As y'all know, I am fairly new to this forum. But one thing I have noticed, is that a lot of you are trying to get citizenship, instead of just opting for the immigrado status, where you can work without permission, and essentially do anything a Mexican citizen can (except vote I guess). I have been a member of several Mexican forums, and yet on none of them, is this push to be naturalized, as there is here. Is there something I'm missing? I took (very) early retirement from the US, and plan to live here (eventually in Cancun) until I die. I might want to work as a fishing guide on a limited basis before I'm too old, but never had plans of going further than immigrado status. BTW.....Do you have to have an FM-2 for 5 years, before you can apply for immigrado status???
Yes, you have to hold an FM2 Inmigrante for 5 years before you become Inmigrado. There are limits to how much time you can remain outside of Mexico when you are FM-2 Inmigrado. But if you are a Mexican Citizen the limits are much lower, you have more freedom. With FM-2 Inmigrado you still can't own property within 50km of the coast. As a citizen you can. But the answer to your question probably has something to do with INM being much worse to deal with here than in other parts of Mexico. Lots of people here just get completely fed up and look towards Citizenship as a way out of ever dealing with INM ever again. Also being a citizen of multiple countries is nothing but good, from all people say about it.
Ok, but I thought as an Inmigrado, you no longer had to renew a visa every year....It was like the US's green card. And as for owning land, are you sure about that??? (I guess you are ) But I thought one had to be mexican-born or marry a Mexican to avoid the fideocomiso.
You are correct, once you reach that stage 2 of your FM-2, with Inmigrado status, you no longer have to renew with INM each year. The FM-2 Inmigrante costs more each year in fees than the FM-3 does though...so you pay more for a while then you stop paying anything. Unless I've had a major brain fart you can own property as a foreign-born naturalized Mexican citizen. But with an FM-2 Inmigrado you still have to have a fideicomiso trust. People married to Mexicans avoid the fideicomiso by putting the property in their spouse's name, that's all. It's not always smart, if the relationship is in danger, but it saves gobs of money. My husband is Mexican and if he croaks his Will forces fideicomiso trusts to be set up for our properties so that I can inherit them.
I always intended to get citizenship up until the point where they changed the rules last year (no longer allowing FM3 holders to apply and bringing in this ridiculous test) just after I became eligible to apply. Some of it was about being a true part of the country I'd chosen to live in, and some of it to avoid the annual trouble and expense of renewing my visa. Now I'm unlikely to bother and will aim for FM2 Inmigrado. I guess I'll see how I feel at the time when I become eligible for citizenship again, if we are still here.
I think there are several statuses here. 1) FM3, visitante no immigrante, wanting it or not, you have to start that way, and you need to renew it 4 times before going next step. You have no right but smile when they are so moody to renew it. 2) FM2, visitante immigrante, you need to renew it every year, but you can have the job you want to do (not being one a Mexican can do) written on the document, harder hassle for them. 3) Immigrado, you can do (almost) whatever you want, but to get this level, it has taken you 10 years, while the INM may decide they kick you out of the country. I am talking about someone who is not married to a Mexican or with Mexican children, I am not familiar with this situation. So the best option imo, which I took and I feel happy every time I read this board and come back here, is ask for citizenship. I can buy property, vote (although I find difficult to give MY opinion, not knowing deeply what is going on), do the job I feel like doing that day etc... And NOT going anymore to INM. Forgot to say, you can ask for citizenship after 5 years living in the country
I also think you can apply for an FM-2 after 1 year of having an FM-3...at least in some areas. I'll bet Cancun makes you take all 5 years, though.
I got an FM-2 after having an FM-3 for 4 years only. But they almost didn't give it to me. The main decision maker in the centro INM office doesn't like to do it that way, he wants you to have an FM-3 for 5 years. But another INM official (of equal rank to him) had told me she would approve it, so I was able to get it. She is no longer working there...
Actually it is 4 renewals. I have been lucky with them :lol: I got my first one from Toronto (nasty guy!) for only 2 months :roll: . Then I got a job here for 6 months, I got the first renewal for those 6 months, so I gained more than a year! Then a year for the following ones as a retired. But it was long ago... I have no idea if other parts of Mexico are on different laws. They shouldn't.
