Any new wrinkles to this process? I'm planning to file one with the INM on Monday. Under the former regime if you wanted it for Friday you had to file it on the Monday before; if on Monday, you had to file it on the Tuesday before, etc. Any change to that routine? What experience has anyone had with this recently? We've done it a number of times and never ran into anything other than the usual inconveniences but you never know....
Must one request permission to leave once they have attained permanent residence or is this for your wife who you mentioned is now in the 'process'? I don't mean to be nosy, I just want to know if one can come and go as often and for as long as they please with permanent residence status as opposed to the limitations on exiting that were attached to the FM2. TIA
You guessed right, Mole, this one is for my wife, whose application for perm resident was just filed a week ago and she must travel a week from Monday. As for your other question, one of the great things about perm residency is you can leave Mexico for as long as you like without jeopordizing the status: it is, in this sense, truly permanent! (This contrasts with U.S. Permanent Residency which requires that you return to the U.S. every six months, or risk a loss of the status.)
Mole, if you read anything to the contrary, please call it to my attention, and we'll check it out together! As always, I welcome any corrections of my opinions on the law, if supported by an authoritative source; for example, a quote from the Immigration Law or Rules. This is how we refine our knowledge and understanding of things: being right is the goal, being wrong opens up the possibility for correction. There is so much misinformation which is bandied about on this subject, and others, relating to Mexican Law that I'm careful about sources and prefer, when possible, to look at the law itself as the best guide. You were right about the limitation of time out of the country on FM2 (30%, maximum, if enforced), but I've not seen such a limitation on Permanent Residency in the law.
No change to the routine that I could see. They told me it would be ready on Friday, AM. I did get to test what happens if you are not in the building by 1 PM. At that time, there were still perhaps twenty people in line. ALL were admitted, little by little, until everyone who was in the line at 1 PM had gotten in. I did encounter a slight hiccup, though. After I got a turn number, I got a form to go pay the official fees. When I returned, the guard didn't want to let me in. I should have asked him for permission to leave and return and all would have been well; but, there was a tense moment for me until one of the INM officials said it was OK. WAIT TIME: I got in the line outside at 12:10; I finally made it in at 1 PM; a ten minute wait inside got me the turn number. After paying at the bank, I waited an additional ten minutes and that was that. Not fast for sure, 1.5 hours, start to finish. T.J. was also there, but I'll let him tell you that story!
Final step We went today to pick up the permiso. We arrived at 8:30 AM. It took forty minutes to get in the building, and an additional hour of waiting to get the document. There were no problems encountered of any kind, other than the long wait. For those who may still be doing things like this themselves please be aware that there are different colored cards they give you to mark your turn: each color represents a different process, so it is important to know where you should wait once you have your number. Ask, at the time you're given your number, where you should wait. The place to wait, and the place where the operation of presenting the permiso had changed: it is now in the same region where you appear for fingerprinting (for those familiar with the layout), and just to the left of the two ladies assigned to answer questions, give out turns, and give out information and forms.
Mole, The permission to leave and enter is what is needed for anyone who wants to leave from and return to Mexico while they have an application pending to renew, obtain a new permit, or change from one status to another. In Mrs. V's case, her change of status application is to PR, and she is required to turn in her FM3, (No Inmigrante) card when her app is submitted. Since her app is still pending, she needs "permission" to leave and re-enter. No matter what kind of app you are doing, you have to turn in your FM whatever or tourist card to start the process. I understand from talking to V and reading his posts that under the Nov, 2012 (new) law, tourists can no longer enter Mexico and apply for a permit to live in Mexico. They must do this from outside of Mexico and cannot enter until they have been approved. Permanant Residents should never need this permit after they obtain their PR status, since there are no renewals required, hence the Permanent designation. That said, PR's still need to fill out the same form as FM2, FM3 and Tourists. Tourists fill it out when they enter, and turn in the other half of the form when they leave. So having a PR status does not get you out of filling out this form when you leave. Mexican citizens have to fill out a totally different form when they leave Mexico and they do so at the ticket counter. FM2, FM3 and PR holders fill it out at INM prior to checking in at the ticket counter (for air traveler obviously). They receive the other half of the card as do the tourists and turn the bottom half in when checking in. INM recently changed this form. You will remember the most recent one having a left side and a right side and is in either Spanish or English but not both. The new one has a top and bottom and in Spanish and English on the same form.
