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Waiting for your visa card to be delivered to our local INM office in Chapala?


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A friend of mine wrote me the following:

I went in to immigrations today and heard the woman at the desk twice telling people who came in to ask about their visas to keep coming by to check in frequently. She said that they aren’t putting any notices up online when the visa is approved, so it’s on your plate to keep coming around to find out if it has been approved and you can pick up your card.

I talked further to the lawyer that I’m working through and she confirmed that they aren’t putting up notices for actual approval online which they did before. They do post when they want you to come down for fingerprinting but not when the cards come in and are ready to pick up. She said that she has to go down and check frequently on all the ones she is responsible for until they are ready to pick up.

If you’re doing the process on your own that means you have to keep checking. It’s a hassle but if you’re waiting for notification online, it won’t come.

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A friend of mine wrote me the following:

I went in to immigrations today and heard the woman at the desk twice telling people who came in to ask about their visas to keep coming by to check in frequently. She said that they aren’t putting any notices up online when the visa is approved, so it’s on your plate to keep coming around to find out if it has been approved and you can pick up your card.

I talked further to the lawyer that I’m working through and she confirmed that they aren’t putting up notices for actual approval online which they did before. They do post when they want you to come down for fingerprinting but not when the cards come in and are ready to pick up. She said that she has to go down and check frequently on all the ones she is responsible for until they are ready to pick up.

If you’re doing the process on your own that means you have to keep checking. It’s a hassle but if you’re waiting for notification online, it won’t come.

Not doubting what your friend heard or told you but I was at INM in the morning of Feb 26th (2 days ago) to hand in my application for a renewal of my FM-3 (or whatever it's called now). The male behind the desk gave me a notice with my number and the web address to check and told me to look online in 15 days.

Time will tell I guess....

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RE: "Not doubting what your friend heard or told you..."

Oatsie, have you done your fingerprinting yet?

When I submitted my application, a few days later there was a notice posted on my INM web account asking me to come into the office ("Presentarse en una oficina del INM").

They then took my fingerprints and photos, and said it would be about a month (I think) before the card would be sent from Mexico City to the local office. So, yes, if you haven't done your fingerprinting, there will be a notice posted on your INM web account requesting you to come in. Probably in just a few days.

But after the fingerprinting (which is the situation I'm addressing here -- waiting for your card to arrive), from what I gather, don't expect another notice (unfortunately).

My fingerprinting was done over two months ago. A month ago there was a new entry on my account "Un pago ha sido registrado". So I figured they're still working on it. But there haven't been any new entries in my account since then, so it's been a month without further notification. I check the website twice a week.

After my friend wrote me the above information today, I figure I'd better go down there and ask in person. And I thought to share this information with our blog community here, if it would be helpful.

As you said, time will tell...

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Not doubting what your friend heard or told you but I was at INM in the morning of Feb 26th (2 days ago) to hand in my application for a renewal of my FM-3 (or whatever it's called now). The male behind the desk gave me a notice with my number and the web address to check and told me to look online in 15 days.

Time will tell I guess....

The notice online after you apply is to come back in and be fingerprinted. Then it is sent to MX City.

I was told by a facilitator that for a Temporal, when you are fingerprinted it has been approved. It is then sent to MX City to be made and you are not given a notice when it is sent back to the local office.

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The old system had only a single notification. You got a notice to come in, got fingerprinted, and they produced your card there and then. The new system is the same except all the cards are made in Mexico city. That's another step that the Internet site is not yet set up to track. I am sure they will fix that, eventually.

What I was told is to check in one month or so after fingerprinting. Just walk up to the desk and ask for the list, you can check if your card has arrived.

Pete

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The old system had only a single notification. You got a notice to come in, got fingerprinted, and they produced your card there and then. The new system is the same except all the cards are made in Mexico city. That's another step that the Internet site is not yet set up to track. I am sure they will fix that, eventually.

What I was told is to check in one month or so after fingerprinting. Just walk up to the desk and ask for the list, you can check if your card has arrived.

Pete

Thank you, Pete! I'll do that.

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Does anyone know how long they would keep the card at the Chapala office? If I am away and go after two months to pick it up, would it still be there waiting for me? I will still be in Mexico, so would not need the card immediately.

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I am not feeling secure about them notifyiong me for fingerprinting for temporal either, so just in case of a glitch, i go in there and check for that as well. Well, I haven't been fingerprinted yet for temporal, so I would guess i won't have my visa by the time I want to travel last week in March.

If this isn't too far off subject can someone tell me the price of the permiso for travel and whetehr it is better to do it directly at the airport, or to have in hand from INM Chapala, the three day deal.

Thanks.

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The old system had only a single notification. You got a notice to come in, got fingerprinted, and they produced your card there and then. The new system is the same except all the cards are made in Mexico city. That's another step that the Internet site is not yet set up to track. I am sure they will fix that, eventually.

What I was told is to check in one month or so after fingerprinting. Just walk up to the desk and ask for the list, you can check if your card has arrived.

Pete

Are you saying that you can check with the Chapala office to see if your card has arrived in Guad from Mexico City?

That would be great if I am understanding correctly.

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No, I think if you applied in Guad, you need to check the list in Guad. If you applied in Chapala, you check the list there.

Virgogirl: we applied for a one year Temporal renewal in February. One week later, we got the message to present ourselves for fingerprinting. But you may well need that letter in order to travel. Better ask in Chapala about that.

Pete

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Virgogirl: I'm passing this on to you second-hand:

I wouldn’t take the chance on waiting till you get to the airport. There are too many potential glitches that can arise. Someone came in while I was at Immo in Chapala, and had been there the day before to get this permission to travel. They had asked the man at the desk and had gotten the form, but when they brought it in they were told that he’d given them the wrong form. Seems there may be several forms: for temporary residents, and permanent. So it might pay to double check that what they give you is the right form.

They didn’t tell him in advance either that he needed two photocopies of his passport so he had to go get photocopies in addition to redoing all the forms. The price is 400 pesos. Just FYI.

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Virgogirl: I'm passing this on to you second-hand:

I wouldn’t take the chance on waiting till you get to the airport. There are too many potential glitches that can arise. Someone came in while I was at Immo in Chapala, and had been there the day before to get this permission to travel. They had asked the man at the desk and had gotten the form, but when they brought it in they were told that he’d given them the wrong form. Seems there may be several forms: for temporary residents, and permanent. So it might pay to double check that what they give you is the right form.

They didn’t tell him in advance either that he needed two photocopies of his passport so he had to go get photocopies in addition to redoing all the forms. The price is 400 pesos. Just FYI.

I thought the fall back was to say you had lost your "visitors visa" , pay 200+pesos and go

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I am not feeling secure about them notifyiong me for fingerprinting for temporal either, so just in case of a glitch, i go in there and check for that as well. Well, I haven't been fingerprinted yet for temporal, so I would guess i won't have my visa by the time I want to travel last week in March.

If this isn't too far off subject can someone tell me the price of the permiso for travel and whetehr it is better to do it directly at the airport, or to have in hand from INM Chapala, the three day deal.

Thanks.

My husband and I each needed a travel letter in order to travel to the U.S. while our renewal was in process. The cost was $320 pesos each. We had to go to immigration's website to file the request online, we also had to write a letter in Spanish asking for permission to leave and come back, provide one infantile front photo, and print the payment form online for the bank. The Chapala office handles these and it took us about 4-5 business days. Spencer's office also can facilitate these if needed.

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It is much cheaper to do it yourself, but you really have to know Spanish. I recall that the facilitator named Kevin charged 800 pesos. I think Spencer said he charges 900 pesos and my lawyer charged 1000 pesos to obtain this form for me. I am lazy and my Spanish sucks so I will be paying someone to do my next one. Almost 4 months since I applied and I am still waiting.

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Thanks for all the info. I had heard others say that they used the fallback of the 200 some peso visitor visa on the way back in. That sounds like the simplest thing. I'd be on a bus in Juarez at night when I cross the border and I just don't want any glitches. Like having them arrest me for trying to take a visitor visa when i have another visa in tramite. I heard it is illegal and just when you think you won't get caught for something, there you are .... kinda scares me to try it.

Then the explaination of the travel letter, the INm website, print this and that. I might as well stay home.My Spanish is good enough to do this myself. But I have to weigh out if it is worth all the hassle to go for a lousy week.

But i certainly am grateful for the info. Thanx

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Visa card tip: When I picked up the card, the lady at the desk suggested I make a B/W xerox of it, plasticize it, and carry it instead of the original whenever possible. She said not to use a color xerox, though, as that might leave me open to "ID counterfeiting" charges.

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Visa card tip: When I picked up the card, the lady at the desk suggested I make a B/W xerox of it, plasticize it, and carry it instead of the original whenever possible. She said not to use a color xerox, though, as that might leave me open to "ID counterfeiting" charges.

A copy is always a good idea but I would carry the original on me when moving around. If you loose the original the copy should come in handy for proofing that you are legal and request a new card.

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Visa card tip: When I picked up the card, the lady at the desk suggested I make a B/W xerox of it, plasticize it, and carry it instead of the original whenever possible. She said not to use a color xerox, though, as that might leave me open to "ID counterfeiting" charges.

Only legal if notory stamp on back. Costs 50 pesos across the street from Intercasa (Spenser in Chapala). No notary stamp no legal. I carry copy all the time.

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