It happens to too many people; they come visit one of the many touristic destinations in Mexico and decide to stay. As we have covered in previous articles, the immigration laws in Mexico are very straightforward, making it easy to obtain a visa.
However, recent change of the law has cancelled the option of changing your status from tourist to resident from within the country. The only choice is to go back home and do the whole process before coming back to Mexico. For many, this is not an option and they decide to live in Mexico on a tourist visa and leave and come back into the country every six months, or just stay illegally.
Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM) is giving foreign residents the chance to adjust their legal status!
The Interior Ministry, through the National Immigration Institute (INM), has started the implementation of the Temporary Migrant Regularization Program (TMRP). This seeks to benefit a larger number of foreigners who entered the country before November 9, 2012.
These new measures were made public on January 12, 2015, and it is aimed to help foreigners who are permanent residents who, for various circumstances, did not regularize their stay in our country. Foreigners wishing to permanently live in Mexico could change their status and get an immigration document that will be valid for four years.
This temporary program will run from January 13 to December 18, 2015.
Program Benefits:
The program extends the following benefits to the foreigners willing to legalize their status:
- Get their temporary resident card, valid for four years.
- This visa allows the foreigner multiple entries and exits of the country.
- It aims to preserve the family unit, in the case of foreigners with a Mexican partner or children.
- No penalties will apply.
- Possibility of obtaining a work permit.
The best of all is that at the end of the term of your migratory document, you can apply for the permanent residence.
The government is also offering low income or vulnerable people the option of a reduced fee, or no fee at all.
Program Requirements:
Those wishing to regularize their immigration status with this program have to visit the nearest INM office with the following requirements:
- Application form
- A letter written oath (affidavit) applying for the regularization of their legal status and manifest the irregularity in which they are incurred
- Passport, official documents issued by the authorities of their country of origin, consular identity certificates, or other official documents (even if they are past due) which include at least your name, nationality, date of birth and photograph
- Immigration document (if you had any and it expired)
- Documents confirming your regular or irregular residence in the country prior to November 9, 2012 such as airline or bus tickets, passport with entry stamp, utility bills (electricity, water, telephone, gas, or others), medical records, certificates of study or lease, and, if applicable, the immigration document proving your stay regularly in Mexico.
- Any other document issued by public institutions proving that the applicant alien has resided in Mexico.
- A written affidavit in which two individuals manifest to know the foreigner and declare that he or she has lived in the country for a certain period of time. These people will have to ratify their statements and present their official ID photo when the visa process moves along.
- Pay the applicable fees in any banking institution, both to apply for and to receive the visa.
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