# change residente temporal to residente permanente



## surfrider (Oct 4, 2011)

Has anyone changed their inm residente temporal to be permanent? What had to be done>


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

surfrider said:


> Has anyone changed their inm residente temporal to be permanent? What had to be done>


I changed from Inmigrante (former status equivalent to Residente Temporal) to Residente Permanente (equivalent to former Imigrado).

I had to supply a letter asking for the change, and proof of income sufficient to meet the requirements. It was straightforward but required near a dozen visits to INM (Migracion) and about 3 months.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> I changed from Inmigrante (former status equivalent to Residente Temporal) to Residente Permanente (equivalent to former Imigrado).
> 
> I had to supply a letter asking for the change, and proof of income sufficient to meet the requirements. It was straightforward but required near a dozen visits to INM (Migracion) and about 3 months.


I did the same thing, but the agent at INM asked if I wanted to change rather than be Temporal. Submitted the bank statements, but they "grandfathered" me in. Signed papers, etc. Waited three and a half months. 

It's best to ask your local INM office what they want after all you'll have to see them eventually.


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## surfrider (Oct 4, 2011)

thanks - did it cost a lot of money? or just time and paperwork?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

surfrider said:


> thanks - did it cost a lot of money? or just time and paperwork?


There was a $1000 mxn fee for the change of status. Then Residente Permanente cost $3815 mxn, maybe $1000 more than Residente Temporal. I don't recall the exact amount for Temporal.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> There was a $1000 mxn fee for the change of status. Then Residente Permanente cost $3815 mxn, maybe $1000 more than Residente Temporal. I don't recall the exact amount for Temporal.


The best thing about becoming a Residente Permanente is that you don't have to return to INM for yearly renewals and only have to return if you move, get married (or divorced) or change jobs.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> I changed from Inmigrante (former status equivalent to Residente Temporal) to Residente Permanente (equivalent to former Imigrado).
> 
> I had to supply a letter asking for the change, and proof of income sufficient to meet the requirements. It was straightforward but required near a dozen visits to INM (Migracion) and about 3 months.


We just did it in Morelia. Remarkably, it took three weeks, start to finish. We qualified by financial solvency, as they did not count our years under FM3. It was all very pleasant and easy.


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## surfrider (Oct 4, 2011)

Anonimo said:


> We just did it in Morelia. Remarkably, it took three weeks, start to finish. We qualified by financial solvency, as they did not count our years under FM3. It was all very pleasant and easy.


yap money does work well in Mexico -


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

surfrider said:


> yap money does work well in Mexico -


And everywhere else in the world as well!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

We changed from Inmigrante to Residente Permanente, based upon our unbroken string of visas for more than a decade. No financial information was required and the process took 7 weeks in Guadalajara.


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## surfrider (Oct 4, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> And everywhere else in the world as well!


so very true... Wonder if we could go back to the goods exchange type economy would work today>>>


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## fjack1415 (Nov 4, 2011)

*Fm-2 ==>> residente temporal (!)*



Isla Verde said:


> The best thing about becoming a Residente Permanente is that you don't have to return to INM for yearly renewals and only have to return if you move, get married (or divorced) or change jobs.


Christ, I already had an FM-2, am married to a Mexican citizen, and when I went to renew my FM-2 what did I get? Yep I got a Residente Temporal! And since INM asked me if I wanted to renew for more than one year, yeah, sure, 3 years. I met a guy at the airport INM and he said the same thing happened to him. Went to guy who got my FM2 and his response was like a shrug of shoulders, like so, what is wrong with this?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

fjack1415 said:


> Christ, I already had an FM-2, am married to a Mexican citizen, and when I went to renew my FM-2 what did I get? Yep I got a Residente Temporal! And since INM asked me if I wanted to renew for more than one year, yeah, sure, 3 years. I met a guy at the airport INM and he said the same thing happened to him. Went to guy who got my FM2 and his response was like a shrug of shoulders, like so, what is wrong with this?


I believe it depended on the number of renewals on the back of your Inmigrante (FM-2) card. If the number was a 3 or 4, you should have gone to Residente Permanente. If a 1 or 2, you go to Residente Temporal.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I believe it depended on the number of renewals on the back of your Inmigrante (FM-2) card. If the number was a 3 or 4, you should have gone to Residente Permanente. If a 1 or 2, you go to Residente Temporal.


Under the new "Vinculo Familiar" law he should technically be able to get a Residente Permanente with no financial solvency but when I applied they only allowed me a Residente Temporal for as many as 4 years but stated I could tramite to Residente Permanente in 2 years. 

The FM2 he had if it was renewed once he should have been able to get a Residente Permanente because he was Inmigrante for 2 years under the Vinculo Familiar. If he did not tramite under Vinculo Familiar then your assessment would be correct.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

AlanMexicali said:


> Under the new "Vinculo Familiar" law he should technically be able to get a Residente Permanente with no financial solvency but when I applied they only allowed me a Residente Temporal for as many as 4 years but stated I could tramite to Residente Permanente in 2 years.
> 
> The FM2 he had if it was renewed once he should have been able to get a Residente Permanente because he was Inmigrante for 2 years under the Vinculo Familiar. If he did not tramite under Vinculo Familiar then your assessment would be correct.


Thanks for the addition. I was ignoring the effect of the family connection.


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## fjack1415 (Nov 4, 2011)

*FM2 renewal problem*



AlanMexicali said:


> Under the new "Vinculo Familiar" law he should technically be able to get a Residente Permanente with no financial solvency but when I applied they only allowed me a Residente Temporal for as many as 4 years but stated I could tramite to Residente Permanente in 2 years.
> 
> The FM2 he had if it was renewed once he should have been able to get a Residente Permanente because he was Inmigrante for 2 years under the Vinculo Familiar. If he did not tramite under Vinculo Familiar then your assessment would be correct.



I note that I had had the FM-2 for just one year and that this was going to be my first renewal of it. Prior to that I think I had the FM-3 for two years. When I showed up at immigration, before anything, they asked me how many years I wanted to renew for and I am thinking we are talking FM-2 or equivalent for the new visas, so, yeah, whatever the maximum was going to be I took it, like three years.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

But, did you forget to mention that you were married to a Mexican national?


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## fjack1415 (Nov 4, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> But, did you forget to mention that you were married to a Mexican national?


No, I did not mention I was married to a Mexican citizen as I figure there was no need to as I already had given INM the marriage paperwork to get the FM-2. So, it was all just bollixed, between my being unprepared and INM perhaps dropping a ball. Dunno.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Ok. As a Residente Temporal, you can probably apply for Residente Permanente as a family member of a Mexican National. Then, after two years, I think you can apply for naturalization, if you wish.
The FM2 and FM3 no longer exist, and are replaced by the Residente Temporal Visa you now hold. So INM acted correctly, as you did not apply under the family option.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

If you have a FM2 with a number 3 on it, no financials "should" be required. "should" because I've heard that some places are requiring those anyway at present.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

lagoloo said:


> If you have a FM2 with a number 3 on it, no financials "should" be required. "should" because I've heard that some places are requiring those anyway at present.


NOBODY has an FM2 with anything on the back. They now have a residence visa card. Look at yours. There is no FM2 or 3, as they were discontinued. Please use the new terminology to avoid confusion. The only people still carrying an old green booklet with an FM2 designation upgraded, are Inmigrado and will eventually trade those booklets for new Residente Permanente visa cards.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> NOBODY has an FM2 with anything on the back. They now have a residence visa card. Look at yours. There is no FM2 or 3, as they were discontinued. Please use the new terminology to avoid confusion. The only people still carrying an old green booklet with an FM2 designation upgraded, are Inmigrado and will eventually trade those booklets for new Residente Permanente visa cards.


Just to be clear: I have just looked at my old card (not a booklet) and on the back, it clearly states "Refrendo 3." The front says "immigrante rentista" I have applied for Permanente, have been fingerprinted and am awaiting my card.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> Just to be clear: I have just looked at my old card (not a booklet) and on the back, it clearly states "Refrendo 3." The front says "immigrante rentista" I have applied for Permanente, have been fingerprinted and am awaiting my card.


But your card is not an FM2, is it? When you turned in your booklet for the card, you exchanged your FM2 for an Inmigrado card, which is the point RVGRINGO was making in his last post.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> But your card is not an FM2, is it? When you turned in your booklet for the card, you exchanged your FM2 for an Inmigrado card, which is the point RVGRINGO was making in his last post.


I don't remember ever having a booklet. I went from what was usually referred to as an "Fm3 status card" to an *"immigrante" *card (called an FM2 by the facilitator I used, so that's the term I used.) I intended to go from there to permanent (previously called Immigrado) status. They changed all the terms last year.

My point in my OP was that after three years of being immigrante rentista *with a "refrendo 3" on the back* (which mine has), no financials are required in most states (there are exceptions) to go on to Permanente status. 
I turned in the original card upon request, but made a copy of the front and the back and had it notarized, along with evidence of fee payment, to carry with me while I wait for my new card. I advise others in Jalisco state to do this because the waiting time between application and issuance of new cards seems to be months, and people need some identification to carry with them.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

lagoloo said:


> I don't remember ever having a booklet. I went from what was usually referred to as an "Fm3 status card" to an *"immigrante" *card (called an FM2 by the facilitator I used, so that's the term I used.) I intended to go from there to permanent (previously called Immigrado) status. They changed all the terms last year.
> 
> My point in my OP was that after three years of being immigrante rentista *with a "refrendo 3" on the back* (which mine has), no financials are required in most states (there are exceptions) to go on to Permanente status.
> I turned in the original card upon request, but made a copy of the front and the back and had it notarized, along with evidence of fee payment, to carry with me while I wait for my new card. I advise others in Jalisco state to do this because the waiting time between application and issuance of new cards seems to be months, and people need some identification to carry with them.


Sounds like a good reason not to use a Facilitator. Why hire someone to help with a simple process, when the helper is using terminology that went away four years ago.

For general interest, if your Inmigrante or No-Inmigrante card has a Refrendo 1 or 2 on the back, you go automatically to Residente Temporal. If it has a 3 or 4 on the back, you go to Residente Permanente.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Sounds like a good reason not to use a Facilitator. Why hire someone to help with a simple process, when the helper is using terminology that went away four years ago.


Excellent point!


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> For general interest, if your Inmigrante or No-Inmigrante card has a Refrendo 1 or 2 on the back, you go automatically to Residente Temporal. If it has a 3 or 4 on the back, you go to Residente Permanente.


I had five years on the No-Inmigrante and one on the Inmigrante. Without the financial qualification, I went to Residente Permanente. Who needs a facilitator? I believe there are those who live far, e.g. 200 km., from the nearest INM office who would benefit from a facilitator. Those who don't should now how to get photos taken and to make copies of needed documents.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

In my case, I was referring to a facilitator in another state who originally obtained my documents before the terminology was changed. I may be missing the point, but what does that have to do with it? 

I realize that some people can go sailing through the bureaucracy with nary a hitch and hooray for them, but for other people, there are very good reasons to use a facilitator. Those reasons may have to do with disabilities which interfere with communications. Got it?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> In my case, I was referring to a facilitator in another state who originally obtained my documents before the terminology was changed. I may be missing the point, but what does that have to do with it?
> 
> I realize that some people can go sailing through the bureaucracy with nary a hitch and hooray for them, but for other people, there are very good reasons to use a facilitator. Those reasons may have to do with disabilities which interfere with communications. Got it?


Even speaking fluent Spanish as I do, I've never had dealings with the INM bureaucracy that went through without a hitch or two, especially this year! Could the disability you're referring to be the inability to communicate in Spanish?


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> Even speaking fluent Spanish as I do, I've never had dealings with the INM bureaucracy that went through without a hitch or two, especially this year! Could the disability you're referring to be the inability to communicate in Spanish?


Lack of Spanish skills is not a "disability", is it?


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=RVGRINGO;1456129]NOBODY has an FM2 with anything on the back. They now have a residence visa card. Look at yours. There is no FM2 or 3, as they were discontinued. Please use the new terminology to avoid confusion. The only people still carrying an old green booklet with an FM2 designation upgraded, are Inmigrado and will eventually trade those booklets for new Residente Permanente visa cards.[/QUOTE]_

Well, I think the confusioion is among the old FM-2 booklet and the terms "Inmigante" and "Inmigrado". We carried an old FM-2 booklet in its fifth renewal up until we were issued an "Inmigrado" card and have never even seen or, for that matter, heard of an "Inmigrante" card - did not even know they existed. "Inmigrado" is the equivalent of "Residente Permanente", Under the old system, we carried first FM-3 and then FM-2 booklets for about ten years. Went into INM in Guadalajara and exchanged that FM-2 booklet for an "Inmigrado" - not "Inmigrante" card. If you consult a language dictionary, both inmigrante and inmigrado mean, literally, "Immigrant" in English. I have concluded that the old writers for _MAD MAGAZINE _have retired and are now working avocationally for INM in charge of driving ordinary humans to the brink of insanity much to their glee.

Since we have had "Inmigrado" cards since November, 2010 which clearly state on the backs of the cards that we are permanent residents of Mexico with all the rights and privileges conferred by that designation, the concept of going down to trade in those cards for the new "Residente Permanente" cards as we have been encouuraged to do indirectly by INM, sounds like the bureaucratic equivalent of ten root canals without the benefit of anesthesia so there is no chance we are going to show up at INM in Chapala and set that nightmare in motion. If the government wants us to trade in our cards for oermanent resident cards, they can drop us a line in the snail mal. Maybe by that time INM in Chapala will no longer be resembling a chaotic insane asylum.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> Lack of Spanish skills is not a "disability", is it?


It can be a social disability when you're living in a Spanish-speaking country .


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Hound Dog said:


> Well, I think the confusioion is among the old FM-2 booklet and the terms "Inmigante" and "Inmigrado". We carried an old FM-2 booklet in its fifth renewal up until we were issued an "Inmigrado" card and have never even seen or, for that matter, heard of an "Inmigrante" card - did not even know they existed. "Inmigrado" is the equivalent of "Residente Permanente", Under the old system, we carried first FM-3 and then FM-2 booklets for about ten years. Went into INM in Guadalajara and exchanged that FM-2 booklet for an "Inmigrado" - not "Inmigrante" card. If you consult a language dictionary, both inmigrante and inmigrado mean, literally, "Immigrant" in English. I have concluded that the old writers for _MAD MAGAZINE _have retired and are now working avocationally for INM in charge of driving ordinary humans to the brink of insanity much to their glee.
> 
> Since we have had "Inmigrado" cards since November, 2010 which clearly state on the backs of the cards that we are permanent residents of Mexico with all the rights and privileges conferred by that designation, the concept of going down to trade in those cards for the new "Residente Permanente" cards as we have been encouuraged to do indirectly by INM, sounds like the bureaucratic equivalent of ten root canals without the benefit of anesthesia so there is no chance we are going to show up at INM in Chapala and set that nightmare in motion. If the government wants us to trade in our cards for oermanent resident cards, they can drop us a line in the snail mal. Maybe by that time INM in Chapala will no longer be resembling a chaotic insane asylum.


Hound Dog,

About four years ago:
FM-3 changed to No-Inmigrante
FM-2 changed to Inmigrante
Imigrado didn't change

Last year:
No-Inmigrante and Inmigrante changed to Residente Temporal
Imgrado changed to Residente Permanente
and at the same time they upgraded people to Permanente if they had been Inmigrante or No-inmigrante for 3 or 4 years.

At least that is the story I have gotten.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> It can be a social disability when you're living in a Spanish-speaking country .


Are you always this way? Or just after the newbies?

I am using the term in the specific manner for which it was intended. Are we done yet?


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

_both inmigrante and inmigrado mean, literally, "Immigrant" in English._

I'll throw my hat in the ring and state that inmigrante is "the process of being an immigrant" while inmigrado is "the state of being an immigant." But as Bill Clinton says, "It all depends on what the meaning of "is" is. There, that should stir up the pot to a good state of confusion.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

joaquinx said:


> _both inmigrante and inmigrado mean, literally, "Immigrant" in English._
> 
> I'll throw my hat in the ring and state that inmigrante is "the process of being an immigrant" while inmigrado is "the state of being an immigant." But as Bill Clinton says, "It all depends on what the meaning of "is" is. There, that should stir up the pot to a good state of confusion.


I see it the same. Inmigrante as "in coming" ,,, immigrant newly arrived and Inmigrado as immigrated.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Beyond the nitpicking going on here, I doubt anyone is really confused about the various states of immigration.
After all the discussions, I think everyone knows what "Permanente" means, all the vehicle problems attending it, the financial topes set up, the long wait in some places and the general confusion resulting from the new regulations. 

Add to that the factor that various places impose different requirements, legal or not. Perhaps some of us know people who failed to follow the program, have neither the magic number on the right document and who are being forced to leave the country when they can't meet the financial requirements. I know a few. Sad.

I agree with Hound Dog on the PITA aspects. Well put.

"Social Disability", IMHO, includes habitual fault finding. The usual meaning of "disability" is physical. I know elderly people who are nearly deaf, beyond adequate correction with hearing aids, and who, although they can read and speak Spanish to a point, simply cannot understand the rapid fire replies they receive from native speakers. I say, give them a break and some human kindness. They need a good facilitator, not a critic.


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