My wife has completed the process of obtaining the non immigrant visa, FM3 "Visitante Rentista". The process involved a total of five trips to immigration, if we count the visit to obtain the forms for the application. At each stage, the staff was helpful (within the limitations of their English and our Spanish) and not unpleasant, if not overly solicitous. First, we presented the application (no appointment required), together with the required proof of financial self-sufficiency which, in our case, was money in the bank in the U.S., as neither of us was receiving a pension, at the time. We attached the last three month's bank statements, along with official translations of them into Spanish. (The required attachments to the application are detailed in the forms provided, and includes a receipt for payment to any local bank of the sum of 491 pesos.) We were told that the application appeared to be complete, with all the required items present, and to return in five days. Five days later, we again went to immigration where we were told the application had been approved. We were then given a specific date and time, about five weeks later, to complete the next step. But, we had a problem with the date they gave us (we were planning to fly to the U.S.). When we told the staff about it they changed the appointment time to a nearer date so we could get the FM3 before our trip. At our appointment, we presented proof that we'd paid the fees for the FM3, 1291 pesos, and presented the required black and white passport photos, front and side view. (The initial fee, 491 pesos, was charged to review the application; the subsequent fee is charged for the issuance of the FM3, once it's approved.) They reviewed with my wife the details that were to go on the FM3, filling it out in her presence; then, told us to come back in one week to collect the officially signed and sealed FM3, with photo inserted. One week later, it was ready, as promised. We reviewed the new FM3, immediately, before leaving the office, and found it contained an error in the personal data. We called the error to the staff's attention, and they corrected it while we waited. This took about ten minutes. We paid only the official fees, as posted in the office, and no employee hinted that extra money would be required, or helpful, at any stage of the process. The total cost for obtaining the FM3, Visitante Rentista, including the required translations, copies and photos, was about 2,500 pesos.
I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a similar result at all. I have been doing my own FM3 since I arrived here in 1987, I have never had any problems with the exception of one time when I counted on a Notario to take care of my FM3 when I was President of a ONG....He screwed up and I payed a fine I have never been asked for a bribe and only have paid oficial fees with the exception of the fine.
