ATTITUDE The total volume of work, and individual pieces of paper, processed through INM, Cancun, is truly enormous. Keeping this flow going smoothly through the system so as to avoid a hugh "pile-up," and resulting backlog, is no easy task; yet, they seem to manage to do it. There being so many cases of a routine nature to process, and a number which are not so easy to evaluate and process, they cannot afford to do what is sometimes suggested, "to cause trouble," even if they are, individually, tempted to do so by a particularly annoying or demanding applicant for a visa. I've found, in most areas of life, it pays to try to understand things from the other person's point of view; and, when dealing with a big bureaucracy (anybody else have trouble spelling that word? I always have), to "have all my ducks in a row", making their job as easy as possible, and giving them the least reason to need to take time to deal with omissions or errors in what I've submitted. My wife's application, for a V. Rentista, was legally much simpler, and required far less paperwork than mine did, so we didn't bother to seek legal counsel; but, with my application for a V. Professional, and permission to work "en forma independiente," it was important that it be as well prepared as possible. For this reason, I met twice, before submitting it, with legal counsel, Mauricio Mendoza, who has been mentioned earlier on this thread. One other thing I've found useful through the years in dealing with any bureaucracy is think the best of other people: try to believe, and act on the belief, that they are well intentioned toward you and wish to do well by you, and others. Take INM, for example: it will not help you get through the process, personally, nor help speed your paperwork through the process, to imagine that they are, beneath a smiling exterior, evil/corrupt/dishonest/malevolent, or any number of other negative things you could think about them. Instead, try to imagine they are people like you- but with a more boring job- who get up in the morning wishing for nothing more than to get through their day with a minimum of hassles, and to get back home to their families. The last thing I'd like to say is that, when communicating with those who work in an office like this, should you hear something that sounds somewhat "negative" to you, don't assume you've understood, perfectly, what they've said, and it's implications for you. It's better to remain calm, take time to listen further, and ask a mild question or two, to clarify. You may find you've simply misunderstood them. And, if what you've heard is something like, "come back in a week," assume it is for good reason, known only to them, that they have said so- smile and accept it. Following my own advice as to how to approach this task, both mine and my wife's visa applications took less than 30 days, start to finish.
We met Mauricio there yesterday. We had to appear in person because we had used up our 5 pages and needed new booklets, which meant new fingerprints and photos. This was the first time we had gone down there in 4 years, and while it's the same poorly lit, dingy and overcrowded physucal plant, with the waiting area hard pressed up against the toilet doors, albeit with functioning air-conditioning, the attitudinal differences among the staff were apparent. We were called within 6 minutes of our appointed time even though the place was overflowing (as usual). My wife and I were interviewed brought behind the counter, fingerprinted by two agents at adjacent desks, who consulted with each other to make sure common information was entered identically. Although we spoke Spanish with them, they were comfortable with English, and we had a fun dialog, with some jokes and Ida comparisons. All in all a 15 minute exercise. In all, it seemed as people were less harried, happier and more willing to be helpful and cooperative. Big change. This was in stark contrast to 4 years ago, when it was visit after visit, endless hours on line in front of grim faced, truculent agents who seemed to change the rules on each subsequent visit, demanding a modification in a preroga, come back next week and then another agent saying the modification made to one of the 3 or 4 prerogas was wrong, come back again next week. After all that BS, Mauricio was a godsend (thanks RG). And the place was not airconditioned, so the effluvia from the very proximal toilets was even more intimately bound to the overall sweaty atmosphere. We will pick up our FM3s from Mauricio 15 days after we signed the applications at his office. Bravo Mauricio. Meanwhile, one has to wonder why this grim concrete shack continues to be the face of the Mexican government that immigrants have to face. They've obviously done something to improve the attitudes of the agents. Now it's time to give them a decent place to work in, with adequate space, cooling and light, clean and distant rest rooms, a comfortable waiting area large enough to handle the average daily flow and adequate employee and client parking. As my Mexican friends say, ojala!
To keep up my record of never having an easy time with immigration, I've now been waiting more than two months for permission to change jobs. My FM2 had been approved in May, so this is my second run around with them this year. My new employer is taking care of the process instead of Mauricio (I practically begged them to let Mauricio do it, but they said they had their own people). I'm beyond frustrated. If I don't see some action this week, I am going to insist that Mauricio take over the process.
Cancuncanuck, sounds to me like a problem with the employer, rather than with INM, in all likelihood. With the matter in third party hands, rather than in yours or your attorney's, you can never be sure what the real problem is.... I won't speculate, beyond what I already have. I just wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the trouble lies with INM, in circumstances like these. There are too many ways an employer can screw it up, even if they are well intentioned. I have known situations in which people made some mistakes in the way they handled something, up to a point- such as an employer- suggest that others may be to blame for problems that have arisen. I've also seen cases in which people have said they've done something- like file an application on behalf of an employee- when they haven't yet, quite gotten around to it, but don't want to admit it; or, having filed it well after they said they had, resulting in "delay," not want to admit that, either.
The current boss in the centro office is pretty good. He's taking suggestions (they never do that) and he keeps his door open so people can drop in and talk to him without appts (they never do that either). Oh, and people like him. Expect this state of contentment to last about 15 minutes. Seriously though, that place goes through a new big boss about every 6 months. So nothing lasts long and it's tough to make long term positive changes. Mauricio is worth his weight in gold.
CASE FLOW AT INM, CANCUN Sorry this is happening to you, Cancuncanuck. Just proves, even the most consistently positive poster can sometimes get a little discouraged by what, or what not, is happening with their visa process. (See previous page, this thread, for details.) ________________ Some of you who read this thread may have wondered why I should suppose the problem might be with the employer: one of the reasons is that the INM seems to give themselves just one calendar week to do a "turn around" on an application for an FM3. If you drop your papers in on a Tuesday, for example, they will tell you to come back on the Tuesday following, at which time you will find out one of three things, in all probability, as follows: a) the application has been approved; b) they will require further documentation or clarification; or, c) the application has been denied, outright. If, upon your return, at the end of the one week period, you are given an exact day and time to return to the office, you will know your application's been approved. At your next visit, you will see your new FM3, for the first time, though it will not yet be ready for you to take home with you: that will require one more visit. If, on the other hand, you are presented a very official looking letter, it will, in all probability, contain a request for further documentation; or, announce their decision to deny the application. In both my wife's case, applying for a V. Rentista (a rather simple case for Immigration to deal with); and, in my case, applying for a V. Profesional, with permission to work independently (presenting them with a rather more challenging matter to process), INM gave themselves just one week in which to act on the application. We knew, in both cases, at the end of the first calendar week following submission, that our visa applications had been approved (though before I got that word, on mine, I had to bring in more documentation: since I did that, the same day, I also learned, the same day, that the lawyer for INM had approved my application). As I said earlier, the volume of paper that flows through that office requires that they have systems and procedures in place which guarantee that the cases move through the system expeditiously. This first interval, of one week which they give themselves, helps insure that things do not descend into chaos around there by having too many cases backing up in the system.
Just got word from Mauricio Mendoza that my FM2 renewal has been approved. This is the first time since the original FM3 that a renewal has been approved and done before the active document expired! And that's seven times at bat, one hit! Truth is migracion got it a week late, giving them only three weeks to do it, my fault. Thank you Mauricio.
A FEW OBSERVATIONS Those things I've written about, so far, have been largely based on my reading of Mexican Immigration Law, my first hand observations and experiences of dealing with INM, and what I've been told by Mexican Immigration Lawyers. As I pointed out earlier, unless you're dealing with it personally, or you have a reliable, honest Mexican attorney handling it for you, as Isla Zina did, you may not be in a position to know what's actually happening in connection with a matter that concerns you, before the INM. __________________ SOME ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS If you hold an FM2/3, you must be aware of the expiration date, and plan your travel- as your document nears its expiration date- with care. The first thing that happens when you apply for an FM2/3, is that INM takes your FMT away from you. (The FMT is the entry card you got when you went through passport control: it allows you to enter, remain for the period stated, and exit, one time.) Without it, you cannot travel out of Mexico. (If you are applying for renewal of an existing FM2/3, it is my impression that they take this document away from you, as well. Those who've had some first hand experience with this may be able to shed some light on this last point.) That being the case, you must think carefully about the timing, when filing an application for an FM2/3, requesting a renewal, changing employers, or requesting any other change in your immigration status, because you can never be confident exactly how long it will be before you get it and are again free to travel. There is a way to manage the problem, though, if you are waiting to receive an FM2/3, and find you have a need to leave the country, according to what I've been told. The INM will, upon your request, give you a document which will allow you to exit and re-enter, one time. I would like to suggest that asking for this document, rather than waiting to get the FM2/3, when you have an urgent need to travel, is the only safe option. I would personally trust no one who says, "Don't worry, it will only be a few more days before you get the FM2/3". Why suffer the agony of waiting, and possible disruption to your plans that waiting would entail should your wait prove to be in vain, when it is unnecessary. The second observation is that you should treat the subject of renewal of an FM2/3 with the same degree of seriousness as you did the original application. The reason for this is that the issues for INM, in regard to renewal, are the same issues they faced when issuing your document, originally; and, it is your burden, once again, to convince them you're entitled to the immigration status you are requesting. Be prepared in your request for renewal to offer just as convincing a package of materials as you did, initially. The third observation, more speculation than observation on my part, is that it may work better, when coming up for renewal, to give INM less time to deal with it, rather than more. As I haven't faced the issue, and won't for almost a year, I'm speculating. Knowing only what I know now, I'd be tempted to submit my request for renewal just ten days before the expiry date- bearing in mind that, anytime you submit documents and request a decision from INM, you will not be free to travel, without taking the action I mentioned in the fourth paragraph of this post. (There may be other posters who, having had some first hand experience with renewals, can add something that would change my mind on this "third observation.") Finally, keep yourself fully aware of the expiry date of your passport, upon which everything depends. Let it get anywhere near its expiration date (less than one year of validity left), and you may begin to encounter problems when you try to get an FM2/3, or have an FM2/3 renewed. Don't let it happen to you.
