Tech support chap's boss got him out of jail so he could finish a job

Wrong passport, right problem

A US-based tech support engineer — we'll call him Octavio — was doing what tech people do: travel, fix things, repeat. It has been reported that Octavio, who grew up speaking Spanish and holds a US green card, was sent from Argentina to Mexico to help a client. Trouble began at the border: Americans can wander into Mexico visa-free, but nationals of Octavio's home country cannot. It has been reported that local authorities arrested him on arrival for lacking the right paperwork.

Headquarters to the rescue — sort of

It sounds like a comedy of errors, but it wasn't funny in the moment. It has been reported that headquarters scrambled, summoned a lawyer and managed to extract him, although not before he spent several hours in detention and was deported back to the US. Picture this: the guy who troubleshoots networks and soothes irate customers, sitting in a holding cell because of a stamp on a passport. Ouch.

Visa, ticket, and a vow

The emotional pivot? His employer didn't shrug and move on. It has been reported that another company representative met him on US soil carrying two things: a visa to enter Mexico and a plane ticket to send him back to finish the job. It has been reported that Octavio promptly applied for US citizenship the following week. Moral of the story: in a world that prizes agility and multilingual skills, paperwork still calls the shots. Who knew the highest-priority ticket was always going to be for a visa, not a flight?

Sources: The Register