29 replies to this topic

[chica.619]

What is an FM3?

Also is an FM3 really necessary to move to Rosarito? I would be commuting to SD mon- fri to go to work. My kids( I have 3 ) and I will be making the move in March. I was just wondering if I really needed that to move over there? Or can I move and then work on getting the FM3 while I am residing in Rosarito? Help Please, also what is the cost, do I have to buy one for each person in the family

[Chiquito]

FM3 is a Mexican Non-Immigrant Visa. There are a lot of different flavors of it. Legally you and each of your family will need one to live in Mexico. In reality you will only need it in the border area if you are going to open a bank account, put your kids in school, work, or anything official. You can get it at the Mexican Embassy in San Diego. My last one was around $140. They will want to see your US Passport, 6 months of bank statements, and in my case they wanted my birth certificate and marraige certificate (my wife is a Mexican citizen). This is for Rentista Visitante which gives you permission to
live but not to work.

[Miggiesmallz- TEXMEX]

I don't know the details of an FM 3, but i understand it to be some sort of visa for foreigners in Mexico. I am a US citizen and have lived in Tijuana for a year and a half without any sort of visa or paperwork, noone or nothing has ever obligated me to. I think I could live there, the way things are currently, for the rest of my life and no authority would say or do anything.
I say it is up to you whether you want to obtain it immediately or at a later date.

I am, however, currently working with the Consulado Mexicano in SD to obtain citizenship for Mexico as my mom is from there.

[Tcat]

I got my FM3 in San Diego. Bring active bank statements, and passport pictures, along with your passport. The bank in MX will need a water or electric bill (doesn't have to be in your name!) if you want to get a MX bank with your local address (along with your FM3). $134. total fees (FM3 and visa in your passport).

[Chiquito]

The reference to the mex bank above is IF you for some reason want to open an account in Mexico. There is no requirement for that to get the FM3. Unless you are doing business in Tijuana why would you need one?

[Tcat]

Maybe to get a mortage for a house?

[Chiquito]

Maybe to get a mortage for a house?

Exactly, a mortgage being a loan account. You would need an FM3 for a bank trust as well.

[BajaGringo]

If you are able to find a Mexican company willing to hire and sponsor you there is an FM3 work visa you can apply for. It is a little bit more difficult to obtain but you will be able to legally work here once you get here. Based on your resume and spanish fluency it can be a very good option for gringos living south of the border.

[zunigan]

I think I read somewhere that you can apply by sending in the forms, and then going to Mexico to reg. it.??? Anyone know anything about this.

[libertythor]

If you have a degree, trade, skill, or specialty; you can have documentation notarized, apostilled, and translated into Spanish. Then you can have a company sponsor you (you can offer to pay the fees) or you can try to apply to practice your profession independently. This way you can avoid showing income statements.

[bluejeans]

Just a thought, don't really know if you can do this.

How about next summer you renew it early? Just a thought.

[Chiquito]

You can renew it late but I've heard it's a pain and you have to pay a substantial fine. This can only be done inside Mexico. Plus your adding a motive for extortion if you are deep in Mexico without a valid and current visa.

You can get a new one without renewing and not pay any fine. But you lose any time built up in country if you are trying for citizenship or something.

The expiration dates are fixed as far as I know. I don't think there's any requirement to renew it in the same place every time. I got mine at the San Diego Consulate and they said they can only issue new ones, not renew them.

[Scooby]

Be careful about having an FM3 and a tourist visa at the same time.
One may have to pay a penalty for that.

On another note, it would seem incredibly stupid that one must renew their FM3 at only the original issuing location.
Then again, what would be new with such ridiculous & inconveniences requirements, right ? :roll: :x Hope that isn't the case here though.

[Pieancho]

My original FM-3 was issued in San Diego. I renewed it the first two years in Tepic, Nayarit. The last two years was in Otay because I changed my residency. I went to Otay because they have NO waiting because the mostly issue visas for the maquilas and not visitante rentistas like mine. Next year is my five year renewal and I'll try for Mexican citizenship. I was qualified after two years living in Mexico with my Mexican wife, but never registrered our US marriage at the Registro Civil until last year.

[Scooby]

OK, there it is -- It's affirmative that an FM3s can be renewed in another city or state.

Another question might be -- When is the earliest one can apply for renewal before the expiration date of their FM3 ? Maybe 2 weeks, 1 or 2 months ?
I might want to leave the country around that time and perhaps have them hold it or have somebody else pick it up for me. May not be do able . . .. .

Regarding MX citizenship -- Would US citizens of non-Hispanic origin have to give up their US citizenship ? I don't believe that most US born citizens are afforded the same luxury of holding dual citizenships as those US citizens born abroad.

If the only reason to change one's citizenship is property ownership without paying the annual fideicomiso fees, it could be thought of as a very serious decision. Are there other reasons making it worth doing so ?

[Chiquito]

I have heard from people who have done it that to become naturalized in Mexico you DO sign an affidavit stating that you give up any other citizenship. The same people also have said that the affidavit does NOT go to the country you are leaving. So effectively you are a dual citizen.

If somehow the information did get on record back in the US you would give up certain rights like voting, firearms ownership, etc. If you work in any field that may require a security clearance, this would not be a wise thing to do.

[Chiquito]

Quien sabe...

Artículo 37.
A) Ningún mexicano por nacimiento podrá ser privado de su nacionalidad.
La nacionalidad mexicana por naturalización se perderá en los siguientes casos:
I. Por adquisición voluntaria de una nacionalidad extranjera, por hacerse pasar en cualquier instrumento público como extranjero, por usar un pasaporte extranjero, o por aceptar o usar títulos nobiliarios que impliquen sumisión a un Estado extranjero, y
II. Por residir durante cinco años continuos en el extranjero.
C) La ciudadanía mexicana se pierde:
I. Por aceptar o usar títulos nobiliarios de gobiernos extranjeros;
II. Por prestar voluntariamente servicios oficiales a un gobierno extranjero sin permiso del Congreso Federal o de su Comisión Permanente;
III. Por aceptar o usar condecoraciones extranjeras sin permiso del Congreso Federal o de su Comisión Permanente;
IV. Por admitir del gobierno de otro país títulos o funciones sin previa licencia del Congreso Federal o de su Comisión Permanente, exceptuando los títulos literarios, científicos o humanitarios que pueden aceptarse libremente;
V. Por ayudar, en contra de la Nación, a un extranjero, o a un gobierno extranjero, en cualquier reclamación diplomática o ante un tribunal internacional, y
VI. En los demás casos que fijan las leyes.

[Pieancho]

To apply for Mexican citizenship as a spouse of a Mexican citizen you need to have been married two or more years. If you are married in Mexico, there is no problem as the marriage is automatically recorded at the registro civil. If however you are married outside of Mexico, you need to registrar the marriage at a Mexican registro civil within 3 months to have the time start when you were actually married. If not registrared within this time, the marriage recorded in Mexico starts at the time of registry. So, in spite of the fact my wife and I were married in Nov. 1994; we did not registrar it in Mexico until Nov. 2006. I must wait two years from the time of registry before I can apply for Mexican citizenship. To get it registrared you must have the original marriage certificate apostiled at the State Department from the state where you were married, then have it offically translated at a Mexican perito. Then take that to the nearest registro civil along with the fee. They registrar you and within the week you receive your Mexican Marriage Certificate. Now your two year time period to apply for Mexican citizenship begins.

[Scooby]

........... I am, however, currently working with the Consulado Mexicano in SD to obtain citizenship for Mexico as my mom is from there.

I do believe you run the risk of losing your US citizenship since you are born in the USA. Is that of no concern to you ?
I know a US born man of MX born parents who lives in TJ with his MX born wife, but refuses to get his MX citizenship because of this fear.

To apply for Mexican citizenship as a spouse of a Mexican citizen you need to have been married two or more years. If you are married in Mexico, there is no problem as the marriage is automatically recorded at the registro civil. If however you are married outside of Mexico, you need to registrar the marriage at a Mexican registro civil within 3 months to have the time start when you were actually married. If not registrared within this time, the marriage recorded in Mexico starts at the time of registry. So, in spite of the fact my wife and I were married in Nov. 1994; we did not registrar it in Mexico until Nov. 2006. I must wait two years from the time of registry before I can apply for Mexican citizenship. To get it registrared you must have the original marriage certificate apostiled at the State Department from the state where you were married, then have it offically translated at a Mexican perito. Then take that to the nearest registro civil along with the fee. They registrar you and within the week you receive your Mexican Marriage Certificate. Now your two year time period to apply for Mexican citizenship begins.

I guess what I stated to Miggie above I would say here as well.

"In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice,
and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship."

It's as clear as mud.

http://travel.state....s/cis_1753.html

I don't intend to give up US citizenship and if Mexico requires I sign a statement that says I do, I won't.

Yes, you could be wiser in not signing such a document.
If a USA born citizen wants a 2nd citizenship to another country,
it doesn't mean that this person's intention is to give up their US citizenship (even if the law requires it).
As Chiquito states below that MX affidavits must be signed promising such even though the US doesn't have to know about it. Sounds pretty iffy to me . . .. .

I have heard from people who have done it that to become naturalized in Mexico you DO sign an affidavit stating that you give up any other citizenship. The same people also have said that the affidavit does NOT go to the country you are leaving. So effectively you are a dual citizen.

If somehow the information did get on record back in the US you would give up certain rights like voting, firearms ownership, etc. If you work in any field that may require a security clearance, this would not be a wise thing to do.

What you seem to be saying is that if the officials in your original country (the USA) don't know, the Mexican government won't tell them since it it isn't a normal policy (unless maybe they are asked to disclose such information). It sounds as though a person could be taking a risk if for some reason the information is provided to the officials of the other country.

.......Regarding MX citizenship -- Would US citizens of non-Hispanic origin have to give up their US citizenship ? I don't believe that most US born citizens are afforded the same luxury of holding dual citizenships as those US citizens born abroad.

If the only reason to change one's citizenship is property ownership without paying the annual fideicomiso fees, it could be thought of as a very serious decision.
Are there other reasons making it worth doing so ?

And I still ask those questions.
While having a citizenship of another country might seem attractive,
I suspect that in some ways it could have it's drawbacks if not all together backfiring with some serious consequences.
Honestly, I feel this subject is of vital neccessity to explore and to be made as clear as possible. I simply don't enough about it.
Sometimes I even wonder & speculate that certain laws are purposely made to be ambiguous in order to leave room for interpretation and perhaps some abuse.
:shock: :? :oops: :cry:

[BajaGringo]

You only lose your US citizenship if you formally renounce it before a proper US authority. Becoming a Mexican citizen will not cause you to lose it, contrary to common rumors that abound on the subject. I got that from the US embassy in Buenos Aires while living on Argentina and considering citizenship.

But what do I know...

:wink: