180 day visa

180 day visa

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Hola,
Have a question for you good folks living the good life in Mexico. How difficult is it to extend your 180 day visa for more time when you're in Mexico, and can you convert your 180 day visa into an fm-3 while you're in Mexico? Thx much!
charley

Feb 23, 2005, 1:44 PM

Post #2 of 39 (2890 views)

Re: [charley] 180 day visa

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1. You cannot extent your FMT beyond 180 days. You have to go back to a land border crossing to get a new one.

2. Yes, you can get an FM3 while you are in Mexico if you bring all the necessary papers with you.

Rolly Pirate

1ajijic

Feb 24, 2005, 7:08 AM

Post #3 of 39 (2821 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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Rolly, there has been some talk that one is allowed one 180 day FM-T a year and that the old pratice of just crossing the boarder and coming back in with a new FM-T is now out due to Immigrado's computer systems?
http://www.newbeginningsmexico.com

Feb 24, 2005, 7:39 AM

Post #4 of 39 (2812 views)

Re: [1ajijic] 180 day visa

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So far as I know that 180 days in/180 days out applies to cars, not people. The FMT process is not computerized, so there is no way for la Migra to keep up with who's in or out. But I will agree that if you want to stay longer than 180 days, an FM3 is probably a better way to go.

Rolly Pirate

bournemouth

Feb 24, 2005, 7:45 AM

Post #5 of 39 (2809 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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Rolly: At the Nogales (Mariposa Road) crossing, now that you are required to pay for the FMT immediately, a lot of data entry is going on at Banejercito - all your data is going on the computer along with the details of the FMT so I have a feeling that the loose ways of old are just about gone. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out but in the past there was no record of the FMT other than the copy the Immigration people kept and I always assumed they just accumulated until thrown out. They couldn't even check to see if we'd ever paid for the FMT.

jennifer rose

Feb 24, 2005, 8:21 AM

Post #6 of 39 (2798 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

A land border crossing isn't even required. One can simply fly in and fly out of the country, surrendering the FMT on the way out and getting a new one on the way in.

Someone else has prophesied the restriction to one 180-day tourist card per year. That isn't going to happen. Think, for a moment, of the tourist who spends a week in Acapulco in January and another week in Taxco in August of the same year. Any restriction upon a single tourist card within a year would prove disastrous to the travel industry.

Marlene

Feb 24, 2005, 9:17 AM

Post #7 of 39 (2788 views)

Re: [jennifer rose] 180 day visa

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As well, travel industry types are known to make up to 3 or 4 short trips a year on hotel and destination inspections. The government is never going to limit visits like this since they promote and sponsor many of them.

charley

Feb 24, 2005, 2:54 PM

Post #8 of 39 (2737 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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Good to know. Thx much Rolly. Also, Would it speed up, or help in the process of obtaining an fm-3 while we're in Mexico, if we engaged a Mexican immigration lawyer to handle the paperwork?? assuming we had brought all the necessary paperwork required of the goverment.
charley

Feb 24, 2005, 3:04 PM

Post #9 of 39 (2732 views)

Re: [charley] 180 day visa

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If you speak Spanish, you can do the paperwork yourself, it's no big deal. If, on the other hand, your Spanish is like mine, a lawyer might be a good idea. There are people who specialize in such work.

Rolly Pirate

gpk

Feb 25, 2005, 8:57 AM

Post #10 of 39 (2665 views)

Re: [charley] 180 day visa

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If you pick a place to live where you can find a lawyer who is good at this, you can save a lot time and trouble by using her/his services. I´ve done it both ways and just having someone else do the running was more pleasant.

Georgia

Feb 26, 2005, 8:16 AM

Post #11 of 39 (2603 views)

Re: [charley] 180 day visa

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Depending on where you are there are facilitators for bureaucratic paperwork who can handle this for you very efficiently at a far lower rate than an attorney.

Feb 26, 2005, 12:19 PM

Post #12 of 39 (2574 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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Are you sure about cars having to be out of Mexico 180 days before they can enter again on an FMT? And if you get an FM3, don't you have a limited time to do your menaje de casa? How long is that? What if you are going down for 180 days on an FMT, driving to the border when it is going to expire, then enter again on another FMT for another 180 days to try out living there before making the big move? Does one have to pay for an FMT at the border? I've always flown into Mexico so perhaps the cost is figured into my ticket.
Susy

Feb 26, 2005, 12:32 PM

Post #13 of 39 (2566 views)

Re: [bdlngton] 180 day visa

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Are you sure about cars having to be out of Mexico 180 days before they can enter again on an FMT?

That's the rule. It may not always be enforced, but one should think about it. It could be a big problem if your car is refused admission.

And if you get an FM3, don't you have a limited time to do your menaje de casa? How long is that?

6 months

Does one have to pay for an FMT at the border? I've always flown into Mexico so perhaps the cost is figured into my ticket.

Yes. When you fly in, the cost is included in your ticket.

Rolly Pirate

gpk

Feb 26, 2005, 12:40 PM

Post #14 of 39 (2564 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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As mentioned here some time ago, many airlines charge for the FMT even if the passenger has an FM3. I love the corporate world!

Uncle Jack

Feb 26, 2005, 2:58 PM

Post #15 of 39 (2552 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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When you receive your FM3, you have 180 days to apply for your Menaje de Casa. You then have 90 days to implement it.

uj

Feb 26, 2005, 4:36 PM

Post #16 of 39 (2542 views)

Re: [Uncle Jack] 180 day visa

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Okay. So theoretically one could not live there a year before making the decision as to whether to make the move permanent if one wanted a car for the entire time. If you entered on an FMTfor 180 days with car you would have to leave when the 180 days are up--with car. Then if you wanted to enter again for another 180 days on another FMT before making the big decision as to whether to make the move permanent, theoretically you could not take your car back with you for that second round of 180 days. Correct??
Susy

Feb 26, 2005, 4:42 PM

Post #17 of 39 (2538 views)

Re: [bdlngton] 180 day visa

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Correct.

Rolly Pirate

Marta R

Feb 26, 2005, 5:17 PM

Post #18 of 39 (2534 views)

Re: [Rolly] 180 day visa

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Rolly, would it make sense to rent or lease a car for a year, or are such things possible?

Marta

Feb 26, 2005, 5:21 PM

Post #19 of 39 (2530 views)

Re: [chrisnmarta] 180 day visa

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I don't know.

Rolly Pirate

Uncle Jack

Feb 26, 2005, 5:22 PM

Post #20 of 39 (2530 views)

Re: [bdlngton] 180 day visa

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Another alternative would be to bring a different car.

Feb 26, 2005, 5:25 PM

Post #21 of 39 (2526 views)

Re: [Uncle Jack] 180 day visa

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If you had one and if it were parked in Texas, not the Pacific Northwest. Not too practical for many.

I know there are people living lakeside on FMTs. I met one couple who have lived there for 4 years, driving every 6 months to Texas and then reentering, car and all.

How do they know if your car has been entered in the previous 180 days?
Susy

jennifer rose

Feb 26, 2005, 5:33 PM

Post #22 of 39 (2523 views)

Re: [bdlngton] 180 day visa

Knowing whether a car permit's been issued within the previous 180 days is more than simply relying upon aduaneros with good memories. They have computers.

Now, here's how a couple can do the 180-day turnaround. The Mr. is the importer for the first 180 days, and then the Mrs. is the importer for the second 180 days. And the cycle is repeated once again.

INAMI -- that's immigration -- has absolutely nothing to do with issuance of the car permit. That is the domain of Hacienda. The two are separate and distinct agencies, just like ICE and the IRS.

Now, there's been some mention in previous posts on this thread that the FM-3 is a permanent migratory status. It clearly is not. It is nothing more than a one-year non-immigrant migratory status.

Feb 26, 2005, 5:36 PM

Post #23 of 39 (2519 views)

Re: [jennifer rose] 180 day visa

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So they track cars but not people?
Susy

Uncle Jack

Feb 26, 2005, 5:37 PM

Post #24 of 39 (2521 views)

Re: [bdlngton] 180 day visa

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Unfortunatly this is what some people refuse to accept. What has happened in the past in not what is likely to happen today.

These poor stupid Mexicans are actually beginning to understand and use computers. The law is the law and sooner or later those people who have been getting away with flaunting Mexican law are going to bitten in the ass. If your lifestyle is predicated on getting around the rules, lots of luck.

uj

jdeciucies

Feb 26, 2005, 6:56 PM

Post #25 of 39 (2506 views)