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ejay

Dec 6, 2004, 8:02 PM

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married in mexico

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I will be married in march to a mexican national. My question is, I want to bring in a limited amount of personal belongings, before the wedding. what is the best way to do this? I am thinking about bringing computer, stereo, not more than can fit in one car. I just don't want to waste time and money on fmt or fm3, if once i'm married, I don't need it! Any advice would be helpful.
Thanxs

Papirex


Dec 7, 2004, 11:22 AM

Post #2 of 16 (3097 views)

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Re: [ejay] married in mexico

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You will need at least an FMT to enter the country if you are going to travel beyond the border security zone, or stay in Mexico longer than 72 hours. I believe 72 hours is the limit, not sure about that. Baja has special conditions peculiar to that area.

Be aware that if you are going to marry a Mexican citizen in Mexico, you will need a visa because you need to obtain permission from the Mexican government to marry a Mexican in this country. A lot of paperwork is usually required to get that permission. Nothing is ever done in a uniform way in Mexico, It may turn out to be a simple thing to do, or a very complex undertaking.

It is far simpler to be married in The US, For many obscure reasons, it is a good idea to have the marriage registered with The Mexican government afterwards. To register a foreign marriage, and have it recognized by The Mexican government, requires a postilled copy of your US marriage certificate. In the area where we live, I would have had to produce a postilled copy of our marriage certificate every year when renewing my FM3 visa which would be kept by the immigration authorities. It was far simpler in my case to register the marriage with the Federal Government.

Bring the stuff with you, declare it and pay any import duty due on it. I am married to a Mexican citizen, no special rights are gained by marrying a Mexican. After you are married, you will still need to have a visa, either an FMT, or a FM3, etc.

Rex

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

kirkswig


Dec 7, 2004, 4:33 PM

Post #3 of 16 (3058 views)

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Re: [RexC] married in mexico

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Quote
no special rights are gained by marrying a Mexican
But you do get to start a business under your new spouse's name, which could be pretty significant for some of us.



To boldly go where no wig has gone before.

kirkswig


Dec 7, 2004, 4:41 PM

Post #4 of 16 (3056 views)

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LOL

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The browser that I'm using, Firefox, has this feature I'm not sure I understand yet; if you click on a web page using the scroll-wheel button, it takes you to another page that it somehow figures is related to the first.

I accidentally did this on my previous post.

Here is the page I got.

Mexican women wielding guns. Not exactly the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about marrying one, but, hey, to each their own.

To boldly go where no wig has gone before.

jennifer rose

Dec 7, 2004, 5:00 PM

Post #5 of 16 (3051 views)

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Re: [RexC] married in mexico

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Foreigners planning to marry Mexicans must first obtain permission from the Secretaria de Gobernación Instituto Nacional de Migración, providing the same documentation as well as a fee of $2132 pesos. And not just any office will do -- the permiso para contraer matrimonio con un nacional must be granted by the office having jurisdiction over where the marriage will take place. This process may take anywhere from 48 hours to two weeks, and a U.S. passport is absolutely required, even if the foreign applicant entered Mexico using a birth certificate. You most definitely will need at least an FMT if you're planning to marry within the Mexican Republic. The requirements can be found at http://www.inami.gob.mx/paginas/tramitesrequisitos/222320.htm If you and your intended have all of your documents in order, it's a straight-forward process, but if you show up without all of the required documents, you'll have to retrieve them.

Nothing magic or automatic will happen to your immigration status upon your marriage. You will still need to qualify for your immigration status, just like anyone else. Upon your marriage, you may qualify for dependent status, provided your support can prove that he can support you. You will not be entitled to any automatic work permit, and you'll have to stand in line just like anyone else. You'll be subject to duty on the importation of anything above and beyond your franquicia, just like anyone else. Getting married isn't exactly a magic bullet.

Papirex


Dec 7, 2004, 7:32 PM

Post #6 of 16 (3028 views)

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Re: [kirkswig] married in mexico

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“But you do get to start a business under your new spouse's name, which could be pretty significant for some of us”

Yes, you can start a business under the Mexican spouses name, but that is not a right the American spouse obtained. It is a right the Mexican spouse retained.

You do gain the right to make all household repairs that you are capable of, to change any flat tires, to occasionally catch hell if you don’t let the dogs out in time, and to share control of your money, and any other assets. I love my situation.


After a period of time living in Mexico with a Mexican spouse, you may apply for Mexican citizenship too, if you desire it. You do not apply for citizenship as the spouse of a Mexican through the Immigration service though. I would need to look it up again to post it here. I’m too lazy to do that tonight, and I don’t remember where I filed that info at right now. It used to be two years before you could apply, I don’t know if that has changed or not.

Rex



"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

jennifer rose

Dec 7, 2004, 10:23 PM

Post #7 of 16 (3010 views)

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Re: [RexC] married in mexico

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SRE is in charge of naturalization. INAMI, a branch of Gobernacion, handles immigration. And 2 years' residency is the requirement for spouses of Mexican citizens.

alex .

Dec 8, 2004, 6:15 AM

Post #8 of 16 (2992 views)

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Re: [ejay] timing is important

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The permission that you get from the Government to marry a Mexican citizen is good for, I think 30 days it was. Your blood test results are only good for 15 days. Your FMT must be current on your wedding day. Your wedding day will be scheduled by the Delegacion who knows when. You may SAY that you want to be married on such and such day for some personal reason but there is no guarantee that the Juez will be available that day. In my case, the windows of opportunity did not quite line up and I had to get my FMT renewed and the blod test taken over again.
If you ever need to divorce, once again you need permission & resident status etc all over again.
And if you think that marriage means automatic immigration status to the US for her, well, sorry, it ain't so.
Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt (except for the divorce part.
Alex

ejay

Dec 8, 2004, 6:27 AM

Post #9 of 16 (2988 views)

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Re: [alex .] timing is important

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Thank you for your responses. HMMMM alot to think about. Well, our ceremony will be in veracruz in march, and the legal part is nothing but legalities. I want the legalities to be as simple and as rapid as possible. How difficult will it be to be married legally in the states? Can any mexican national get a three day pass in or how does it work?? And thankfully she doesn't own a gun!!!

alex .

Dec 8, 2004, 8:25 AM

Post #10 of 16 (2963 views)

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Re: [ejay] 3 day pass

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if she has visited the US before on a tourist visa then getting another one is quick and painless as she will have gone through the quagmire already. If not, then she needs to apply for a visitor visa, demonstrating that she plans to return to Mexico before the visa expires. This proof could include evidence of home ownership, her own business, children established in school, and financial resources. All of this is still no guarantee that a visa application will not be denied. One thing she has going against her is the pending marriage to an American citizen. It may be difficult to convince the consular offical that she does not plan to stay in the US with her American husband to be. If you plan to live in Mexico with her, you may consider petitioning her on a fiance visa (if she will wait to be married) or immigrant spouse visa if she doesn't want to wait. Once all that paperwork is done and an immigrant visa granted (plan on 12 to 18 months all told) then she can come and go between the two countries as she pleases. Your petition will include demonstrating that you have the financial means to support her and any children so they do not become a public charge. This will require that you enter into an agreement with the US gov't that if you separate and she ends up on welfare that you will reimburse the gov't the welfare expenses. Tax records, pay stubs, and other finacial records should suffice to show that you could fulfill your part of the agreement (I-864).
I managed to do all this without an immigration attorney, it requires paying attention to details while filling out lots of forms.
Its all possible and doable, just not in a hurry.
Alex


(This post was edited by alex . on Dec 8, 2004, 8:31 AM)

Marlene


Dec 8, 2004, 9:03 AM

Post #11 of 16 (2954 views)

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Re: [ejay] timing is important

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Well, our ceremony will be in veracruz in march, and the legal part is nothing but legalities. I want the legalities to be as simple and as rapid as possible.
Quote

It is a standard legal ceremony, the length or content is something YOU do not control. It is very thorough and businesslike, covering things like the legal responsibility to educate your children until they reach a certain age, etc. Plus as a foreigner, you will need a legal translator parroting the judge, as part of the whole process. We were presented with a little "marriage handbook" by the Judge when she finished the ceremony. (Thumb prints are also part of the ceremony - very romantic indeed!)

Incidentally, after all the paperwork is done with Migracion there is still more forms to be typed and signed in the Government office prior to the ceremony. There seems to be a need for many witnesses and their signatures on many pieces of paper. Go early. (You take one of these to the Immigration office for their files at a later date)

This will be an exercise in patience for your new life in Mexico. Keep smiling, and go with the flow. It is all worth it.

gpk

Dec 8, 2004, 2:25 PM

Post #12 of 16 (2907 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] married in mexico

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I am not sure what each "category" is called, but aren't there two types of Mexican marriages--one where the couple holds all property jointly and one where all property is held separately? I think you have to choose in advance which one you want.

Marlene


Dec 8, 2004, 5:30 PM

Post #13 of 16 (2883 views)

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Re: [gpk] married in mexico

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Yes, that is true. That was just a part of the paperwork at the city hall prior to our ceremony. We got to blurt out in front of our witnesses (who were waiting to sign) whether we as a couple would be holding assets jointly or keeping assets separately. Very matter of fact, all of it.

alex .

Dec 9, 2004, 6:08 AM

Post #14 of 16 (2837 views)

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Re: [Marlene] our ceremony was all Spanish

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She was given a cue card to read from when it was her turn to speak. I was left to my own resources to say something appropriate in Spanish. I guess I did all right, 'cause I'm good-n- married now.
Alex


(This post was edited by alex . on Dec 9, 2004, 8:01 AM)

Caarina12

Dec 9, 2004, 8:31 AM

Post #15 of 16 (2815 views)

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Re: [alex .] our ceremony was all Spanish

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My husband and I got married in the US after thoroughly reviewing our options in Mexico. For us,
we only wanted a civil ceremony, so we just compared prices. For all the paperwork at INAMI and Registro Civil, bloodtests, travel to and from San Diego, lost wages from having to be present during business hours etc. We calculated the cost was going to be at least $700 US.

My husband had a US visitor's visa at the time, and for $100 and no bloodwork, we got married in San Diego. All he needed was two forms of ID and swear that he wasn't previously married. That was IT. We got our licence and were married on the spot. We then had a reception in Ensenada, and it turned out just fine!

Caarina

alex .

Dec 9, 2004, 9:19 AM

Post #16 of 16 (2810 views)

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Re: [Caarina12] previous marriage

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I forgot about that part. Since I had been married before I had to show Apostilled documentation of the divorce decree as proof of eligibilty to marry.

When someone tells me a story about how he met this wonderful senorita in Mazatlan on spring break and figures he'll marry her and bring her home to the States I just shake my head and think: man is this dude in for an awakening!

Alex


(This post was edited by alex . on Dec 9, 2004, 9:24 AM)
 
 
 
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