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TR / PR Entering Mexico as a Tourist (FMM)


Sonia

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1 hour ago, snowyco said:

What good news.

That fits our friend's experience, except he was required to show a police report from the USA, documenting his loss of his Permanente Card.

Glad it all worked out for you,  without jumping through all the advice-hoops that you start over by applying for a new Permanente visa at a Consulate. 

I can celebrate when I actually have it in my hand.  However, I was happy with what I was told, so I will post when I have obtained it, so everyone will know for sure that it can be worked out.

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Today I spent some time with a senior INM staff. Happy it worked out for you Zeb but according to INM nothing has changed for one who has lost their visa while outside of Mexico.   You are to go to a MX consulate and without doing so you enter as a tourist and that is what you will be. I realize inconsistency is common but I suggest others not take Zeb's experience as the current policy. 

saludos

Sonia

 

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1 hour ago, Sonia said:

Today I spent some time with a senior INM staff. Happy it worked out for you Zeb but according to INM nothing has changed for one who has lost their visa while outside of Mexico.   You are to go to a MX consulate and without doing so you enter as a tourist and that is what you will be. I realize inconsistency is common but I suggest others not take Zeb's experience as the current policy. 

saludos

Sonia

 

Seems like sound advise Sonia, considering what INM has told you.

I just wonder what INM´s reasoning is for this. Maybe there isn´t any, maybe it´s just unreasonable bureaucracy, but it seems like once you have gone through all the hoops to get your residency, and one´s residency status is obvious on their computers, being expected to get to a Mexican consulate, which may be a day or days drive from where you are NOB, is like some kind of pointless punishment. After all, it´s just a card. If I lose my Canadian passport, I don´t lose my Canadian citizenship. Do they think people lose their residency cards on purpose? Or that they´re just being careless because they don´t give their residency status proper respect?

I guess these are just rhetorical questions. It just seems so absurd.

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6 hours ago, mudgirl said:

Seems like sound advise Sonia, considering what INM has told you.

I just wonder what INM´s reasoning is for this. Maybe there isn´t any, maybe it´s just unreasonable bureaucracy, but it seems like once you have gone through all the hoops to get your residency, and one´s residency status is obvious on their computers, being expected to get to a Mexican consulate, which may be a day or days drive from where you are NOB, is like some kind of pointless punishment. After all, it´s just a card. If I lose my Canadian passport, I don´t lose my Canadian citizenship. Do they think people lose their residency cards on purpose? Or that they´re just being careless because they don´t give their residency status proper respect?

I guess these are just rhetorical questions. It just seems so absurd.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1191/related/1/~/entering-the-u.s.---documents-required-for-foreign-nationals-(international

 

"What documents, identification, and paperwork does a legal permanent resident (LPR) or Green Card holder need to travel internationally?

Lawful Permanent Residents of the U.S. must present a Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card", Form I-551), a Reentry Permit (if gone for more than 1 year), or a Returning Resident Visa (if gone for 2 years or more) to reenter the United States. U.S. LPRs do not need a passport to enter the United States as per (8 CFR 211.1(a)), however, they may need a passport to enter another country. Please contact the embassy of the foreign country you will be traveling to for their requirements. 

 While CBP does not require the passport as noted above, the airlines may have their own requirements, please check with your airlines prior to travel.  Also, travel documents for LPRs do not need to be valid for any certain amount of time.  Your LPR card only needs to be valid on the day that you are entering the US.

LPRs that are out of the U.S. for more than 180 days are subject to new immigrant inspection procedures as per 8 USC 1101."

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card

"If you are outside the U.S. and have lost your green card, contact the nearest U.S. consulate, USCIS office or port of entry before attempting to file a Form I-90. If your Form I-90 application is approved, you will be mailed a replacement green card with a 10-year expiration date from the date it is issued.

What The Law Says

Section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states, "Every alien in the United States . . . shall be issued a certificate of alien registration or an alien registration receipt card in such form and manner and at such time as shall be prescribed under regulations . . ." It also says, "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him . . .. Any alien who fails to comply with [these provisions] shall be guilty of a misdemeanor..." The specific requirements and procedures for applying to renew an expiring green card are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] at 8 CFR section 264.5."

 

I guess the US govenrment has the same policy as the Mexican government when re-entering their country as well for legal immigrants. Are they also being persnickety?

In the US legal residents need to have their Temporary or Permanent Resident card on them at all times [18 years old and older], just like the law in Mexico states, to prove they are legally in the country, In the US If not it is a misdemeanor, not copies or no walking around without it.

 

As far as jumping through hoops here in Mexico if you wanted to immigrate to the US you can´t unless you are married to a US citizen or your parent/s are US citizens. A whole lot easier here in Mexico.

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On 8/15/2015 at 9:55 AM, Sonia said:

If one looses card when outside of Mexico what INM says is you are to go to a MX consulate outside of Mexico. That may not be practical but it is their advice.

In the several cases I am aware of, the person did not have / show a TR / PR visa when entering Mexico. Much easier if driving as simply enter visa places such as Laredo and do not go to INM as I noted.

Sonia

A friend of mine has gotten her Temporal Visa at the Phoenix, AZ consulate.  She will be flying to Guad Oct.. 17  What is she supposed to do about filling out the FMM form that the airline provides?  I know that when driving down you request a 30 day visa at the border and a Temporary Vehicle Permit for the same length of time.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

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3 hours ago, Sandrita said:

A friend of mine has gotten her Temporal Visa at the Phoenix, AZ consulate.  She will be flying to Guad Oct.. 17  What is she supposed to do about filling out the FMM form that the airline provides?  I know that when driving down you request a 30 day visa at the border and a Temporary Vehicle Permit for the same length of time.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

Good morning.

She completes the top portion.

At the airport, the FMM by Immigration, will be marked CANJE and is not to be checked tourist. It is only good for one entry. The reason for CANJE is person is in the middle of changing their status as they are no longer a tourist and not yet a TR or PR. The person must then start process in Mexico within 30 days and can not leave at the earliest until one can obtain a travel letter which varies at each INM office. Here in SMA (a busy office processing 50 visas a day) a travel letter can be requested in 4 to 5 weeks at earliest after starting visa process and once finger printed. I cover this on my web site. I've seen where some were marked tourist and INM took several extra weeks to process a pre-approved visa. 

FMM CANJE Correccion.jpg

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Immigration in Mexico is applying the law wrong, just look at the reverse side of the FMM form and read it and it clearly says that someone who has a temp or perm visa cannot use the FMM form to change condition, something ignored by overzealous immigration people who cannot read or who just want to give foreigners problems. 

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Spencer,

At the point of first entry with consular approval, the person does not actually have a visa; simply approval for INM to issue a visa, which is done by INM in Mexico.  Wouldn‘t that make the use of “canje“ appropriate, just that once?  Later, with the actual visa in hand, PR or TR visa holders would not use the FMM for a change of condition.   It all seems correct to me.

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One would think that the approval to get the Visa is the paper needed to pass into the Interior of Mexico, not an FMM. Seems to me you are paying for an FMM and do not need it.

 

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30 minutes ago, Hud said:

One would think that the approval to get the Visa is the paper needed to pass into the Interior of Mexico, not an FMM. Seems to me you are paying for an FMM and do not need it.

 

But INM would not know when you entered Mexico without a dated FMM. The information from when the FMM is stamped is entered into INM's database. When you apply at your local INM office they go to that database.

It is actually a very simple process vs a Mexican national trying to change planes in the US or to visit for a few days let alone live in the US. 

The US has a FMM equivalent called I-94 for a Mexican national to enter the US by land even with a 10 year tourist visa and those processing that document for the US in my personal experience treated us horribly including taking a 60 minute donut break while a room full of people waited to process their I-94. 

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17 minutes ago, Hud said:

One would think that the approval to get the Visa is the paper needed to pass into the Interior of Mexico, not an FMM. Seems to me you are paying for an FMM and do not need it.

 

Those FMM cards marked 30 day "canje" don´t cost anything. The Mexican Consulate 6 month preappoved RT or RP visa attached to a passport cost $36.00 USD. I feel they need to give the 30 day FMM card to have people show they entered on said date even though INM stamps your passport. They can get a 30 day TIP, Prove you followed the rules by showing up within 6 months and will turn in the 30 FMM card before it expires at a INM office near where you will reside. Gives you a document to travel inside Mexico for 30 days before you are illegally in Mexico and if with a TIP have a vehicle legally in Mexico for 30 days.Federal  Pólice and other officals can see you and your vehicle are legal not only have a stamp in your passport  when you entered, They might not understand what the 6 month visa is for and detain you and your vehicle unnecessarily

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3 hours ago, Sonia said:

But INM would not know when you entered Mexico without a dated FMM. The information from when the FMM is stamped is entered into INM's database. When you apply at your local INM office they go to that database.

It is actually a very simple process vs a Mexican national trying to change planes in the US or to visit for a few days let alone live in the US. 

The US has a FMM equivalent called I-94 for a Mexican national to enter the US by land even with a 10 year tourist visa and those processing that document for the US in my personal experience treated us horribly including taking a 60 minute donut break while a room full of people waited to process their I-94. 

I can tell you horror stories of my wife's experiences at the Border with the I-94. We finally lied and broke the law and got a "green card" and have lived in Mexico most of the time since without ever being treated like "crap" any more. Just  terrible experiences both getting the I-94 and even turning it back in. SHAME on them for treating people trying to do the correct thing and not breaking the law like animals. With the "green card" we lied and broke the law, and all went well, no more problems. Go figure ! :(

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Nobody reads the back of the card, not even immigration as if they did, their own instructions say it is impossible to use the tourist card to change condition therefore entering as a tourist and cancelling your prior status would be impossible

 

 

FMM reverse.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎2015‎-‎08‎-‎15 at 0:09 PM, Jim Bowie said:

It would seem to me that even though it is not the correct procedure, it would be best, if driving through Laredo, to just skip the INM office on both the exit and the reentry, if one has a TR/PR. Since a detour through that office takes about an extra 30 minutes, and no one else will check your status until you actually are on the road back to this area, where you will have your TR/PR in hand. No harm, no foul, no?

Sorry but what is a TR OR PR??

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English TR or PR are confused abbreviations for the Spanish Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente visas.

Ken‘s suggestion to skip customs and immigration violates the required procedure, but has often been done. However, there is another danger in addition to getting caught: If you were to have an accident in the USA, have the car stolen, or otherwise go missing, you would not be able to bring a replacement car into Mexico.....ever.  In addition: Once you transitioned to Residente Permanente, you would have a US plated car on record in Mexico, which would no longer be permitted in that status, but which you could not prove to have been removed, as required.

So........Not a good idea, Ken, even if you are willing to lose your deposit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's the update on the lost Permanente.  As I had stated earlier, I would celebrate when I got my replacement card.  I did not have total faith in what the woman told me.  The bottom line is they took my money to process a replacement and will NOT replace it, even though it was promised by the woman who interviewed me. Of course, I never got to talk to the person who made these promises.

I told her the clerk then that I paid that fee for nothing and she said anytime you start a process, the fee has to be paid whether or not it gets approved.  Well, I DISAGREE.  That fee did not have to be paid at all and the so called "process" did not need to happen at all as they know full well they won't replace the card.  I could have just been told right up front that I had to start over and it would have saved me four weeks of waiting and a loss of more expense.

What a racket and great way to take money from people.  This is why there is such resentment towards governments who do this kind of crap to people. 

Now as my spouse has the Permanente, perhaps it will be easier?

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On 9/26/2016 at 9:04 AM, Intercasa said:

Nobody reads the back of the card, not even immigration as if they did, their own instructions say it is impossible to use the tourist card to change condition therefore entering as a tourist and cancelling your prior status would be impossible

 

 

FMM reverse.jpg

If that is so, then why how was my status changed to Tourist when I came in without my Resident card even though I had a copy and INM will not issue me a new one?

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Zeb regarding your wife being a PR, from my web site: 

  • Obtaining a Visa Through Marriage to a Visa Holder For a married or common-law couple each must show the qualifying amounts of income, investments etc. If not possible, one way around this is for one person of the married couple to qualify. If husband qualifies and wife does not, she enters as a tourist and when husband has his visa she can start. However, if name on wife's passport does not exactly match the name on the marriage certificate usually INM will decline the application. Example, Mary Elizabeth Smith is not the same as Mary E. Smith to INM.

    If wife can qualify and husband enters as a tourist it is usually easier as the husband's name on his passport more often matches his name on marriage license / certificate. 

    If one of the couple is a Permanent Resident the spouse will need to be a Temporary Resident for 1 year and in 12 months renew for 1 more year before becoming a PR. There is still the need to apostille or legalize marriage certificate and to have the apostille and license  translated by a certified translator in Mexico.
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Change from tourist to temp due to being married to a permanente and then you can be permanente in 2 years.  We can work out name issues but not date issues, i.e. one marriage cert said they were married December 59th instead of 9th and immigration wouldnt budge even though all other dates on docs were the 9th.

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