Yet another posting about immigration rules...

[laconstance]

Doyle, this whole new immigration business depends on what your current situation is. Did your previous visas expire? Are you in M?xico on a tourist visa? Do you currently hold a "no inmigrante" visa, and for how many years? The new law made some things much easier and others trickier. Although the law was passed in April of 2011, it was not implemented until November 2012. The most important aspect of the new law is that you cannot change a tourist visa into a resident visa while you are in the country of M?xico. You have to apply BEFORE you cross the border. You can read the law (all 9 articles!) here:

2011 law

This website (in English) has the most accurate information (including financial requirements) I have yet seen for foreigners wanting to live in M?xico:

http://yucalandia.com/living-in-yucatan-...e-article/

I just received a "Residente Permanente" visa. Here's how it worked for me. in 2009, I received an FM-3, then renewed it each year, even as the designations were changed by the government. My most recent card read "no inmigrante." About 30 days before that visa was due to expire, I made a special trip to San Miguel de Allende to find out what I needed to do for the next renewal. The men at the counter looked at my visa (with its Pr?rroga 3 and confirmed that I could apply for the permanent resident visa. He gave me two sheets of paper, outlining all the requirements that I should bring with me. It is a two-step process ("Expedici?n de documento migratorio por autorizaci?n de condici?n de estancia" and "Cambio de condici?n de estancia de residente temporal a residente permanente") both involving serious money. He said that I could do both steps at the same time in their office. One of the steps involved filling out a form online in advance of your visit to apply. I was told to show up with all my papers and bank proof of payment of fees on the exact date my "no inmigrante" visa expires! Not one day earlier and not one day later -- on that EXACT date. So, I did, submitting all appropriate paperwork on that date, at which time I was told to come back in a week, exact day not required. So, I went back in about 9 days, signed a bunch of papers and had a full set of fingerprints made. I was told to come back in 3 -4 weeks. Because of the Easter holidays, I gave them 5 weeks, and just picked up my card this week.

Since my original FM-3 application in 2009, I have never had to prove income again, but then I have renewed the visa every year, never letting it expire.

I can't stress enough the importance of making a special trip to the Migraci?n office in which you intend to make your application, to get the current requirements directly from "the horse's mouth." Don't trust what you read online!

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Sorry, I didn't get that last link correct. Here it is:New law explanation