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October 18, 2007
FM3:3
Cover, Non-Immigrant Visa
In the last entry on this topic, I had a list of other things I had to turn in to get my FM3, the non-immigrant visa for living in Mexico. I turned those in last week, and this past Tuesday I was able to go pick up the little book shown above. This makes me an official, legal, non-immigrant visitor to Mexico, who can be in the country without restriction on coming or going, for a full year. It is renewable (without the whole long application process I went through to get it) for up to five years.
Inside Page, Non-Immigrant Visa
The whole thing is pretty simple. On the first page inside, on the left, there is a list of rules and limitations for the visa, and on the right is the date of issue, government seal and the signature of the head of our local immigration office.
Inside Page, Non-Immigrant Visa
Then on the next page there is all the information specific to me, such as various dates (the date I entered the country, the date I applied, the date the visa was issued, my birthdate, etc.), the number of the visa, my birthplace, my gender, my marital status (in Mexico), my signature, a photo and even my fingerprint.
Note how in the photo, I have the "wet look" that is ever so popular down here.
There's another official seal and once again, the signature of the local immigration chief. I don't know why they have to sign and stamp it twice, but if you've been in or around bureacracy in Mexico, you'll know they're really big on that. I suspect that's pretty common worldwide.
But that's it. Now I'm legal for a year. A year from now, I have to go back and renew it, but I don't have to go through the whole process again. I'm glad for that. It involved so many trips: 4 to the immigration office in the federal building, 2 to the bank, 2 to the photographer's studio, and 3 to a copy shop.
Posted by crispy at October 18, 2007 01:22 PM
Comments
and three separate blog entries!
Posted by: brett at October 18, 2007 07:45 PM
Thus ends our hopes of tricking you out of several visits to Amerika for mere bureaucratic reasons.
You look like a gangster, by the way. Oh, how by the way it is.
Funny that you can move to Mexico just to hang out, but when the ODM tried to hire a sports guy from Toronto, it was impossible, even after blowing two grand on the H1B paperwork our bureaucrats recommended, even though, in retrospect (is there any other spect?) that wasn't the proper form.
Whatev! Life is suffering.
[crispy says: Getting legal entry to the United States is next to impossible unless you come as a tourist and have boatloads of cash. That's why pretty much everyone that comes there looking for work comes illegally.]
Posted by: Mark Allen at October 18, 2007 10:47 PM
Hmm. Couldn't convince them you're married, eh?
[crispy says: Didn't try, actually. Civil unions are legal and recognized in Coahuila and the DF, but I'm not sure to what degree they'll recognize a marriage from another country such as ours. The truth is, I probably could have checked "MARRIED" on the form without much stir. I did consider it, but since Shawn checked "SINGLE" on his form, I figured I might as well do the same.]
Posted by: Mark Allen at October 19, 2007 05:25 AM
I'm surprised you didn't go all Kelly LeBrock circa 1986 for your photo shoot:
Posted by: Akira at October 19, 2007 12:08 PM