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Going to Consulate to apply for temp visa Monday. I’ll be in Ajijic by end of June. I’ll visit office in Chapala when I arrive. I just found out I must return to US on 7/30 for a court date. I understand you can’t leave Mexico until visa is finalized. But I also understand that I can get a “letter” that would give me permission. Can anyone elaborate on this? TIA

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Many folks use an immigration specialist for this, others do it themselves.  Here are two references:

Getting Permission to Leave Mexico While Your Resident Card is Being Processed
From: Two Expats Mexico blog
http://bit.ly/2WnHCaA

How to Get an Exit Permit from Mexico While Your Temporary Residency is Pending
From: Hippie in Heels blog
http://bit.ly/2wz47tu

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You should apply for that letter as soon as you report to INM to begin your tramite to get your visa card issued. 

You could also delay your application until after your court business is completed, or just delay your entrance into Mexico, which can be up to 180 days after your visa application is approved at the consulate.  Plan ahead, based upon what you know.

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I believe that you can get a permission letter to leave for the first part of the process, however once you have been fingerprinted you cannot leave until the Visa is delivered.

good to ask Spencer or Sonia to avoid surprises.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Either I'm confused or you are.... sounds like you are already an RT and just need to renew it in October. Sonia is probably (I didn't see the Post) talking about the FIRST time one gets their RT after coming into Mexico with the preliminary paperwork from a Consulate in the US. That particular exchange sometime takes more than the normal time.... which I guess could even expand to 3-4 months depending on place and circumstances. 

If you just need to renew your already existing RT, that process is not a lengthy one.

 

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Come down as a tourist

On 5/31/2019 at 10:46 PM, Herman said:

Going to Consulate to apply for temp visa Monday. I’ll be in Ajijic by end of June. I’ll visit office in Chapala when I arrive. I just found out I must return to US on 7/30 for a court date. I understand you can’t leave Mexico until visa is finalized. But I also understand that I can get a “letter” that would give me permission. Can anyone elaborate on this? TIA

Do NOT apply until after you have resolved your issue in the US. Come down as a tourist and when you return and hopefully resolve your court case, apply then. But, make sure you can remain in MX for a minimum of 3-4 months to give INM enough time to process your visa.

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You will not be granted a travel letter and here is way and this I had just posted on my FB. This post should be moved to the appropriate section,

Travel Letters


The following time lines are for San Miguel de Allende INM office. The process is the same throughout Mexico but time lines vary with each INM office.

1.   If you plan to travel outside of Mexico during the visa process you will require a travel letter.

2.   If you are starting with a consulate pre-approved visa it is not possible to apply for a travel letter and for you to exit Mexico once your process has started until you are approved at the local Inmigracion office. In San Miguel, it is usually, 11 weeks (but likely now more) for approval from time your application is started but it may be longer. 

3.   If you are applying for a visa renewal you may apply for a travel letter at almost any time starting the day after you have submitted your visa renewal documents. You do not have to wait for your process to be approved. 

4.  These letters may take ~5 business days but varies with each INM office. These letters have a fee, require forms, photo and bank form / payment, copies, signatures, submission and then returning to INM and waiting to pick up your letter. The travel letter is good for 60 days from and counting the day it is issued. You must return to Mexico within that time frame. 

 5.  In Puerto Vallarta, travel letters may only be submitted 3 business days before your departure and one must provide a copy of airline reservation / flight ticket.

6.  Upon your return you must submit to INM your travel letter with the stamp indicating when you exited Mexico and when you returned. It must be submitted to INM within ten days upon your re-entering Mexico.  

7.  Or, wait until your visa will be issued.

8.   If you drive out of Mexico with a travel letter and turn in your car permit, since you will have no visa, you can’t get a car permit to re-enter Mexico with your car. You will need to leave your car at the border and return to pick it up when your visa is issued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What has happened at the INM offices in at least PV and San Miguel and I suspect throughout Mexico, INM staff are being assigned to the borders, San Luis Potosi, Oaxaca, etc to help with refugees and undocumented persons. This has been going on for years but previously only a few staff temporarily re-assigned. Staff work long hours and they paid a higher rate so at least financially an advantage. However, starting about 2.5 months ago many more staff have these assignments. In San Miguel for example, typically of the 8 staff who are at the two desks and process visas, 5 to 6 are gone. This leaves 2 to 3 with one assigned to the two desks and the other 1 or 2 processing travel letters and only a few visas. They are hundreds behind. In a typical month I alone have about 50 processes. 

These assignments for staff may also be dangerous. Several are personal friends and what they experience is not a job I would want. 

INM I understand is working at hiring more staff for the administrative offie in Mexico City and for these assignments but that is a long term process. I personally expect this issue to last for months and delays grow longer and longer. 

I do not know the situation at lakeside or with GDL INM but again likely their staff are on or will be on these assignments. I am sure Spencer knows.

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I am curious as to approximately how long it takes to hear back from an agency such as Sonia's or Spenser's once they have your financial information?

Is five or six weeks long enough for them to make an appointment with one of the consulates in the USA?

I don't want to put too much pressure on any professional handling my immigration.

SO can anyone tell me their views on how long is long enough to call them back?

Thank you.

 

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2 hours ago, Youngtimer said:

I am curious as to approximately how long it takes to hear back from an agency such as Sonia's or Spenser's once they have your financial information?

Is five or six weeks long enough for them to make an appointment with one of the consulates in the USA?

I don't want to put too much pressure on any professional handling my immigration.

SO can anyone tell me their views on how long is long enough to call them back?

Thank you.

 

In all kindness...read this to better understand the process. http://www.soniadiaz.mx/immigration---visas.html

You give your financial info to the Mexican Consulate NOB (north of the border) for pre-approval. Sonia and Spencer have nothing to do with that, it is something you must "handle" yourself. When you arrive in Mexico with a pre-approval you have 30 days to file for a visa and this is what they, or other lawyers like Azucena Bateman of ABC Legal in Ajijic can assist you with. Believe me, you can't pressure INM! They will notify you when it is time to go in and get fingerprinted for your green card. You will learn patience living here. 

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Thank you for your "kindness" but I hired someone to do that for me also.

If it takes too long to hear from that professional service I will do all that myself.

For clarification:

The professional service has my information by email attachments.

Then the service shops for the best Consulate for my situation and makes the appointment.

Then I go to the appointment with hard copies of the information and whatever else is required.

But maybe I asked something that cannot be answered on a message board.

I guess I am a little extra nervous because we just put our house up for sale but don't have to sell it to come to Mexico.

Also we were both called up for jury duty, me for six months and the misses for one month.

I was told the only way out of jury duty for us is to move out of the county.

Anyway I am used to complicated so this all should at least be amusing!

 

 

Edited by Youngtimer
Clarification
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Correct we have no one's financial statements. To make an appointment at a consulate we need one's passport information and email address as that is required. We certainly do not "shop" for a consulate. 

www.soniadiaz.mx

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Youngtimer,

Let me guess:  You are in the USA and have 'hired' someone who has represented himself as an "Immigration Specialist", or maybe even an "Immigration Lawyer".  If so, you are probably going to discover that he usually handles cases with clients immigrating into the USA.  Your situation may be beyond his experience level, but did not deter him from taking your fee.

Good luck!

You might as well start over, as you will do the application yourself, in person, providing all the documentation and financial records, at a Mexican Consulate in your current legal country of residence.  There is no reason that you should need help.

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Something is wrong with Youngtimer's scenario. Did you call them first? Because they absolutely do not do what you are requesting of them. Any applications for either Temporal or Permanente MUST be done at a Mexican Consulate in the country where the applicant is living, in person.

Am I missing something that Youngtimer has not disclosed?

Edited to add: Once you have the Temporal or Permanente in your hot little hand, you have X number of months to enter Mexico and then, within 30 days of entering, you must present to the INM office to have it executed (which may take months given the current backlog). Instead of going to the INM office yourself, THAT is where the services of Spencer (Chapala) or Sonia (San Miguel de Allende) come into play.

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First off my apologies for all of the confusion!

Yes I have spoken with him three times on the tele.

I don't suspect any wrongdoing on Spenser's part at all.

I believe he is just trying to determine what I should apply for, TR or PR and whether to apply for my spouse at the same time or as a dependent in Mexico once I have my residency.

I assumed he was going to use the info I sent him the make the appointment at an appropriate consulate in the USA of which I would attend and get that part taken care of myself.

I know I have to do that part.

I just think that six weeks from the time I sent him the info is a stretch but maybe not.

Trying to coordinate selling the house, jury duty for both of us me and spouse, and putting notice in on my last contractual business job has my head spinning as you can see.

I will get it worked out as millions of expats have done before me.

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It was simple for me to get an appointment at a consulate, one week after emailing. I took the required financial info and had my card within 2 hours. I then had 6 months to cross into Mexico, which I took. [long trip]  I bet getting your wife's card at the same time is best. Things can take a long time in Mexico and cost more. I did not use any assistance straight through.

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In Chapala we have no problems getting travel letters so you can take care of business and not be stuck here

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