15 replies to this topic

[Klort]

My Spanish friend lives here in the U.S., speaks Spanish fluently, but her visa expired. She does not have to work, but has a house in Tijuana. Now she cannot go back to Tijuana without her passport which expired.

Is there a way she can get a passport a little quicker? She has not been to Tijuana for over 6 months. I suggested she could try, ahem, a little mordida. Would that work?

Since it's impossible to get an American passport, I suggested she can try a Mexican passport since a mordida goes a little further...

[AcapulcoGringo]

Im not sure I quite Understand! She is a Spanish Citizen living in the US, and her US visa has Expired? Also her Spanish Passport has expired? Why would she want a Mexican Passport instead of going to the Spanish Consulate and renewing her spanish one?

OK , if for some reason you can;t answer the reason, ok.. BUT I can say its Not easy to get a Mexican Passport.. even with a bribe.. Maybe a very large, very well placed one, but very unlikely!

Why can't she go to TJ wothout a passport? They dont check passports going in TJ, in fact the ONLY time I have ever used my Passport is when re-entering the US, which of course she wouldnt be able to do. And as far as I know, Mexican passports are only issued in Mexico City.. I think you can apply locally but they are processed and issued in DF and take about the same time as it takes to get a US passport maybe longer..

Maybe some claification and people can fully try to help

[Klort]

She's been in the U.S. too long and if she tries to come back to the U.S., she will be denied entry. The American visa expired about 2 years ago and now the Spanish passport is expired. The Spanish embassy in DF and Washington DC told her she had to go back to Spain in order to get a new passport.

She can't leave - she would not be allowed back in the U.S. They will run her through the system and find that she has overstayed in the past.

She's willing to pay a lot. However, coming back to the U.S. will be impossible once she's out of the country so that's out of the question.

[AcapulcoGringo]

Well if she is willing to pay alot of money.. WHy not walk across the border to Tijuana, then fly to Spain, and get new passport, and in the process apply for a new visa.. saying that she left the US 2 years ago via foot before her visa expired.. I am not sure if that would fly or not, but I really see no reason it wouldnt because there is really no way to know when she actually left. Its taking a chance she wont get back in or get approved, BUT that would be the most legal (with a shady side) way to do it..

NOW if I am thinking along with what your thinking, you want to get her a Mexican passport and start anew.. well thats kinda pushing it, and I would recomend against it, because not only will she be banned for life in US, she may get in trouble in Spain for it, along with Mexico.. its dangerous!

Is she able to go back to Spain or no?

I know ANYTHING is possible here in mexico.. I have a funny story I just learned the truth today about. My landlord is an ex Mexican Actress, and she has always told me she was 49.. and that the two people living here rent free is her sister and brother.. (I never agreed or understood that).. well today, my last full day in acapulco, I was talking to my neighbor, who is a Gringo and has lived here 14 years in the same place renting from her, told me that she has been 49 for alot fo years, and just told me that she is 67 years old, and that the brother and sister is actually her kids.. OK not that big a story.. I always suspected it BUT disounted my suspicions because when helping her fill out the paperwork to get her dead Canadian husbands pension (survivors benifit) I seen her Birth cirtificate, passport, ID etc etc... and it attested to her age that she told me.. BUT apparently , many years ago, she paid to have EVERYTHING changed, and it has stood all this time.. she has completly errased her real age... and all this was done with bribes.. Like I told my neighbor, many women lie about thier age, BUT only In mexico could you REALLY roll back the years and get all the legal documents, and get by with it.

My point is, ANYTHING is possible here, BUT you would have to know the right people, and be very carefull!

[Klort]

That's funny I'm aware anything is possible in Mexico!

The U.S. customs will NOT let her in since she has a history of overstaying.

The American customs might know she's been here in the U.S. because of a speeding ticket (which she already paid) and she has a checking account here.

She is definitely able to get back to Spain. That's not a problem.

[CB]

i know a guy named ryu, that might want to marry her

[TJDave]

i know a guy named ryu, that might want to marry her

You're mean...

(but funny)

[Daniel]

And as far as I know, Mexican passports are only issued in Mexico City.. I think you can apply locally but they are processed and issued in DF and take about the same time as it takes to get a US passport maybe longer.

Mexican passports may only be processed in DF, but a Mexican can apply for a passport in most major Mexican cities. Back in 2007 a friend in GDL applied for--and received--a Mexican passport in 2 weeks. That was standard processing time then; it was much faster than in the US.

[Diane]

If she's in the system as overstaying, I'm not sure a passport of any type would help her back in. But, that aside...

Try Argentina! I have some connections in Argentina Immigration and was astounded how easy it is to still get an Argentina passport. You have to get a legal residence there (easy, rent a place), actually stay for some period of time in Argentina (few months) and then invest in a business down there to the tune of about $30,000 USD. It's not a bribe, it's a real investment. I think buying a place qualifies as an investment, which you can then rent out or sell.

[Diane]

Oh, and you can also do investor immigration to Canada. I think you can get that one in 6 months. It also takes an investment into the country (in this case Canada). I don't remember the amount but seem to recall it was $200K - $300K.

[Klort]

Actually, she's already given up. She wanted a Mexican passport so she could buy more property in Tijuana. She currently rents. I wasn't sure if bribing would work, but she's already given up and went back to Spain. She was willing to pay $10,000 for a Mexican passport, but she could not find one.

[bajashrink]

This is not my message board, but if it were, I would not permit the solicitation of illegal activties, and as a member, would never offer any leads involving an illegal act even if I knew of a source. You never know who's lurking, or for sure who you can trust.

If Ms. Gauchpín wants to live in Mexico bad enough and not return to the U.S., and a Spanish consulate in the U.S. or Mexico will not renew her passport, then she should just return to Spain on a Spanish airline to renew it, and then apply for an FM3 at a Mexican consulate in Spain.

[Klort]

She was in a hurry to get a Mexican passport so she could stay a bit longer. Extra fees and bribes are still similar to me - she was willing to pay for it, but there was no time left so she's now back in Spain.

Money was not an issue. She only accidentally overstayed her visa and she knew once she stepped out, she would not be allowed back in.

[libertythor]

She was in a hurry to get a Mexican passport so she could stay a bit longer. Extra fees and bribes are still similar to me - she was willing to pay for it, but there was no time left so she's now back in Spain.

Money was not an issue. She only accidentally overstayed her visa and she knew once she stepped out, she would not be allowed back in.

She can get Mexican Citizenship in 2 years because she is a citizen of Spanish-speaking nation. Tell her to get her Spanish passport, fly to Mexico, put in for an FM-2, and live here for two years and study the history. At the end of those two years she can apply for Mexican citizenship and purchase property here. She has it a lot easier than US citizens when it comes to gaining citizenship in Mexico.

When she arrives in Mexico she will need to get an FMT, a tourist visa, for 20 dollars. After that she will need to get visa. It used to be that a FM3 was sufficient for gaining citizenship, but that has now been changed to an FM2. That will require about a total of 300 dollars in fees, a letter stating her activity, and any other requirement for her visa sub-category. I assume she would be a "Rentista" which is somebody who resides in Mexico on savings or other funds from abroad. To obtain this, she needs to prove 1,500 dollars a month to support herself, and that entails a solvency certificate or bank statements that have been notarized and apostilled in her home country.

Another avenue towards getting an FM2 if she doesn't meet the income requirements is to find somebody with a business, even if it is just a consultant or somebody who is self-employed. That person can sponsor her as an employee.

After two years, she can apply at the SRE for naturalization and be able to purchase property in Mexico in her own name.

[Klort]

She already got a new Spanish passport and she is back in Los Angeles now. She completely forgot about the visa and she was already flying back and forth every six months, but this time, she completely forgot to be at the airport and missed the flight. She panicked, but she explained that to the customs and everything is okay She is sticking with her Spanish passport as it is not a problem now.

[libertythor]

She already got a new Spanish passport and she is back in Los Angeles now. She completely forgot about the visa and she was already flying back and forth every six months, but this time, she completely forgot to be at the airport and missed the flight. She panicked, but she explained that to the customs and everything is okay She is sticking with her Spanish passport as it is not a problem now.

That is good to hear. However, getting that Mexican immigrant visa and obtaining citizenship status would help her with property aquisitions and would also allow her to easily and justifiably leave the US on land and have that count. Then she could just wait a few weeks and fly in from Mexico City or Guadalajara, making things much cheaper.