Last year Ned got his FM-2. The FM-2 is good for one year. So now it was time to renew. I have been waiting for this renewal so I could tell you the story. We've been hearing tales of people having to wait for six weeks for renewals of FM-2s and FM-3s. Of having to return multiple times to the Immigration Office. Days wasted on Mexican bureaucracy. About the necessity for getting a Mexican to walk your papers through the process and paying higher fees for them. We've heard and read speculation that this is in retaliation for the immigration policies in the USA. So I figured that I would have a really good story for the blog. So here is Ned's FM-2 renewal story.........
One morning Ned went to the Escritorio across from the Immigration Office where they fill out the necessary papers for you to take to the Immigration office. He brought his current FM-2 and his passport. The clerk asked him if he was in his car and when Ned said that he was, the clerk gave him his Hoja de Ayuda para Impuestos or the form for going to the bank to pay his fees and told him to drive up to the bank by Gigante to pay because he probably would not have to wait in line and by the time he returned, he would have all the paperwork done and copies made.
Ned followed the instructions and sure enough he didn't have to wait in line at the bank. He came back, paid the clerk, and picked up his paperwork. He then walked across the street to the Immigration Office and turned it all in. The Immigration Officer looked over it and said that everything seemed to be there. He gave him a temporary FM-2 and told him to come back in two weeks to pickup his renewed FM-2.
Ned went back exactly two weeks later to the day and picked up his FM-2.
What happened here? Everyone else seems to get a good story out of this process. How could the Mexicans let me down like this? Isn't this a boring blog entry?
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6 comments:
We gave our lawyer our FMT's, passports and 3 months printouts from our bank accounts yesterday. Today he returned our passports, gave us a paper with the picture requirements and told us we will go and pick up our FM3's on Friday.
I feel guilty for not doing it myself but this is the lawyer that took care of our house purchase and he offered to do it for us for not much money. I've promised myself I'll do the renewal on my own. Still, pretty easy and hardly any documentation. He did have the escritura and fidecomiso of our house as well as a JAPAY water bill.
Billie
My impression of late is getting an FM-3 has been pretty painless - I wonder where you are hearing other wise?
Jim and Mindy did have some hassles from losing their FM3's - they had to pay a $100.00 for each penalty and really had problems getting police reports and forms relating to the missing or stolen documents - otherwise I have been hearing no problema.
Juan
I am so glad you included this subject here. I have not applied for my FM-3 because I believed it would take forever. I couldn't find a block of time long enough to take care of the process.
Thanks for the info.
Juan, there are comments on the email chat groups in San Miguel that indicate that some people have problems. I'm never sure whether it is because there are problems in the Immigration Office or with the expat or with the person they "hire" to walk the paperwork. Ned is such a nice guy and he finds out what he needs and then he just does it so he never seems to have any problems.
Cynthia, You can get your FM-3 in Houston at the Mexican Consulate. Usually if you have all the paperwork, you can take it one day and pick it up the next day. Here it will take about two weeks to get it back. Your FM-3 needs to be activated when you enter Mexico after receiving it. If we remember correctly, you will need to register your address with the Immigration Office here. It is probably a good idea to get the FM-3 because we have heard that at the Fronteria they are not always giving out 180 day visas.
Hey, I grew up in San Miguel de Allende. I can even tell you that the picture bellow, the one in your previous post, is from La Placita.
Please, tell me about yourself.
I know exactly what you mean! It's like this new beauracratic Mexico is emerging. One without all the needless hassles and delays. Renewing our FM3s this year was a snap. And the personnel were actually friendly and smiley and everything! I even heard one speaking English to somebody! The nerve!
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