I have a question for you all. I have a valid FM3 (Soon to expire). I have been here for 6 years. I plan on getting married to a Mexican woman soon. I am sorta' self employed (I tutor students privatley in English) Now here is my question: Can I get an FM2 and be self employed? Should I just keep my FM3 and if so how can I do that without a valid employer? I am 49 years old and have been turned down for jobs because of it, or because I am a male (No discrimnation laws here, ha ha) Can I get a sponsor to keep my status? Ideas and opinions appreciated.
Brian, I would suggest that you get a FM2, as a rentista (probably what you are now). First it is now the mandatory path to get your naturalizacion, and it is much more difficult to kick you out of the country. I am talking about a few years back, but they put on the visa what jobs I was allowed to, so you are not stuck to one (or none), well.... I found that the day I got it I could breathe more easily. You status here is more stable. Of course, you can't import a car with a FM2, but honestly, I compared the prices, and once all included it was cheaper to buy it here. And there is no warranty if you buy in the US. Just my opinion...
Thanks Jen, Now another question is how much is an FM2 and should I hire a Lawyer to dit (I hate sitting in Migracion for hours on end)? Rivergirl were are you?
I'm going to recommend (as many others have on here) the services of a lawyer, Maurico Mendoza. His contact info is on the "Local Services" thread at the top of this forum. I didn't have to set one foot in INM and my renewal was painless.
visa I am self-employed and currently have the FM3. Next year, I plan to switch to FM2. Mauricio Mendoza is my immigration lawyer and he told me I can get an FM2 when I renew my visa next year. So, even though this doesn't directly answer your question, I am going to say that it must be possible to be self-employed with a FM2 or Mauricio wouldn't have told me I could get it. Just contact Mauricio. He'll have all the answers. By the way, I had to go through an ordeal to the proper permission from immigration to work as a freelance photographer here. Be prepared for that hassle...with or without a lawyer.
Thanx Susan, I am hoping beign married to a Mexican that works for the Gov. will help. whenever it comes to Migracion I expect a pain in the ass.
Sorry folks - I'm still pretty sick so I'm not living on the forum the way I normally would. You can be self-employed and have either an FM2 or and FM3. In order to get permission to work for yourself from INM you might have to set up an Mexican company, not sure on this but I know several FM3 holders who have done it this way. FM2 costs around $2500 MXP per year to renew. It means you can't have a US car. And it means you can't be out of the country as many days as you can with an FM3. People who live here only part of the year get stuck in FM3s for this reason. There are two types of FM2s. The first one you get is Inmigrante. With it you still need specific permission to work where you work. After 5 years with an Inmigrante FM2 you can choose to apply for an Inmigrado FM2. And Inmigrado FM2 is like permanent residency. It gives you permission to work ANYWHERE and you don't need to report to INM when you change jobs (I don't think). It also means you don't have to keep renewing each year, you get this status and it's permanent. With the 2 types of FM2 you have different limits to how much time you can spend outside the country. Inmigrante lets you spend more time away than Inmigrado. You lose your FM2 if you spend too much time outside. Mauricio Mendoza is a former sub-delegado who worked in the downtown office (he was the boss). He worked there for 6 years, he now does paperwork processing for immigrants. His wife is still an INM agent. He knows exactly what they will approve and he understands how they are interpreting the law currently. He's well connected. He is conservative in the advice he gives, if he says it will work it works. I highly recommend him. If you are married to a Mexican your immigration status is more secure. You can basically screw up royally with INM and they will not kick you out, they will just ask you to fix your status. If you are the parent of a Mexican child your status is less secure, but they still give you some benefit of the doubt if you mess up. If you are just a working stiff here without legal ties to a Mexican citizen then you are at their mercy if you mess up. Bottom line is that Mexican immigration is no fun, so don't mess up! And if you intend to get married, do it, it will make things smoother with INM at every turn.
Ahh there she is!!! well dear at my age and given phyisical status as well as hers, kids are out of the question. I contacted the lawyer and am waiting a response. Thank you, again, for your wisdom and expierence.
Ahem! You will probably still receive a dreaded letter, headed 'SE PONE MULTA' and have 10x minimum wage PER DAY levied as a fine. I was 2 days late getting my second annual renewal on my FM2 (my fault for letting it get too close) and had to pay MN$900 as a fine - for TWO DAYS!! Que ladrones, ja!?
