Congrats, Tracey, and good work! There are plenty of reasons why this shouldn't happen, but the reality is that it's the burden of the applicant to get it right, and the staff of the INM is just one resource among many to help the applicant get it right. I will let you in one a little secret- they're doing just that! As for T.J.'s and Tracey's rapid turnarounds, I think what INM, Cancun, has stopped doing is, 1) logging in the new cases,; then, 2) setting them aside for future review. It now seems they are reviewing them immediately and staging the "clean" applications for further processing, without delay. ________________________ At this rate, those piles and piles of files that used to be stacked around the INM office will be a thing of the past. Regarding waits in the office, there will still be some, but knowing which line you need to be in at each stage of the process can pay big dividends, and T.J. and others know exactly where they should head, each time.
Good points Scorpio. It could be that this is a great source of revenue for Mexico. Who knows? I noted on another thread that I paid my Fideicomiso fees to Scotiabank and I have not a clue in hell what they do for the money that we pay every year. The purpose of the Fideicomisio was to skirt the Constitution which prohibits foreign ownership of land with (I believe) 50 km of Mexico's border with another country or the navigable waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. So every man and his dog can own this type of property by simply forming a Mexican corporation or a Fideicomiso. To the best of my knowledge and belief, all the banks do is nothing but collect money, once the "trust" is established. Never have I been asked to sign an annual report or filing or anything. My only communication is the statement for giving them money. This is something that really needs reform. We all probably know people who use the name of a (hopefully trusted) Mexican citizen to own property. The old "presta nombre" that I would consider using myself. Cheaper than a Fideicomiso or a Mexican corporation for sure.
I just scanned my FM2 and noticed the Effective Date is October 6. Theoretically my application was approved as of this date, even though my surrendered FM3 ran thru the end of this month. Not bad and as V points out, it seems they simply go to work on them instead of letting them sit on a desk for God knows how long. It should be a tremendous reduction in their workload and a tremendous increase in processing them. I STILL THINK I HAVE THE WORLD RECORD, BUT IT THERE TO BE BROKEN. Next time I already have a strategy - that I am not sharing - for speeding it up even more. Good luck to all.
TJ: Im happy that INM is straightening up. Its about bloody time, is all I can say. V: Also, its up to the INM staff to provide the applicant with all the info that is needed, which they dont always do. The list seems to change depending on whom you speak to. Has happened 3 out of the 4 times Ive renewed my visa. Im also assuming that they have stopped asking for "mordidas", which is VERY welcomed. That made me drop my jaw the very first time I applied for an FM3, holy cr*p. (The funniest one was a lady that, in 2007, told me "Well, do you know how little they pay us??" Made me laugh out loud.) I also assume that the firing of some 15-20 workers these past 4.5 years have helped? Maybe the others finally got the message that you CAN get in trouble by acting like they did/do. IF anyone runs into a dead end, then a 15 min call to INM´s head office in DF is recommended. The dude(forgot his name) slams the hammer down, hard, especially if you manage to get the name of whomever is causing you trouble. Its a good resource, but hopefully it wont be needed for much longer. Im happy to see that Cancun is putting in a real effort to join the evolution. @Scorpio: I agree on the ridiculous process of the various visas. Instead of aiding one to integrate faster, it sometimes serves as roadblocks. The faster you can start working, the faster you will be paying taxes, buying products/services, and thus contributing to the local economy, right? Ps.Australia has a fairly simple process: 2 years to secure Permanent Residency, then a further 2 years to get Citizenship. Maybe Mexico will aim for something similar?
There are a few things I'd like to point out that help account for T.J.'s "good fortune." First, he is patient with the process, and the people he must deal with, recognizing that their life is not easy, and the workload heavy. Second, he makes a serious and successful effort to understand what the requirements are on his side, and he fulfills them in every detail. Finally, he deals with everything face to face, not through an agent, allowing him to know better what is happening with the case than if he were merely receiving reports about it from third parties. To those who may have had poor results when using lawyers to help them: Not all lawyers are as diligent and honest as Mauricio; it is a great Temptation to cover up their own lack of knowledge of the process, or lack of attentiveness to the requirements of a case, by misrepresenting to their client the real reasons for such things as delay, failure to achieve the desired results, etc. This can create large gaps in the applicant's understanding of what's really happening to their case and why Not all applicants are as sophisticated in their understanding of the process, and how to navigate it, as T.J. has become. He was not always a "do it yourselfer" but he is now, with the fine results he's reported on this forum for over a year. I feel for those who consistently fail to have good outcomes in this process; but if it happens repeatedly it's time to consider whether something about how you're going about it is not part of the problem- and I mean this in only the most helpful way
You are very benign V! It's good that you have so much patience, and so much free time to spend on the immigration runaround. It's a quality (being benign) that is admirable but at the same time it's kind of dismissive of the scores of bad reports we've seen here over the years of procedural crap that so many of us have to put up with. To suggest that somehow it is "our own fault" is kind of patronising. I haven't renewed since last December, so it's coming up soon. My last 3 have all involved different requirements despite applying for renewal of the very same class of 'Visa' (FM2). What was acceptable one year wasnt acceptable the next, and neither of the options of those previous two years was acceptable for the third. There were no changes in the law, just changes of opinion. Is that my fault? I think not. Years ago, in many countries you picked up a form from the Post Office, filled it in, enclosed a cheque, put a stamp on it and posted it. Three weeks later you had your document arrive through you letterbox. Nowadays those same countries you apply online, pay online by debit card and two weeks later you have your document arrive through your letterbox. Let's not pretend all is fine and dandy, because unless there have been huge changes in the last few months it isn't. It's still an unnecessary ballache whichever way you do it.
Without a doubt the process is a challenge pychologically given the crowds of people jammed into the small facilities INM has to work with. My wife simply can't tolerate it and asks me to go in her place. It's no better for those who must work there. And yes patience and time are required to deal with it- which may be in short supply. My comments suggesting a need to look inward may sound patronizing but were meant to be a gentle nudge to those who consistently encounter problems to consider accessing those of us who have a better handle on it for help. Just a review of the paperwork before it is submitted could make a big difference to some. And others would benefit from a clearer understanding of the processes and issues involved. I'm reminded of your delay last year which arose out of the different ways in which your name had been represented on various documents and accounts. I don't know if you actually registered the advice I offered on this forum for you to go personally to INM- which I felt would put an end to the question of identity in your case- but when you did do so the issue was removed and you got your documents. On this forum I recently offered concrete advice to two applicants who have experienced repeated frustrations in dealing with INM and even offered to meet with them. They chose not to take up the offer but are now facing more potential problems down the road as a result (owing to some peculiarities in the new law which have been mentioned repeatedly on this forum). TJ has also recently offered to informally assist A lot of things are not the way they should be in this world: getting indignant about it is fine- so long as we finally address the issue as it's presented in practice. ____________________ Commenting on your last renewal you wrote: On Jan 19 I wrote: On Jan 20 you wrote: On Jan 28 you wrote: I felt a personal appearance would reassure the INM staff of the identity of the applicant and it did _____________________
V: A "gentle nudge" should also be given to the workers at INM. The first time I renewed, they lost all my papers, the same afternoon as I applied. Good thing it happened right after I was handed my passport... So, they lost all my stuff, yet I was told that "you will be illegal in 9 days". I resubmitted everything, as nagging wont change the fact that all the papers were simply "gone". The thing that bugged me was that they refused to take ANY responsibility for losing my stuff. The best comment was from the main guy: "Maybe YOU entered our office and took the papers?" That was the first time in my life that I couldn't come up with an answer... I just turned around and walked out, called DF and 5 days later they apologized and I resubmitted everything. Then, 5 months later, I had my visa. Once when I didnt pay the mordida the lady asked for, she literally ripped my application and all my copies apart... That was the same lady that said "Do you know how little they pay us??" My friend that works in the US Consulate in Cancun, has told me about the complaints against INM here. Its a pile that would breach the roof and overflow their little office, haha. When I came to Cancun, the INM was pure and utter crap. Now its like walking into a office that has electricity and is NOT run by Neanderthals. I dont know if I want to imagine how it was before 2007. Last years renewal was ridiculous: I submitted it pretty much at the same time as TJ, yet had to wait some 9 months, even though I had ALL the stuff on THEIR list. Bad luck? I have no clue, but for me, INM have been all but good. For you, they have been all but bad, right? It takes two to tango - thus, "blaming" the applicant is not fair, especially when they comply with the list. The application isn't even accepted if the stuff is deemed incorrect. Personally, I think they lost my papers again(last year) and decided to stall, b*tch and whine about it, rather than getting to the point right away. That is, unfortunately, fairly common here, regardless the situation: People "walk around the plate of hot porrage"(a saying back home, haha) rather than tell it like it is. I get criticized for being "too straight froward". Im happy its changing for the better. Its about time! Friends in Veracruz, Baja, DF and other places have renewed(the ENTIRE process) in 1 week, since 2007. Cancun is putting in a real effort, which they need to do if they want to continue to be the #1 area for ex-pats, and attract foreign business. I submitted my stuff on the 6th of October. Will update once I get news. Ps. This was NOT meant as a "Im right, your wrong" thing. Just wanted to share some of the experiences that people go through. The new visa is more like Australia, NZ, Canada and such. A GREAT step by the Mexican government, that I applaud.
Sorry V, I have to agree with Rawkus and Steve here. Back when I used to renew my visa on my own (I use a company lawyer now), I remember checking the requirements online. When I brought it what they asked for on the website, there would always be some documents they said weren't necessary and others that were missing that they never even asked for. I soon learned to go in beforehand, making an extra trip to pick up a sheet with the list of requirements on it from the information desk. Things would go better for me, but there would always still be 1 or 2 documents missing, despite my best efforts to figure out what they wanted from me. When I first got here, I went to INM to turn in my documents to register my address (a requirement for anyone on an FM3). I was told at the office that I wasn't supposed to register my address, so I didn't. Two years later, I got fined $2000 for never having registered my address. Everyone here knows that at INM, if you ask the same question to 20 different people, you'll get 20 different answers. I agree I'm responsible for knowing what documents to bring in... but how can I fulfill that responsibility if I have no place to get that information?
