immigration |ˌimiˈgrā sh ən|
noun
the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country : a barrier to control illegal immigration into Mexico.
• the place a country's government officials check the documents of people living that country.
This single word can cause anxiety, panic, and a feeling of impending doom for any foreigner living beyond the boundaries of their homeland. I say this as my fingernails are sore from being chewn to the quick from nervousness of my recent dealings with Mexican immigration. Almost 17 years calling Mexico home, always a "legal" alien, yet I stood at the front desk in the immigration office wringing my hands. I would have paced the floor too, however the office will be full of other aliens who's home planet may have been Spain, Italy, Belize, the US, or Canada. Each of us with pages of documents, and a number in our hand, watched as the numbers click through to the next alien being served, to the rhythmic drumming of stamps from ink pads to paper resonating on planet Mexico.
I am sure the reaction is the same for aliens all around the world as they try to have a life in a planet beyond the boundaries of their forefathers.
Back in 1992 when we drove across the border with our wears, we were initially given tourist cards, a document that acknowledged our arrival into Mexico and how many days we could stay. Generally back then to get 180 days was common place. We were offered positions with a dive shop here in the Cancun-Tulum corridor prior to our arrival into Mexico, and we negotiated to have the company sponsor us so we could get "working papers". FM-3's, Mexico's version of a green card.
Once on the coast, a recommended lawyer prepared a "solicitude" for us, including copies of all our diving certifications to show we had specialized skills that nationals in the area did not have and so we were worthy of working on the coast. It was probably 6 months of waiting, being in "tranmite", transit, until we received our FM-3. There are two types of FM-3's working, or retiree. With our working FM-3 immigration gave us a finite amount of time, and then we would go again for renewal. We were on FM-3's for 10 years. Over that period sometimes we would do the renewal ourselves which involved many trips to immigration in Cancun, and of course, there was always some document that was suddenly needed, which required a return trip with that document. As an alien I would try different personas to try to try to move the system along a little quicker, smoother. I would be sweet and bring immigration staff pastries or coffee, dress sexy & flirt, acted up-tight and proper, and always there was cash hidden in my pocket if needed to pay to expedite the process.
I to this day get nervous I could be deported back to my planet on a whim of an official.
Playa del Carmen eventually had enough of a population to warrant an immigration office of its own. There was one Delagado, head of the office, who I was terrified of. It was a woman with black hair, and the persona of an angry S&M Mistress. All she need was a collar, whip and spike heeled boots. I would sheepishly go to the office to await my alien-fate shaking like the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz. Only offering up only a quiet sigh of relief as the drone of the stamp hitting the ink pad and pounding down on my documents.
Over the course of a few years we went from working for others, and we opened our own company, so our documents were changed over, that we had official positions with a Mexican company that we actually owned.
After 10 years on a FM-3, we went to FM-2, which essentially I interpret as, well you made it this far along, you can come up another rung in being assimilation ladder. FM-2's usually only had to be renewed once a year. A process that still took a few months to get through, and by the time the ink dried on the paper was time for the renewal process to start again. This cycle lasted 3 years. In 2006 we became "Inmagrados", immigrants of Mexico. So we were almost kinda like Mexican but we could not vote, still carrying a US Passport we had the protection of being American. There was a little ceremony of sorts of about 8 of us inmigrados who received signed letters from Mexico City, our FM-2 booklets. We were very proud, and we never would have to go to immigration again, unless we moved, to update our address. Or so I thought.
An FM-2 or 3 is a booklet much like a passport, photo, name address, etc. When we would leave and enter Mexico it gets stamped, we were not be asked for our US passports. Well, my antique booklet had become so full of coming and going stamps that the guys at the airport were stamping the covers, the staples holding this book together were rusty and broken. It really was a document on its last legs. For the last two years I had avoided getting my "credential". This is a card much like a drivers license with a bar code that gets swiped as you come and go from the country. So recently I bit the bullet and decided to get this card, which I was told would take 3 days.
Since only the Cancun office can issue this card, I hired a national, Natalia, to process the paperwork for me and gave her power of attorney over my immigration documents. Natalia got the list of required documents and the solicitude for the credential. I had everything, copies of my identification, my passport, two witnesses and their id's, a copy of Gary's immigration paperwork, passport, controbante de domocilio (a house hold expense, a utility bill), but since my name was not on the electric bill, I had to have a letter signed my Gary whose name is on the utility bill that I did live at his address and had been living with him at our address since 1998. Keep in mind were were married in Mexico, so you would have thought this would be in the system. Regardless I had all the paperwork, the $1,261.00 pesos to pay the fee for the processing. I pass all of this on to Natalia. She calls, and suddenly Immigration has more "requistos" in other words requirements. Natalia says but we gave you the required documents, what more do you need? They say well, we cannot tell you over the phone, come to Cancun again and we will tell you in person. Natalia goes to Cancun from Playa, only to be told #1 they want to see me sign my own signature. Secondly they want Gary's original immigration documents, which if they would have checked their computer system they would see he was currently out of the country. AND, if I did not do this within 15 days would have to re-apply, and if not handled in 30 days, I could lose my immigration status entirely.
So last week Monday Natalia and I went back to immigration, I had to write a sentence in Spanish and sign my name which was then stamped. Then presented a letter saying my husband whose roof I resided under was out of the country so I was not able to present his immigration documents, this was stamped. If I sound irritated it is because I was, for having been run around, and resentful that I had to have my husbands paperwork saying I lived at his address. Sorry, I am independent free thinking woman, not a farm animal needing a brand on my backside to show ownership. This took all of 10 minutes, so it is noon. The Immigration officials tell Natalia to call at 4 pm. We get back on the bus go back to Playa del Carmen, then I got my car and drove back to Akumal. At 4 pm, Immigration says ok, come back on Wednesday for a meeting pay the fee at the bank, bring the original receipt of payment, three copies to the meeting and that my appointment was at noon.
I return. Natalia had gone on vacation. Here I am with a folder of copies of everything under the sun, except a note from my mother. I get another form to complete, the color of my hair, eyes, the shape of my forehead, what kind of eye brows did I have, the type of nose, chin, mouth, if I had a beard or mustache, my height. My father's name, my mothers name, my husband's name, nationalities. I pass it back across the counter. I take my seat again. 12:45 pm, 1:10 pm, an IBM Selectric typewriter pitter-pattering in the background. The sweet immigration lady shows me the typed document to proof read. No, my hair color was wrong; no, you misspelled my mothers name. Back to the typewriter. Final proof was good to go. Out comes the ink pad. I get thumb printed, oh I am almost done I could feel it. I sit back down with my blue-inked thumbs in excited anticipation. 2:00 pm... 2:15 and I am handed my credential. I am so proud of my new card.
In celebration I thought I would treat myself to a cold beer on my way back to the bus station, but disappointedly a vendor did not cross my path in my 2-block walk to bus. I opted instead of a cheap bottle of wine that evening instead.
I am now done with immigration in Mexico. I have my state-of-the-art credential with the bar code, my documents of old, off to the archive vault of Mexico Immigration somewhere on this planet.
Note:
There are levels of status as a foreigner in this country:
1. Most people get a Tourist Visa, or "tourist card" it is often referred as. This piece of paper is completed by you on the plane, with your information of where you are from, where you are staying, how many people are traveling with you. This gets stamped when immigration at the airport as they check your passport. As minor as one may percieve this document to be, it is a pain in the ass to get another one if you lose yours. There really is no reason to lose it, no one will ask for it during your entire stay, until it comes time to depart the country. If you drive into Mexico many times they will give you "X" number of days your visa is good for, and depending on your circumstances you can have this extended.
2. FM-3
So many tourists write me and ask about how they can work here in Mexico. You just cannot show up and start a job legally. In 1992, we were "sponsored" by a Mexican company because we had skills that few Mexicans had on the coast, we were cave divers and instructors. A highly trained skill. Lawyers took responsibility for our papers getting the proper documentation for our FM-3. I am sure by now laws have changed.
I have heard of retired FM-3's which allows you to reside in Mexico, non-working.
3. FM-2 which is an Immigrant Visa.
I have looked at many websites that offer information on the various visas, requirements, etc. I was going to try to try to explain them in more detail for reference, however if you are interested in staying in Mexico beyond being a tourist, I invite you to wade through the immigration information and process on your own. I would hate to spoil any part of your adventure.
