals who look for a house or apartment in Playas or Rosarito, because of the low cost of living, but who commute to work every day in San Diego. The biggest drawback has been the long wait at the border to cross into the US.
One solution for many people is to apply for a Sentri card, which will expedite their daily trips. Generally, the wait in the Sentri lane is just 15 minutes. But you must first obtain the Sentri card in order to have access to the Sentri Lane. There is also the Ready Lane, which allows for a faster border crossing. To use the Ready Lane, you must have a “Passport Card”, rather than a Passport book, or an “Enhanced Drivers license”, or a “Border Crossing Card”, that has an RIFD chip, (Radio frequency Identification chip). This allows the US Customs to pre scan the card, and have your information on their computer before you arrive at the Inspection station, and so they have created a special lane that requires the use of the card with RFID.
Now, because all the US Customs inspection lanes at the border are open, even if you are crossing back through the regular “All Traffic Lanes”, the wait is normally under 30 minutes. This is great news for everyone. Sometimes it’s actually faster to NOT go through the “Ready Lanes”, and use the “All Traffic” lanes. In any case, it means much less congestion at the border, and makes living in Baja much more enjoyable. Whether you are thinking of looking for a house for sale in Rosarito, or a hose for rent in Playas, being able to cross the border quickly, makes life much better.