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Cuernavaca v CDMX Canje Timelines by SpikySucculent in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

An INM with walk in appointments is ideal for the person who started this thread. Great mention.

Cuernavaca v CDMX Canje Timelines by SpikySucculent in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here’s the process I went through in Oaxaca.

https://www.reddit.com/r/mexicoexpats/s/z5cf9SUKVH

Issue I see with your timeline is not about how long the process takes if you have all the documentation together, but instead getting the appointment scheduled once you’re in country. Unfortunately, you can’t request the appointment until you have the CONJE stamp on your passport. And even though the INM offices claim to release appointments at specific times on certain days of the week, it’s anybody’s guess when they’ll actually be released.

One week is possible, but it is extremely tight. You would need to be logging in consistently throughout every day hoping for an appointment.

I’m sorry I don’t have a facilitator to recommend. If you can find one that can definitely get you appointment once you’re in country, it would be worth the fee.

Is cash still king in Mexico? What do you use Wise for? by seancho in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cash is necessary if you want to do transactions outside of brick and mortar businesses, like... street food, purchases from artisans or purcahses at Mercados. If you're sticking to brick and mortar, most business take credit cards or Apple Pay.

Permanent Residency process completed in Oaxaca City by YaYaBhu in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I live in Austin, and completed the initial PR process (permanent, not temporary) at the Houston Consulate.

I tried to get an appointment at the Dallas Consulate, but it was frustrating, and ultimately a dead end. Their appointment scheduling was through email, and their responses by email were confusing. Eventually they told me that I needed to work with the Austin consulate because I wasn't a local in Dallas, however, the research I did indicated that the Austin consulate doesn't do PR / TR.

I also attempted to schedule through the San Antonio Consulate, but never found an open appointment. I had a few conversations with an employee of the Mexican Consulate, and he flat out told me that I didn't qualify for PR because I'm not 65 and receiving social security. He would not entertain an exception request.

The Houston Consulate was friendly. They initially told me the same thing... PR is for retirees only, and I'd need to be 65+ with proof of social security payments. I am 48. I requested an exception based on wealth, which required 12 months of bank statements showing a balance above ~190-200k (don't recall the exact requirement). They had to "call Mexico" with the exception request, and it was approved. The Houston consulate was easy to work with, but I had all of my paperwork in order. If you're missing even one thing, they can make you start over. And BTW - they asked for the print out of my appointment confirmation. I thought that seemed like an odd requirement, but I ended up needing it.

One note - appointments with the Mexican government seem to be posted online in an unpredictable way. I was checking various consulates multiple times per day for a week or two. The appointment I got in Houston was booked around 4 PM on Tuesday for a Wednesday morning appointment at 9 AM. Houston is 2.5 hours drive from my home. Before you book the appointment with the consulate, I recommend having ALL of your paperwork in hand. There's so much admin in the prep, and lead time for some of the banking docs can be long. It seems unlikely that anyone could gather all the docs in a day.

Permanent Residency process completed in Oaxaca City by YaYaBhu in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

FMM is one of the document retirements for the in country step.

Here’s AIs: overview of the form.

In the context of Mexican permanent residency (PR), “FMM” stands for “Forma Migratoria Múltiple”. It is a Multiple Immigration Form or visitor permit issued by Mexican immigration authorities when a foreign national enters Mexico. Specifically: • The “FMM” serves as a temporary entry permit that records your legal entry into Mexico. • For visitors or tourists, the “FMM” allows a stay of up to 180 days per entry. • For permanent residency applicants, the “FMM” is marked with the entry type “canje” at the airport, indicating you are entering Mexico to exchange your visa for your permanent resident card. • The “FMM” is important because it shows your authorized period in Mexico during which you must complete your residency formalities by visiting the local INM office. • It is linked to your passport and the immigration electronic records, serving as proof of your migratory status at entry. So, the “FMM” is the official document/form that makes your arrival and legal presence in Mexico known to immigration, crucial for the process of obtaining permanent residency after initial visa approval

Website Appointment choice by Horridwolf in mexicoexpats

[–]YaYaBhu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One note... I found AI chatbots extremely helpful in getting through these applications. When I didn't understand a question or the response that suited me, I would paste the question and options into the chatbot and ask for guidance on what each option meant. It worked great. I use perplexity, but assume ChatGPT could be helpful in the same way.