UPDATE: Queretaro announced a new policy change regarding WHEN you need to HAVE your canje appointment. This is a major policy shift from how Immigration in Queretaro has been operating in recent months and will likely be the same for INMs across Mexico as Immigration is trying to standardize its policies. Check out the video here: ruclips.net/video/SOwbFj6WVzM/видео.html
In this video, I talk mostly about the INM office in Querétaro, but according to subscribers, INM offices in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta & Tijuana seem to be operating on a similar “system” as Querétaro. If you’ve visited these or other INM locations, we’d really appreciate you sharing your experience in the comments. Be patient. Be flexible. And, keep an eye on the comments for the latest changes.
We had been planning to retire (somewhere) in Mexico, and had spent roughly six months researching this and that. Then the news of changes in residency requirements hit us like a brick. We knew then that we could never qualify for permanent residency. That made temporary residency less appealing, and we cancelled all reservations. We're bummed about it, but I don't blame the Mexican government (states) for wanting to reduce the foreigner influence, if that is indeed the goal. And, ultimately, it was better for us to find out now, rather than four years down the road, so to speak. We appreciated the information you presented. Thanks.
You might already know this, but after four years as a temporary resident, you automatically become a permanent resident regardless of whether or not you meet the financial requirements.
@@li2us if you're applying for permanent residency that is correct. But if you qualify for temporary, apply for that and as Alex said it automatically becomes permanent after 4 years with no additional requirements. The only downside to this route is a little more hassle for renewal after the first and forth years and the additional cost of those renewals. But that fourth year renewal gives you permanent residency and after that you're done.
@@li2us You also only need to renew the temporary residency once. So you get it now, you go to Mexico, and renew it after a year - you only renew it then and you ask for a 3 yrs temp residency. Then after those 3 yrs pass you get your permanent. Many people do this :). (My point is that you don't have to renew the residency every year for 4 years; just renew after 1 st year and after yr 4 you get permannet). Good luck! :)
Here is the response I got from Mexperience: If married to a mexican, you can start the process abroad (don't know why anyone would do that as for the steps are meant for mexico), but they *recommend* starting within mex. Whether your mexican spouse lives in mex or with you, doesn't change the fact that you still qualify to use the Family Unit. INMs aren't supposed to ask to prove economic solvency, however they *might* : so, as usual, don't take anything for granted with them and prepare accordingly just in case. And then of course, all the rest: you'll be granted 2 years of temporary. After 2 years, you switch to permanent. If married abroad, you need your certificate appostilled abroad: then once in mex, any documments not in spanish MUST be translated by a professional. If you seek other answers, Mexperience's site is very detailed and well constructed.
good news. we got reservations on a non-stop flight from Denver to Puerto Vallarta on May 18 to keep our appointment on May 23 at the PV consulate. Our attorney Yesica Yazmin Martinez Urciaga will be helping us to get our Permanent residency card. She has been very helpful and charged $275 for each applicant for the full services. She obtained our appointment for us. Others may want to get her help if she is available. It is well worth it. We are very happy to be moving to Mexico as life in USA is getting bad. thank you Alex for all you do to help others to become happy Mexican residents. Muchas Gracias amiga
My favourite thing about this is your face in the thumbnail. 😂 thank you for keeping us all updated on this! It seems like it’s so expensive to move there now, but I’m still holding out hope that I can make it down there in two years time. It seems like their processes are outdated and unable to cope with the amount of people wanting to move to Mexico. Hopefully, they’ll develop a more efficient and effective process over the next couple of years.
Thank you for the update. Roger and I are leaving the U.S. for Mexico next week Tuesday, May 3rd. We heard that Mexico has gone back to the 180 day Visitor Visa as opposed to screening each individual and deciding how many days each individual is allowed to stay. We are excited about our journey and a little scared of the unknown, but, that’s what makes life adventurous. Only time will tell.
I TRULY and passionately hope that the anxiety-provoking gamble of trying to get a 180-day FMM at CDMX - and perhaps receiving as few as 7 days - especially when the days granted on your FMM are seemingly unrelated to concrete evidence of trustworthiness you’ve offered to the agent (for example, the 6-month, prepaid apartment lease you’ve shown; your return ticket; 5 or 6 prior passports going back 40-plus years, clearly showing you’ve never gamed the system or abused your FMMs; or the fact that you have 2 adult daughters, a married sister, and a married brother, all of whom are long-time, permanent residents of San Miguel de Allende, and are operating a well-respected social non-profit that’s valued by a vulnerable demographic of residents living in San Miguel; or, finally, the tangible evidence of one’s own respectfully law-abiding history of annual 6-month visits to MX between 1984 and 2005;. etc. I have been seriously worried over , this so-called “crackdown,” this potentially arbitrary FMM thing, as I get closer to my Vermont-to-Queretaro flight (August 5, 2022.) Anyway, now I’m cautiously optimistic after hearing your update on the 180-day FMM. Many thanks!
thanks Alex. sounds like a completely lopsided supply/demand scenario and Mexico is putting the brakes on. really appreciate the updates. we are not residents (yet) but I have been in communication with Ms. pavaan and will definitely contact her again when we get serious.
What freaking mess. Unbelievable. I’m glad I got mine years ago. Surely they could do this process from consulates abroad and have you just wait in your home country until you get the card. Visa the going to do more stuff all over again in Mexico is not efficient. But whatever.
Is the March 15 announcement (2:40 in the video) also why it's been impossible to get an appointment at the consulates for a visa via CITAS? I have been checking multiple consulates in multiple countries and there's no visa slots anywhere.
My blood is still boiling from our address change appointment last week in Qro. We actually made ours online before they shut down the system. My boyfriend and I had appointment at the same time, changing the same old address to the same new address. We had prepared three letters with different versions of our old address just in case using old bills. None of them were good enough. It has to be exact to the letter and number. We had no way to check before hand how exactly it was entered in the system. The agent that helped my boyfriend told him exactly what to put on the new form. He was done in 20 minutes. My agent....she didn't want to help that way and she was whispering to me in Spanish with a mask on and behind the glass. I had to redo it 3 times. That was AFTER she just got up and walked away from her desk in the middle of my appointment for about 30-40 minutes. No idea why. No idea if we were done. I finally sat down because she still had my residency card on her desk and no one would give it back. When she returned, she just started calling people that had appointments and starting their processes. I had no idea what I was waiting for because she hadn't told me about the address yet. Finally she calls me back up to do a new address letter. When I finally got it right, she told me to sit down....for an hour and a half. She proceeded to help other people. When she called me up again, all she did was give me my receipt and that was it. So my process took about 3 hours and my boyfriend's process took 20 minutes. Luckily, I won't need to go back until we change to permanent in a year and a half. The only solace I had is that even Spanish speakers were turned away for "documentation errors". Many people had to leave and come back.
Yvonne? I could sure use a teleconsult - have a pile of perplexing problems to clarify. Any chance of a 30-minute or 60-minute consultation? Anyway-your videos are exceedingly professional, fact-filled, and fun - THANK you! Aviva
Did you say in the video that they're currently booked up until July? Meaning, that it takes roughly 3 months to get your residency card, from the time you make your appointment? Just trying to clarify ... it sounds like a long time to be in limbo.
Thanks for the updates. Setting correct expectations seems to be a big part of any complicated process. I especially liked your comment about this process as the Big Test for adaptability here in Mexico. Cheers
Good Morning myINM appointment was April 20th in Merida the process was quick and efficient, I hired an immigration specialist in February to schedule my appointment and handle the paperwork. My appointment was 1:00 pm I was called at 1:05 pm waited 10 minutes for the immigration specialist to process my paperwork when she finished she instructed me to wait for the next specialist to process my fingerprints and photos. I was finished in 45 minutes however, I didn’t receive my temporary card the same day since they were waiting for the delivery of the plastic to lament. They suggested for me to return this week to pickup my card. I fell Ill and I will go next week.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Karen! Would you mind sharing the name of the person who helped you in Merida in case anyone else is looking for an immigration specialist there?
Ciudad Juárez is accepting walk-ins, at least as of last week. As you say, things can and do change so it's a crap shoot. That particular office is at the foot of the Cordova Bridge. There were only two there for residency requests the morning I was there and I was on my way out the door at 10:30 a.m. with my card. It took over an hour to process everything because - well, that's just the way it is. There's a lot of checks and balances to be made for something so important as allowing someone to have legal residency in your country.
My husband and I had the nice consulate in Tucson,AZ make our appt for Mexico (when It had to be done online). Now we're in Mexico, it's been 30 days and no card yet. We went to Guaymas for our appointment and we were the only ones there that day. Everything went smoothly but we were really hoping to have our cards by now...geez.
Anyone do their visa appointment at the NYC consulate? I just went today and expected to be approved or rejected the same day, but they told me I need to come back at a specific time in a week to find out if I was approved. Luckily I am free that day and it's just a minor inconvenience, but I find it a little concerning they held onto my physical passport, although I saw many other files with US passports on the official's desk, so I'm sure it's fine. I just wish I had been made aware of this, as it seems many other consulates give you the visa same day!
No way! I just got my residency a few weeks ago, lucky I decided to do it straight away! - actually I just uploaded a video on my channel about it..! You never know when they're going to change the rules, I think it's always best to "strike while the iron's hot" as they say!
Thanks so much for this video Alex!! I have Ivonne on my what's app speed dial. This was really helpful. I am happy we will have all winter to get this residency straighten out!
fyi: cabo san lucas INM didn't seem concerned with phones being used and let me be a walk in back in January. All was easy and smooth, card same day. :)
HEY! ore changes. our attorney in PV says we should get our Visa cards the same day we show up to consulate. So check again with your contact and see what is now happening.
It might be different now but in León two weeks ago you had to line up people were starting at 6am then at 8.30am the place opened and they took the first 20 people in the queue. If you did something wrong with your paperwork you have to start from zero another day. This was 2 weeks ago so might be changed by now
Just got some insight a few minutes ago, looks like you will have to play musical chairs like in the usa with the mexican consulates. Some cities are booked out 3 months, so you will have to wait a bit at least. But someone told me Cabo is first come first serve basis so I will fly from cancun to Cabo for 3 days to get the process done and in case of a bank runs etc. Definitely a strange time where so many people are moving here and not even two years ago it was this wild
Well, Mexico is not alone the same happens in Canada. Immigration reqs change without warning and changes are made to changes. At least appointments can be booked online while in Canada , applications are mailed and you need to wait months to get attended. Maybe is the Immigration system everywhere.
In Puebla, first time at INM was to make the appointment, but it was the NEXT day... I think it just had to do with the "reason" for the appointment, I didn't see any foreigners so I would say the reasons differ for the appointments... So the second appointment they did finger prints and photos were submitted from across the street. My question for people coming is what if your appointment comes after your length of stay is UP???? this seems a bit crazy...
Thanks for sharing your experience in Puebla! In the video, I answer the "what if I'm unable to get an appointment for my first 30 days in Mexico?" question. You can find the time stamp in the description. In short though, INM is honoring the day you make the appointment...as long as you make (not have) your appointment in the first 30 days, you're good to go.
Alex...love you and your channel! Since, there are so many of living and navigating the system in San Miguel de Allende.Could you use either Ian Clements or Sonia Diaz. Also, helpful for info on getting your MX drivers license. Thanks
Do you know?.... If you fly into one city (Puerto Vallarta, for example) with the intention of settling elsewhere after a few weeks of travel, can you make an appointment at the Immigration office in Puerto Vallarta for an appointment in a different city (Mexico City , for example)?
Thank you for making these videos! My husband and I plan to move to Chiapas as missionaries in the spring. I am unsure about what to put on the visa application because we will not be paid for our work (my husband has a pension), but we will be working with a bible institute covered by our church. I know this is a sticky situation, is there a common way to respond to the "purpose of visit" question on the application?
Question...so what happens if you fly in and show the agent at the airport your temporary visa where you only have 30 days to get it done? Can you come back later on a visitor's visa for 180 days?? Or did I miss that part? This is going to be a mess because the U.S. MX Consulate Offices aren't coordinating with INM
Hi, Tonya! I address this question in the video: What if I’m unable to get an appointment within 30 days of arriving to Mexico? You can find the time stamps in the video description!
@@alex-wittman Hi! I understand we will be within the law if we make the appointment within 30 days, but according to your video (at 4:40) you say that they will only write down our name at INM and we will not receive any confirmation of the appointment day. Therefore we will be in the country with an FMM that says 30 days; past our 30 days; and won't have proof of having made an appointment within our 30 days? In a previous video, when appointments were still being made on-line, you said we should print out our appointment time to prove we made an appointment within 30 days of arriving. Should we not be concerned about this change now in case of a random ID check, say while traveling on a bus for example? Suggestions?
@@loridegregorio2019 I asked Ivonne about this & at least in our part of the country, the random idea checks don't seem to be happening. INM knows that they're backed up & that the appointments are very slow. I understand not having confirmation isn't ideal...I recommend Google translating an explanation of the situation into Spanish (if you don't speak a lot of Spanish) & having it on hand either in your phone or on a note card in your wallet in case anyone asks you.
I just applied to get my temporary visa last week. I made way more than the minimum and there was no reason why the consulate should’ve denied it. He denied it. Can you do a video on what if it gets denied? I am working through an immigration attorney due to the language barrier. The guy at the Mexican consulate in the US barely spoke English and I felt he had it in for me as soon as I walked in the door. I am having to get a new appointment and redo all my documents again.
@@alaskanwhiskey Monica is a sweetheart, but she's not the Jefe. I set up an appointment through Mexitel in Dec for a date in Feb, she called me two weeks before my appointment to tell me that the requirements went up and I no longer qualified. She went went out of her way to help me but ultimately it wasn't up to her.
They have the option to deny you for anything they may not like about you or your background. Did you cop a "tude with the person? It is the MEXICAN Consulate and they speak Spanish there, did that throw you and him off? You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Thanks for this and all of your splendid vlogs ! If our appointment to obtain the "Part 2,' Perm Res Visa is a long time coming, post-intake at the CDMX-INM and we must obtain the Permiso de Salida Regreso, you hadn't mentioned where and how that vital , 'holding process' can be obtained in order to freeze the process if one needs to return to the USA ?
wow...this sounds like things are really going downhill in Mexico...I am kinda happy I didn't bust down there so soon. I am waiting for the all the corruption to fully be fixed.....
I think INM has been working to digitalize its system & that hasn't gone smoothly. Things were really good for a couple of months with the online appointment system! But, there was no way to cancel appointments so they had a bunch of no-shows & that's why they suspended the system.
@@alex-wittmanHi Alex! They just recently computerized the system. Designing and setting up a network, fixing or changing any installation bugs and training people takes some time. BTW- After reading some of these posts, I just want to say to some of you, if are moving to Mexico or are considering it. Things go slower down here, if you aren't ready to adapt to the people and the culture, and learn to embrace it, you won't cut it and may just want to visit.
we decided to stay in the US (moving to Las Cruces, NM) and avoid all those inconveniences, culture shock, language shock and other things (you know what I mean).....and we couldn't be happier......sorry Mexico...it's not just worth it.
Congratulation on your Marriage. I got Married in Mexico on the 14th of February. Now I am waiting on my Visa. How much is a Marriage Visa? My wife is Mexican. I am in Quintin Roo.
There isn’t a specific marriage visa. You apply for temporary residency using your marriage certificate (family link). The first year costs $4,739 MXN.
Dear Backpacking Brunette - reaching out to you to verify on our particular situation. My wife and I are planning to apply for permanent residency now, but we are not really retiring until another 1 1/2 years or so. We qualify with savings. We already sent all our documents to the embassy in Dallas TX and are awaiting an appointment. We have a trip planned to go to Oaxaca at the end of May for 10 days. The plan is to get an appointment or walk into the INM office during that time to finalize and get our permanent residency card before returning to the US. Do you think this is possible?? Please advise and thanks in advance..
I can't imagine that it would take ALL DAY to help only 10 people especially in the bigger towns where they have the machines to make the cards. That's not even 2 people per hour. I'm confused
In the video, I explain that they’re also fingerprinting, photographing and printing cards for people who turned in their documents took weeks previously. There’s a two week delay.
@@alex-wittman I know I just still can't imagine those tasks taking so much time to perform that warrant only 10 being able to be seen unless it's 1 or 2 persons running the show inside which I doubt in the bigger towns.
The process takes a long time. They're being very careful, checking everything, all the numbers on your forms and receipts have to match exactly to your Visa and what is in the system from your Visa appointment as well as the canje FMM that you picked up on your last entry. It's not that they are being inefficient, just following their process.
@@ellisrose8017 lol I'm patient, but my deal is that I'm only living in Mexico for the summer (I'm a teacher) and have 2 dogs that someone was going to watch just for June (and then next summer take the pups with me b/c my house will be built). This just became a hot mess.
Alex, so is correct that you can go to any INM office in Mexico to do part 2 of the residency process not just going to the one in your current state? Thanks, love your content!
What is your recommendation for getting through this process for someone with age and health issues? I cannot stand for very long and have a heart condition that means I can have severe issues in temperatures much over 78 F. I try to bring a portable stool and parasol, but I sincerely can't handle long queues. Any tips are appreciated.
Any update on if these rules also apply in Merida? Curious what the wait times would be like to get an appointment once arriving. Hoping it can be within 45 days as I need to return to Canada for a couple of weeks this summer. 🙏
so do we get that 2nd appointment to complete process when we go to the first one? what do we need to bring to the first appt at consulate after arrive in Mexico? do they require you re-qualify with income or savings proof? WE know we need to bring our marriage certificate with an appostille. but anything else? Like proof od residence in PV ( like an Air B&B)
For anyone who knows they want to live in Mexico, I recommend looking into the requirements for applying for residency in Mexico. That being said: from what my subscribers are telling me, it seems like Mexico might be easing up & getting back to granting 180 days to tourists.
@@alex-wittman For now, I just want to visit again. 180 days would be perfect. Last time, I stayed 172 days and then left without any issues. Thanks for the updates!
Heyyy !! My friends and I are coming to Queretaro on May 8th!! We were wondering if you would be interested in meeting and taking us on a little tour of the city! We will stay in Queretaro 2 months for school:)) also if you have any recommendations of restaurants, activities and cool bar would be veryyyyy nice to share ❤️❤️
Good luck...back in february it was 3 months wait in cdmx, with the online appointments. No walk-ins...i packed up and moved to zihua, guerrero...got my card in a week....but the online system was down in march so walk in was ok in guerrero...maybe its better now in cdmx
Hi I am living In Monterrey, came here on FM3 visa. After applying my fmm case and before going for visa interview I got married. Since it happened In between all this process, my status with INM is single and in the visa application it was married. In order to call my dependents, I have to update the status at INM. My company have applied my FM3 card. For the status change they are asking 2500 pesos for lawyer fee or asking me to go to INM. I am new in this country and started learning Spanish, which will be better option for me?
Would really appreciate if anyone has an answer to this. If you get a temporary residency but then wish to become a permanent resident, can you apply for it during your temporary residency while you're living in Mexico or would you have to get it outside of Mexico??
Once you have temporary residency, you have to wait four years to become a permanent resident unless you marry a Mexican national or have a child in Mexico.
@@alex-wittman Thank you for replying! Assuming no marriage, would you be able to get permanent residency from within Mexico or would you have to go back to your original country to apply like you applied the first time?
So how do you know what is needed for docs.? Do you need all the documents before you get your appt. ? And how do you get them if you need help prior to getting your appt. I understand that their are people stationed right outside the consulates that will help. Will they print the required documents and help fill them out?
UPDATE: Queretaro announced a new policy change regarding WHEN you need to HAVE your canje appointment. This is a major policy shift from how Immigration in Queretaro has been operating in recent months and will likely be the same for INMs across Mexico as Immigration is trying to standardize its policies. Check out the video here: ruclips.net/video/SOwbFj6WVzM/видео.html
In this video, I talk mostly about the INM office in Querétaro, but according to subscribers, INM offices in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta & Tijuana seem to be operating on a similar “system” as Querétaro. If you’ve visited these or other INM locations, we’d really appreciate you sharing your experience in the comments.
Be patient. Be flexible. And, keep an eye on the comments for the latest changes.
Im so glad i was able to get my card when I did and same day. Feel lucky 🍀
I’ll share my experience when I go to the one in CDMX next week.
@@NilDreams yes please!
@@NilDreams May I ask where CDMX is? Thanks.
@@wl5609 CDMX is Mexico City (acronym for Ciudad de Mexico)
We had been planning to retire (somewhere) in Mexico, and had spent roughly six months researching this and that. Then the news of changes in residency requirements hit us like a brick. We knew then that we could never qualify for permanent residency. That made temporary residency less appealing, and we cancelled all reservations. We're bummed about it, but I don't blame the Mexican government (states) for wanting to reduce the foreigner influence, if that is indeed the goal. And, ultimately, it was better for us to find out now, rather than four years down the road, so to speak. We appreciated the information you presented. Thanks.
You might already know this, but after four years as a temporary resident, you automatically become a permanent resident regardless of whether or not you meet the financial requirements.
@@alex-wittman We did not know that. Under the impression the requirement had to be met at the time of the application.
@@li2us if you're applying for permanent residency that is correct. But if you qualify for temporary, apply for that and as Alex said it automatically becomes permanent after 4 years with no additional requirements. The only downside to this route is a little more hassle for renewal after the first and forth years and the additional cost of those renewals. But that fourth year renewal gives you permanent residency and after that you're done.
@@mdrichards Thank you. We DO qualify for temporary. I will check it out.
@@li2us You also only need to renew the temporary residency once. So you get it now, you go to Mexico, and renew it after a year - you only renew it then and you ask for a 3 yrs temp residency. Then after those 3 yrs pass you get your permanent. Many people do this :).
(My point is that you don't have to renew the residency every year for 4 years; just renew after 1 st year and after yr 4 you get permannet). Good luck! :)
Here is the response I got from Mexperience:
If married to a mexican, you can start the process abroad (don't know why anyone would do that as for the steps are meant for mexico), but they *recommend* starting within mex.
Whether your mexican spouse lives in mex or with you, doesn't change the fact that you still qualify to use the Family Unit.
INMs aren't supposed to ask to prove economic solvency, however they *might* : so, as usual, don't take anything for granted with them and prepare accordingly just in case.
And then of course, all the rest: you'll be granted 2 years of temporary. After 2 years, you switch to permanent.
If married abroad, you need your certificate appostilled abroad: then once in mex, any documments not in spanish MUST be translated by a professional.
If you seek other answers, Mexperience's site is very detailed and well constructed.
good news. we got reservations on a non-stop flight from Denver to Puerto Vallarta on May 18 to keep our appointment on May 23 at the PV consulate. Our attorney Yesica Yazmin Martinez Urciaga will be helping us to get our Permanent residency card. She has been very helpful and charged $275 for each applicant for the full services. She obtained our appointment for us. Others may want to get her help if she is available. It is well worth it. We are very happy to be moving to Mexico as life in USA is getting bad. thank you Alex for all you do to help others to become happy Mexican residents. Muchas Gracias amiga
May i ask what documents you needed to provide?
Except the aforementioned proof of address and your visa.
Thanks
My favourite thing about this is your face in the thumbnail. 😂 thank you for keeping us all updated on this! It seems like it’s so expensive to move there now, but I’m still holding out hope that I can make it down there in two years time. It seems like their processes are outdated and unable to cope with the amount of people wanting to move to Mexico. Hopefully, they’ll develop a more efficient and effective process over the next couple of years.
Thank you for the update. Roger and I are leaving the U.S. for Mexico next week Tuesday, May 3rd. We heard that Mexico has gone back to the 180 day Visitor Visa as opposed to screening each individual and deciding how many days each individual is allowed to stay. We are excited about our journey and a little scared of the unknown, but, that’s what makes life adventurous. Only time will tell.
Wishing you & Roger all the best, Anita!
@@alex-wittman….Thank You. 😊
I TRULY and passionately hope that the anxiety-provoking gamble of trying to get a 180-day FMM at CDMX - and perhaps receiving as few as 7 days - especially when the days granted on your FMM are seemingly unrelated to concrete evidence of trustworthiness you’ve offered to the agent (for example, the 6-month, prepaid apartment lease you’ve shown; your return ticket; 5 or 6 prior passports going back 40-plus years, clearly showing you’ve never gamed the system or abused your FMMs; or the fact that you have 2 adult daughters, a married sister, and a married brother, all of whom are long-time, permanent residents of San Miguel de Allende, and are operating a well-respected social non-profit that’s valued by a vulnerable demographic of residents living in San Miguel; or, finally, the tangible evidence of one’s own respectfully law-abiding history of annual 6-month visits to MX between 1984 and 2005;. etc.
I have been seriously worried over , this so-called “crackdown,” this potentially arbitrary FMM thing, as I get closer to my Vermont-to-Queretaro flight (August 5, 2022.)
Anyway, now I’m cautiously optimistic after hearing your update on the 180-day FMM.
Many thanks!
Excellent, clear summaries of the consistent inconsistency :-)
Consistent inconsistencies 😅🫠
thanks Alex. sounds like a completely lopsided supply/demand scenario and Mexico is putting the brakes on. really appreciate the updates. we are not residents (yet) but I have been in communication with Ms. pavaan and will definitely contact her again when we get serious.
Ivonne is the correct person to consult. She helped me recently. Best wishes to you.
She only does for Queretaro? Or other cities in Mex as well? Thank you
What freaking mess. Unbelievable. I’m glad I got mine years ago. Surely they could do this process from consulates abroad and have you just wait in your home country until you get the card. Visa the going to do more stuff all over again in Mexico is not efficient. But whatever.
Is the March 15 announcement (2:40 in the video) also why it's been impossible to get an appointment at the consulates for a visa via CITAS? I have been checking multiple consulates in multiple countries and there's no visa slots anywhere.
My blood is still boiling from our address change appointment last week in Qro. We actually made ours online before they shut down the system. My boyfriend and I had appointment at the same time, changing the same old address to the same new address. We had prepared three letters with different versions of our old address just in case using old bills. None of them were good enough. It has to be exact to the letter and number. We had no way to check before hand how exactly it was entered in the system. The agent that helped my boyfriend told him exactly what to put on the new form. He was done in 20 minutes. My agent....she didn't want to help that way and she was whispering to me in Spanish with a mask on and behind the glass. I had to redo it 3 times. That was AFTER she just got up and walked away from her desk in the middle of my appointment for about 30-40 minutes. No idea why. No idea if we were done. I finally sat down because she still had my residency card on her desk and no one would give it back. When she returned, she just started calling people that had appointments and starting their processes. I had no idea what I was waiting for because she hadn't told me about the address yet. Finally she calls me back up to do a new address letter. When I finally got it right, she told me to sit down....for an hour and a half. She proceeded to help other people. When she called me up again, all she did was give me my receipt and that was it. So my process took about 3 hours and my boyfriend's process took 20 minutes. Luckily, I won't need to go back until we change to permanent in a year and a half. The only solace I had is that even Spanish speakers were turned away for "documentation errors". Many people had to leave and come back.
Yvonne? I could sure use a teleconsult - have a pile of perplexing problems to clarify. Any chance of a 30-minute or 60-minute consultation?
Anyway-your videos are exceedingly professional, fact-filled, and fun - THANK you!
Aviva
Thank you, Alex, for such thorough information!
Did you say in the video that they're currently booked up until July?
Meaning, that it takes roughly 3 months to get your residency card, from the time you make your appointment?
Just trying to clarify ... it sounds like a long time to be in limbo.
Yeah I'd recommend a local lawyer for this scenario. I have one here in cancun and might reach out. Seems they can speed up the process.
As usual Alex this has been SUPER helpful! Thank you for always being concise and thorough.
Thanks for the updates. Setting correct expectations seems to be a big part of any complicated process. I especially liked your comment about this process as the Big Test for adaptability here in Mexico. Cheers
Thanks for watching, Terry!
Good Morning myINM appointment was April 20th in Merida the process was quick and efficient, I hired an immigration specialist in February to schedule my appointment and handle the paperwork. My appointment was 1:00 pm I was called at 1:05 pm waited 10 minutes for the immigration specialist to process my paperwork when she finished she instructed me to wait for the next specialist to process my fingerprints and photos. I was finished in 45 minutes however, I didn’t receive my temporary card the same day since they were waiting for the delivery of the plastic to lament. They suggested for me to return this week to pickup my card. I fell Ill and I will go next week.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Karen! Would you mind sharing the name of the person who helped you in Merida in case anyone else is looking for an immigration specialist there?
Merida Moves they are on Facebook Barbara Blanco email meridamoves@gmail.com I sent a message on Facebook and messenger.
Ciudad Juárez is accepting walk-ins, at least as of last week. As you say, things can and do change so it's a crap shoot. That particular office is at the foot of the Cordova Bridge. There were only two there for residency requests the morning I was there and I was on my way out the door at 10:30 a.m. with my card. It took over an hour to process everything because - well, that's just the way it is. There's a lot of checks and balances to be made for something so important as allowing someone to have legal residency in your country.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience!
My husband and I had the nice consulate in Tucson,AZ make our appt for Mexico (when It had to be done online). Now we're in Mexico, it's been 30 days and no card yet. We went to Guaymas for our appointment and we were the only ones there that day. Everything went smoothly but we were really hoping to have our cards by now...geez.
Anyone do their visa appointment at the NYC consulate? I just went today and expected to be approved or rejected the same day, but they told me I need to come back at a specific time in a week to find out if I was approved. Luckily I am free that day and it's just a minor inconvenience, but I find it a little concerning they held onto my physical passport, although I saw many other files with US passports on the official's desk, so I'm sure it's fine. I just wish I had been made aware of this, as it seems many other consulates give you the visa same day!
You are awesome, this is a FANTASTIC video.
Glad you found it helpful, Blair!
No way! I just got my residency a few weeks ago, lucky I decided to do it straight away! - actually I just uploaded a video on my channel about it..!
You never know when they're going to change the rules, I think it's always best to "strike while the iron's hot" as they say!
Congrats on getting your residency, Jonny!
@@alex-wittman thank you!!
Thanks so much for this video Alex!! I have Ivonne on my what's app speed dial. This was really helpful. I am happy we will have all winter to get this residency straighten out!
You’re doing all the right stuff, Margie! I’m so excited for you 🥳
Thank you! for been up to date, and keeping us informed.
Thank you as always for getting this kind of information to us as soon as you get it.
Definitely plan to use Host Relocations in La Paz.
I'm here to help! Thanks for watching, Cate!
This seems like a really good and efficient system 😆
🫠🫠🫠
fyi: cabo san lucas INM didn't seem concerned with phones being used and let me be a walk in back in January. All was easy and smooth, card same day. :)
Thanks for sharing you experience, Audrey! I am so happy it was such a smooth experience for you!
HEY! ore changes. our attorney in PV says we should get our Visa cards the same day we show up to consulate. So check again with your contact and see what is now happening.
This is insane. I am starting to consider other countries. :(
Its insane...has cost me a fortune and untold stress...but i got my temporary resident card last month.
I’d like to see the online appointment system come back, that’s for sure!
I’m glad you made it to the other side, Nick!
I live in New Mexico and was concerned for a second.
Oh no 😅 sorry to freak you out, Mateo!
LOL
It might be different now but in León two weeks ago you had to line up people were starting at 6am then at 8.30am the place opened and they took the first 20 people in the queue. If you did something wrong with your paperwork you have to start from zero another day. This was 2 weeks ago so might be changed by now
Thanks for sharing your experience, Keith!
Just got some insight a few minutes ago, looks like you will have to play musical chairs like in the usa with the mexican consulates. Some cities are booked out 3 months, so you will have to wait a bit at least. But someone told me Cabo is first come first serve basis so I will fly from cancun to Cabo for 3 days to get the process done and in case of a bank runs etc. Definitely a strange time where so many people are moving here and not even two years ago it was this wild
Thank you for that update
That is awesome thank you so much!
Well, Mexico is not alone the same happens in Canada. Immigration reqs change without warning and changes are made to changes. At least appointments can be booked online while in Canada , applications are mailed and you need to wait months to get attended. Maybe is the Immigration system everywhere.
Immigration is rarely a simple process, you're correct. Just sharing what's going on in Mexico!
@@censoredeveryday3320 didn't know before I moved, know I do.
@@alex-wittman totally agree. Love the content in your channel, provides a different perspective of Mexico.
@@censoredeveryday3320 sorry- the spelling corrector- * now I do
In Puebla, first time at INM was to make the appointment, but it was the NEXT day... I think it just had to do with the "reason" for the appointment, I didn't see any foreigners so I would say the reasons differ for the appointments... So the second appointment they did finger prints and photos were submitted from across the street. My question for people coming is what if your appointment comes after your length of stay is UP???? this seems a bit crazy...
Thank you. I am planning to stay in Puebla when I arrive in June to get my temporary residency. Your post was helpful
Thanks for sharing your experience in Puebla! In the video, I answer the "what if I'm unable to get an appointment for my first 30 days in Mexico?" question. You can find the time stamp in the description. In short though, INM is honoring the day you make the appointment...as long as you make (not have) your appointment in the first 30 days, you're good to go.
Wow what a nightmare🥺
Alex...love you and your channel! Since, there are so many of living and navigating the system in San Miguel de Allende.Could you use either Ian Clements or Sonia Diaz. Also, helpful for info on getting your MX drivers license. Thanks
I'm not familiar with either of those individuals, but I know there are lots of helpful immigration advisors out there!
Very helpful video, as you always do, but I'm NOT a fan of the click-baity photo & headline.
Glad you found it helpful!
Do you know?....
If you fly into one city (Puerto Vallarta, for example) with the intention of settling elsewhere after a few weeks of travel, can you make an appointment at the Immigration office in Puerto Vallarta for an appointment in a different city (Mexico City , for example)?
Thank you for making these videos! My husband and I plan to move to Chiapas as missionaries in the spring. I am unsure about what to put on the visa application because we will not be paid for our work (my husband has a pension), but we will be working with a bible institute covered by our church. I know this is a sticky situation, is there a common way to respond to the "purpose of visit" question on the application?
we got an attorney in PV to help us. It worked, we have appts for permanent residency on May 23.
Sounds like things are moving right along for you in Vallarta! Awesome!
What is the name and address of your attorney? Did he obtain the documents heeded...?
once I get my Temp. Residency card, am I allowed to go back to the USA right after and how soon would I have to return?
The only time you need to physically be in Mexico is when you're renewing your residency which you have to do at the end of your first year.
Question...so what happens if you fly in and show the agent at the airport your temporary visa where you only have 30 days to get it done? Can you come back later on a visitor's visa for 180 days?? Or did I miss that part? This is going to be a mess because the U.S. MX Consulate Offices aren't coordinating with INM
Hi, Tonya! I address this question in the video: What if I’m unable to get an appointment within 30 days of arriving to Mexico? You can find the time stamps in the video description!
@@alex-wittman Hi! I understand we will be within the law if we make the appointment within 30 days, but according to your video (at 4:40) you say that they will only write down our name at INM and we will not receive any confirmation of the appointment day. Therefore we will be in the country with an FMM that says 30 days; past our 30 days; and won't have proof of having made an appointment within our 30 days? In a previous video, when appointments were still being made on-line, you said we should print out our appointment time to prove we made an appointment within 30 days of arriving. Should we not be concerned about this change now in case of a random ID check, say while traveling on a bus for example? Suggestions?
@@loridegregorio2019 I asked Ivonne about this & at least in our part of the country, the random idea checks don't seem to be happening. INM knows that they're backed up & that the appointments are very slow. I understand not having confirmation isn't ideal...I recommend Google translating an explanation of the situation into Spanish (if you don't speak a lot of Spanish) & having it on hand either in your phone or on a note card in your wallet in case anyone asks you.
@@alex-wittman thank you SO much for your response. I will certainly carry an explanation in Spanish as I am still far from fluent.
I just applied to get my temporary visa last week. I made way more than the minimum and there was no reason why the consulate should’ve denied it. He denied it. Can you do a video on what if it gets denied? I am working through an immigration attorney due to the language barrier. The guy at the Mexican consulate in the US barely spoke English and I felt he had it in for me as soon as I walked in the door. I am having to get a new appointment and redo all my documents again.
Can you try a different consulate? I believe some of them will accommodate applicants from outside their region (unless that changed too).
Definitely going to try that. The one I went to was Yuma. My attorney stated there was no reasoning for the denial.
Go to another consulate. Recommend the one in New Orleans. Its Small and Monica the visa specialist there is awesome. Got my temporary visa with them.
@@alaskanwhiskey Monica is a sweetheart, but she's not the Jefe. I set up an appointment through Mexitel in Dec for a date in Feb, she called me two weeks before my appointment to tell me that the requirements went up and I no longer qualified. She went went out of her way to help me but ultimately it wasn't up to her.
They have the option to deny you for anything they may not like about you or your background. Did you cop a "tude with the person? It is the MEXICAN Consulate and they speak Spanish there, did that throw you and him off? You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Hey Alex, Do you have any knowledge how the INM is working in Mazatlán? Thank you so much! Your knowledge has helped us a lot.
Great success at INM Puerto Vallarta ! What are your views on RFC requirements (bank ac / car registration …) 😕
we were waiting for Puerto Vallarta but got word yesterday we have an appointment for May 23. so the system seems to be back up
Thanks for this and all of your splendid vlogs ! If our appointment to obtain the "Part 2,' Perm Res Visa is a long time coming, post-intake at the CDMX-INM and we must obtain the Permiso de Salida Regreso, you hadn't mentioned where and how that vital , 'holding process' can be obtained in order to freeze the process if one needs to return to the USA ?
wow...this sounds like things are really going downhill in Mexico...I am kinda happy I didn't bust down there so soon. I am waiting for the all the corruption to fully be fixed.....
Things here are fine, stay in the usa if you like the downhill recession and divided people.
I think INM has been working to digitalize its system & that hasn't gone smoothly. Things were really good for a couple of months with the online appointment system! But, there was no way to cancel appointments so they had a bunch of no-shows & that's why they suspended the system.
@@alex-wittman Thank You!
@@alex-wittmanHi Alex! They just recently computerized the system. Designing and setting up a network, fixing or changing any installation bugs and training people takes some time. BTW- After reading some of these posts, I just want to say to some of you, if are moving to Mexico or are considering it. Things go slower down here, if you aren't ready to adapt to the people and the culture, and learn to embrace it, you won't cut it and may just want to visit.
My passport has my middle initial. My DL and bank account do not. Do I need to change the DL and bank account to match my passport?
we decided to stay in the US (moving to Las Cruces, NM) and avoid all those inconveniences, culture shock, language shock and other things (you know what I mean).....and we couldn't be happier......sorry Mexico...it's not just worth it.
Thank you Gringo. Best to stay within your own culture and people rather than trying to fish for one overseas.
Wishing you the best in the US!
Bravo gringo....what a stupid thing to say
What is the procedure if your appointment is more than 30 days after your date of entry, and your vehicle's TIP is set to expire at the 30 day mark?
Buena info
Congratulation on your Marriage. I got Married in Mexico on the 14th of February. Now I am waiting on my Visa. How much is a Marriage Visa? My wife is Mexican. I am in Quintin Roo.
There isn’t a specific marriage visa. You apply for temporary residency using your marriage certificate (family link). The first year costs $4,739 MXN.
10 people a day is an absolute joke.
How to prepare for in person interview for work permit
Dear Backpacking Brunette - reaching out to you to verify on our particular situation. My wife and I are planning to apply for permanent residency now, but we are not really retiring until another 1 1/2 years or so. We qualify with savings. We already sent all our documents to the embassy in Dallas TX and are awaiting an appointment. We have a trip planned to go to Oaxaca at the end of May for 10 days. The plan is to get an appointment or walk into the INM office during that time to finalize and get our permanent residency card before returning to the US. Do you think this is possible?? Please advise and thanks in advance..
I can't imagine that it would take ALL DAY to help only 10 people especially in the bigger towns where they have the machines to make the cards. That's not even 2 people per hour. I'm confused
In the video, I explain that they’re also fingerprinting, photographing and printing cards for people who turned in their documents took weeks previously. There’s a two week delay.
@@alex-wittman I know I just still can't imagine those tasks taking so much time to perform that warrant only 10 being able to be seen unless it's 1 or 2 persons running the show inside which I doubt in the bigger towns.
The process takes a long time. They're being very careful, checking everything, all the numbers on your forms and receipts have to match exactly to your Visa and what is in the system from your Visa appointment as well as the canje FMM that you picked up on your last entry. It's not that they are being inefficient, just following their process.
It will absolutely take that long.. you may want to rethink what you really want to do
@@platosrational I guess it's a bigger process than I thought. I thought they were seeing alot more people a day before this change
INM told me that not making an appt online is a temporary thing.
So they are gonna re-instate the system?
Any mention when?
Will be arriving mid June
@@ellisrose8017 Nope! no details given
@@jennyhammond9261 thanks.
That sounds great 😂
Luckily i am very patient.
@@ellisrose8017 lol I'm patient, but my deal is that I'm only living in Mexico for the summer (I'm a teacher) and have 2 dogs that someone was going to watch just for June (and then next summer take the pups with me b/c my house will be built). This just became a hot mess.
I think there's hope that there could be a new online system in June...
Do you know the process they are using in Ensenada? How can I find out? I don't speak much Spanish! 😕
I would ask in an expat Facebook group for the city!
Alex, so is correct that you can go to any INM office in Mexico to do part 2 of the residency process not just going to the one in your current state? Thanks, love your content!
HI, Susan! You have to have an address in the same state.
@@alex-wittman Thanks so much for the response!
What is your recommendation for getting through this process for someone with age and health issues? I cannot stand for very long and have a heart condition that means I can have severe issues in temperatures much over 78 F. I try to bring a portable stool and parasol, but I sincerely can't handle long queues. Any tips are appreciated.
Any update on if these rules also apply in Merida? Curious what the wait times would be like to get an appointment once arriving. Hoping it can be within 45 days as I need to return to Canada for a couple of weeks this summer. 🙏
Hi, Paul! I haven’t heard anything about Merida, but hopefully, someone will see your comment and share their experience!
so do we get that 2nd appointment to complete process when we go to the first one? what do we need to bring to the first appt at consulate after arrive in Mexico? do they require you re-qualify with income or savings proof? WE know we need to bring our marriage certificate with an appostille. but anything else? Like proof od residence in PV ( like an Air B&B)
I was wondering the same.
Last time, I just booked a one-way flight and Mexico still allowed me in for 180 days... Not sure if it will be that easy next time...
For anyone who knows they want to live in Mexico, I recommend looking into the requirements for applying for residency in Mexico. That being said: from what my subscribers are telling me, it seems like Mexico might be easing up & getting back to granting 180 days to tourists.
@@alex-wittman For now, I just want to visit again. 180 days would be perfect. Last time, I stayed 172 days and then left without any issues. Thanks for the updates!
Just one week ago in Queretaro I only got 18 days even though i had a return flight and accommodations. I had asked for 87.
@@andersongrossman2130 did they give you more days?
Heyyy !! My friends and I are coming to Queretaro on May 8th!! We were wondering if you would be interested in meeting and taking us on a little tour of the city! We will stay in Queretaro 2 months for school:)) also if you have any recommendations of restaurants, activities and cool bar would be veryyyyy nice to share ❤️❤️
I'll actually be traveling then, but I hope you enjoy Queretaro! I've really been loving Surco on Independecia lately :)
I want to move to Mexico. Should I go to the closest embassy and apply for a visa or residency? I don’t receive $2400 per month yet.
If you don’t have enough savings or income, you don’t qualify. No point in going to the embassy…
Im flying to CDMX next week to get my temporary residency. I hope it’s quick because I have to get back to the US for my daughter’s graduation.
I heard that the turnaround time in CDMX is a week!
@@alex-wittman thank you! I hope you are right!
Good luck...back in february it was 3 months wait in cdmx, with the online appointments. No walk-ins...i packed up and moved to zihua, guerrero...got my card in a week....but the online system was down in march so walk in was ok in guerrero...maybe its better now in cdmx
Please keep us updated! I’m also nervous about the amount of time we will need to be in Mexico for this part since we are still working!
Hi Nil Dreams how was the CDMX appt? Was it quick? Please update us
Hi
I am living In Monterrey, came here on FM3 visa. After applying my fmm case and before going for visa interview I got married. Since it happened In between all this process, my status with INM is single and in the visa application it was married. In order to call my dependents, I have to update the status at INM. My company have applied my FM3 card. For the status change they are asking 2500 pesos for lawyer fee or asking me to go to INM.
I am new in this country and started learning Spanish, which will be better option for me?
If you’re not confident in your Spanish skills, it could be worth it to pay the fee to have someone do your notification of change on your behalf.
Would really appreciate if anyone has an answer to this. If you get a temporary residency but then wish to become a permanent resident, can you apply for it during your temporary residency while you're living in Mexico or would you have to get it outside of Mexico??
Once you have temporary residency, you have to wait four years to become a permanent resident unless you marry a Mexican national or have a child in Mexico.
@@alex-wittman Thank you for replying! Assuming no marriage, would you be able to get permanent residency from within Mexico or would you have to go back to your original country to apply like you applied the first time?
So how do you know what is needed for docs.? Do you need all the documents before you get your appt. ? And how do you get them if you need help prior to getting your appt. I understand that their are people stationed right outside the consulates that will help. Will they print the required documents and help fill them out?
😥ánimo
Do they speak english at IMF?
I wouldn't count on someone speaking English.
Break down and spend a couple hundred bucks to hire someone. It will be money well spent.
Hello amigos Taylor and Alex
Hola, Benito!
🥂🥂❤️
Thanks for watching!
Hola Alex saludos
Hola! Gracias por ver!
love those teeth. ha ha
thumbnail is ......
Thumbnail is...exactly how I felt after spending all day at INM!