It seems as though there is a change almost every day when it comes to Mexican immigration and Mexican Residency visas these days.
It's to be expected when there is a massive leadership change internally, and as systems in Mexico's immigration (INM) get updated and improved.
But what does this mean for you? And why should you care?
Well, because more than ever you are going to need to practice your paciencia (patience) and more than ever, I would recommend hiring a local immigration expert- a reputable immigration facilitator.
You see, the immigration processes like Canje, family unity, renewals, and changes from temporary to permanent residency have the same high level requirements at a national level. However, there can be nuances and individual requirements at each office that vary.
For example, some immigration offices now require you to bring bank statements to your renewals of a temporary residency. Some offices will not renew your temporary residency for more than a year if you cannot prove you live in Mexico. Some immigration offices will interview both a husband and wife separately when doing family unity visas. And some immigration offices will send your documents to Mexico City to verify their authenticity- which can delay the process by weeks.
This is in part due to a lot of fake marriage certificates being discovered by several applicants in the last couple of weeks. And partly do to new leadership making changes.
And because these don't get posted anywhere (as is the case with Mexican Consulates) then a local expert is the one that can give you their insight into what they know locally and help you prepare. That way you can avoid some level of frustration and possible surprises.
Remember, that many immigration facilitators are at INM every day. And sometimes, they learn about specific changes with that office that could affect things like your travel, your lodging, or your plans. So, please be flexible.
Please also keep in mind that not all facilitators are created equally. There are some excellent experts, and there are some that might be shady and don't know what they are doing. And who pays the price of having a not so great facilitator? Well... I think you know the answer. So, do your due diligence.
*If you'd like access to our directory of vetted immigration facilitators across Mexico, we have done the research for you and you get instant access when you buy the COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide.*
It's also important to remember that obtaining your residency card same day for a process like renewal, canje, family unity is not a guarantee. Many offices, do process them same day. But it is never a guarantee.
So please be flexible in your travel plans if you are coming to Mexico and not staying after obtaining your card.
And finally, one very important tip. We highly recommend getting all of your foreign documents apostilled before coming to Mexico. Documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates, adoption documents, etc... could be needed at immigration.
And immigration in Mexico will only take them if they are "apostilled" and translated into Spanish by a local certified translator in that state. An apostille certificate confirms that the signature or seal on your documents is genuine, valid, and recognized.
Apostilles do not expire and can take a day and up to several weeks to process. And in some cases, Mexican Consulates may require certain documents to be apostilled. So please plan ahead. In the US- For state-issued documents (like birth, death, marriage, divorce records, notarized affidavits, diplomas, etc.):
👉 You get the apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where the document was issued.
If you are in Canada- Process for Apostille can be seen here.
If you are a tourist coming to Mexico, please also consider that there is no guarantee you will be given a 180 days permit to travel through Mexico. Mexican immigration has been issuing FMM permits for 7 days, 30 days, 50 days, etc.
Especially those who do not have return tickets, or proof of long term lodging.
And it makes sense... after all immigration can sense who is living here on a tourist permit and who is truly just traveling through.
So please follow the rules/law. And I will reiterate what I said last week- be careful with the so called "experts" advising you to just overstay your tourist permit. (terrible advice)
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