New Immigration Laws

Has anyone delt with Immigration since they reopened? Have they changed the financial requirements since reopening?

Hello all!

Well yesterday we were informed that people who have had their FM3 or FM2 for 4 or 5 years can now go to permanente without financials. Hope this policy lasts more than a few days or weeks!

Intercasa wrote:Hello all!

Well yesterday we were informed that people who have had their FM3 or FM2 for 4 or 5 years can now go to permanente without financials. Hope this policy lasts more than a few days or weeks!

Does that mean that people who have already renewed and have their new INM card can go to permanente? I renewed under the old rules, going from an FM 3 to FM 2, old designation, before the new rules came in on Nov. 9.

Well you can do it upon expiration, no need to rush in and lose your remaining months and also they are requiring people to do things upon expiration.

Intercasa wrote:Well you can do it upon expiration, no need to rush in and lose your remaining months and also they are requiring people to do things upon expiration.

I don't understand the advantage or disadvantage of permanente. Is it something I need if I'm moving out of country in 2 years?

Thanks, Spencer! That's good news. I figured this whole thing would resolve something like this.

We´ve held "Inmigrado" status since November, 2010 and are given to understand we will need to eventually go back to INM and swap our inmigrado cards for residente permanente cards. Since inmigrado cards don´t expire but are permanent residency visas, we´ve decided not to approach INM at least until March when, hopefully, things have settled down there. Have any of you with inmigrado status been in to see INM in Chapala or Guadalajara yet and, if so, what was your experience? Were financials or fees required?

What's the difference between "Inmigrado" and "Inmigrante"? I received my Inmigrante in Sept., 2012, and it expires in Sept., 2013.

Inmigrante is FM2, which currently reverts to residente temporal, inmigrado is equivalent to the new residente permanente.

[quote="Intercasa"]Inmigrante is FM2, which currently reverts to residente temporal, inmigrado is equivalent to the new residente permanente.[/quote]

Thanks for the brief explanation, Spencer. I hope that means that, as long as we carry the inmigrado cards which never expire (until we do) and have the documentation safely tucked away, we don´t have to go into INM and surrender the inmigrado card for the new residente permanente card. Once we walked out of INM in Guadalajara in November, 2010 with those inmigrado cards (when the Chapala office was temporarily closed having been kicked out of Chapala city hall) , we were overjoyed at the notion we would never have to set foot in any INM office anywhere in Mexico ever again. Now this complication for no reason I can discern except perhaps to charge us another fee when we thought this had been settled for life. Actually, our next move if everything goes well is to both apply for Mexican citizenship with SRE in Guadalajara.

We were here from July, 2001 on FM-3 visas we converted to FM-2 visas in 2005. The only reason we ever started with FM-3 rather than FM-2 was that 18 month in five year restriction to be out of Mexico and we thought at the time we would be spending our summers in France for months at a time and that never occurred because we had too many dogs and weren´t about to fly them over the Atlantic every year. In 2001, one could apply for FM-2 status immediately upon arrival in Mexico and begin the process of become "inmigrado" right then which then took five years at a minimum for normal immigrants to the country. If that out-of-the-country restriction is now removed, taking the path to permanent residency as soon as possible makes sense. Then you can own property and make commitments to your adopted land without fear of capricious government rule changes.

I don´t know this but it seems to me Mexico is trying, with the new rules, to weed out the non-serious extended time tourists formerly known as FM-3s from those genuinely wishing to immigrate to this beautiful place. If we were not already under "inmigrado" (permanent residency) status and owned property down here, we would be hauling ass to achieve the status of permanent residents and then, ASAP, citizenship because, folks, we don´t know what´s coming down the road but it´s about time Mexico categorized those who are down here for a tan, a margarita and to make a killing on real estate from those genuinely committed to the country. Once the kinks are worked out, permanent residency and even citizenship will become even more important than they are now and that is as it should be.

Intercasa wrote:Hello all!

Well yesterday we were informed that people who have had their FM3 or FM2 for 4 or 5 years can now go to permanente without financials. Hope this policy lasts more than a few days or weeks!

Spencer,
I'm worried about my Japanese made car. I've been an FM3 for more than 5 years. Is going permanente mandatory? What options do I have in order to legally keep my 2007 toyota?

Pete, I think the issue is capital gains tax....30%. Mexico computes capital gains by peso value(?), Even though my home purchase was made in $, when, and if I sell, I will lose $, but because the peso is around 13, it appears as a financial gain vs. $ loss.

We don´t know car rules yet, stay tuned but really getting rid of your Japanese car might be the lesser of the evils in the long run unless you plan to leave in the next few years but I have still seen no published rules from Aduana. For all of you like HD and anybody else, please go to a notary, pay 50 pesos and get a certified copy of your immigration document as if you lose it, there are huge hassles and costs to replace it. A certified copy is accepted as the original and the risks of carrying the original are not justified.

Do not keep it in your safe as the thieves will unbolt and steal your safe but wouldn´t normally look in a file to take a document they do not need.

Intercasa wrote:We don´t know car rules yet, stay tuned but really getting rid of your Japanese car might be the lesser of the evils in the long run unless you plan to leave in the next few years but I have still seen no published rules from Aduana. For all of you like HD and anybody else, please go to a notary, pay 50 pesos and get a certified copy of your immigration document as if you lose it, there are huge hassles and costs to replace it. A certified copy is accepted as the original and the risks of carrying the original are not justified.

Do not keep it in your safe as the thieves will unbolt and steal your safe but wouldn´t normally look in a file to take a document they do not need.

Get rid of my Japanese car. :( I love my car. What if I stay a non immigrado. Can I keep my car then?

[quote="Intercasa"]We don´t know car rules yet, stay tuned but really getting rid of your Japanese car might be the lesser of the evils in the long run unless you plan to leave in the next few years but I have still seen no published rules from Aduana. For all of you like HD and anybody else, please go to a notary, pay 50 pesos and get a certified copy of your immigration document as if you lose it, there are huge hassles and costs to replace it. A certified copy is accepted as the original and the risks of carrying the original are not justified.

Do not keep it in your safe as the thieves will unbolt and steal your safe but wouldn´t normally look in a file to take a document they do not need. [/quote]

Thank you Spencer for good advice. My darlin´ wife just crossed into Guatemala so Jesus is in charge there but this week I will find a notary to certify my card but, further, I must have my backúp documents certified as well as, according to INM, those are even more important and we were admonished to never lose them.

Well if you need to go permanent but don´t then you need to leave the country, thereby necessitating a trip to the border or letting FM2 or 3 expire and then having to qualify with income and pay fines and regularization fee.

I guess it all depends if your Japanese car is a 2000 Honda Civic or a 2011 Lexus.

adafromhavana:

Have you checked the VIN # to make sure it was manufactured in Japan?