# Enrolling Spouse in ISSSTE



## alvaradojg (Jun 8, 2017)

My wife was a teacher for the Mexican Federal Schools and has the ISSSTE enrollment because of that. She asked what she needed to enroll me into ISSSTE. She was told that she needed our certified copy of our marriage certificate and my birth certificate with a copy of each of the documents including the CURP. My wife understood that they were going to keep the documents. Now I know it is against the law to give your birth certificate or a certified copy of it to another to keep. Perhaps the one who told my wife that was wrong or my wife understood incorrectly.
Has anyone had the experience of being enrolled into the ISSSTE as a spouse and what was asked of them. Did they returned the original documents?
Enrollment will be in Durango, Durango Mexico.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

alvaradojg said:


> My wife was a teacher for the Mexican Federal Schools and has the ISSSTE enrollment because of that. She asked what she needed to enroll me into ISSSTE. She was told that she needed our certified copy of our marriage certificate and my birth certificate with a copy of each of the documents including the CURP. My wife understood that they were going to keep the documents. Now I know it is against the law to give your birth certificate or a certified copy of it to another to keep. Perhaps the one who told my wife that was wrong or my wife understood incorrectly.
> Has anyone had the experience of being enrolled into the ISSSTE as a spouse and what was asked of them. Did they returned the original documents?
> Enrollment will be in Durango, Durango Mexico.


When you say "it is against the law to give your birth certificate or a certified copy of it to another to keep", are you referring to US law or Mexican law? I don't know what the law is in the US, but in Mexico it is very common to have to submit birth certificates and other official documents to government entities, which are then kept by that entity. Also some official _tramites_ require a recently emitted birth certificate (that Mexicans will get through the _Registro Civil_). It's not like in Canada or the US where you get one birth certificate, which you can then keep using for all your official paperwork over the years.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Earlier this year we had to _give_ IMSS copies of our officially translated US birth certificates. We are in the process of having our apostatized US birth certificates officially translated for our naturalization process. As best I can recall - no one has ever asked us for our marriage certificate in Mexico.

Of mild interest - I happen to have my original birth certificates but the state of my birth would not apostatize it. The certificate had to be no older than 10 years old.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

horseshoe846 said:


> Earlier this year we had to _give_ IMSS copies of our officially translated US birth certificates. We are in the process of having our apostatized US birth certificates officially translated for our naturalization process. As best I can recall - no one has ever asked us for our marriage certificate in Mexico.
> 
> Of mild interest - I happen to have my original birth certificates but the state of my birth would not apostatize it. The certificate had to be no older than 10 years old.


You aren´t joining the ISSSTE which is only for Mexican Federal Government employees and their family. Because of being the newly married spouse of an ISSSTE member for your enrolment in the ISSSTE requires proof. A marriage license and a certified copy not a photo copy. The cost in Mexico might vary but at the Registro Civil who did our marriage here in SLP it costs $120.00 pesos each 7 years ago. I used a FMM tourist card to join ISSSTE, a certified copy of our marriage license, my CURP card [at that time INM did not have to be involved in the only ones who could give CURP alpha numbric CURP numbers to foreigners, but now you need a RT or RP visa/card to get a CURP in Mexico] and the lawyer at the Registro Civil translated my original birth certificate for $80.00 pesos before we were married. I don´t think ISSSTE cared if that translated birth cerficate came form and only needed a copy. Also if your wife precedes you you have ISSSTE for life. 

When I went to IMSS to get my "Numero de Seguro Social" which I wanted but was not joing their medical plan they requested an officially translated copy of my birth certificate [ INM did not - they took a copy of my origianl after keeping it a week]. I asked were is the place you accept translation from. He said the "Centro de Idiomas" at the UASLP [SLP state univercity] is the cheapest and fasted. He was right $150.00 pesos and 2 hours to get. They kept the original. The number was free of charge and I am in their registry. It took 5 hours total time.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Another thing I forgot to mention. You will have the same alpha numeric ISSSTE number as your wife with a "D" after it. I presume that means dependant. Also don´t let them put your middle name if you have one on the "Carnet" [your card and appointment booklet] as they will all screw up and think it is your mother´s maiden name. I made that mistake.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

AlanMexicali said:


> Another thing I forgot to mention. You will have the same alpha numeric ISSSTE number as your wife with a "D" after it. I presume that means dependant. Also don´t let them put your middle name if you have one on the "Carnet" [your card and appointment booklet] as they will all screw up and think it is your mother´s maiden name. I made that mistake.


Actually, they will think your middle name is your "apellido" (father's first last name) and they will think that your last name is your "segundo apellido" (mother's first last name). There are no maiden names in Spanish speaking cultures because they never change their name at marriage.

This confusion happens to me all the time when people hear my name verbally since I use all three of my names regularly (I have one of the most common pairs of first and last names in the English speaking world) but in any official written documents I make sure that my middle name appears as a second first name and I leave the "segundo apellido" blank. This keeps everything uniform and prevents problems.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

circle110 said:


> Actually, they will think your middle name is your "apellido" (father's first last name) and they will think that your last name is your "segundo apellido" (mother's first last name). There are no maiden names in Spanish speaking cultures because they never change their name at marriage.
> 
> This confusion happens to me all the time when people hear my name verbally since I use all three of my names regularly (I have one of the most common pairs of first and last names in the English speaking world) but in any official written documents I make sure that my middle name appears as a second first name and I leave the "segundo apellido" blank. This keeps everything uniform and prevents problems.



I have 2 middle names which was even worse as they used the translation of my birth certificate and my marriage license and CURP to register me - all have my 4 names. My INM visa/card and US passport does not - only 3 names [this cost me a trip to the US Consulate to get a notarized letter swearing I also go by an AKA which is the one with 4 names, not 3 when going from RT to RP]. They got that my last name is what it is correctly, not thinking it was one of my 3 other names. They got my first name correct also. I made sure they understood those 2 names correctly. The problem was my other 2 middle names. Anyone seeing my "carnet" I am called Alan David - they joined 2 names together and think that as my first name. My second middle name they think is my mother´s maiden name. So both are incorrect because the "carnet" doesn´t have boxes with the words appellido - paterno - materno- under the names like some government documents especially forms you fill out etc.

I do get sick of explaining it to people at the ISSSTE. The nurse and my local clinic who every month takes my vitals calls me Señor Alan David instead of Señor Alan. I got used to it.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

AlanMexicali said:


> I have 2 middle names which was even worse as they used the translation of my birth certificate and my marriage license and CURP to register me - all have my 4 names. My INM visa/card and US passport does not - only 3 names [this cost me a trip to the US Consulate to get a notarized letter swearing I also go by an AKA which is the one with 4 names, not 3 when going from RT to RP]. They got that my last name is what it is correctly, not thinking it was one of my 3 other names. They got my first name correct also. I made sure they understood those 2 names correctly. The problem was my other 2 middle names. Anyone seeing my "carnet" I am called Alan David - they joined 2 names together and think that as my first name. My second middle name they think is my mother´s maiden name. So both are incorrect because the "carnet" doesn´t have boxes with the words appellido - paterno - materno- under the names like some government documents especially forms you fill out etc.
> 
> I do get sick of explaining it to people at the ISSSTE. The nurse and my local clinic who every month takes my vitals calls me Señor Alan David instead of Señor Alan. I got used to it.


Wow, I imagine the two middle names really causes a lot of mess for you! I think you are taking the smartest approach and just getting used to having them call you various versions of your name.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

circle110 said:


> Wow, I imagine the two middle names really causes a lot of mess for you! I think you are taking the smartest approach and just getting used to having them call you various versions of your name.


I just looked at my ISSSTE "carnet". My last name appears first, so no problem. On my wife´s her last name and then her materno name are first and her name is last. The alpha- numeric number doesn´t have a "d" after it, my mistake, but a dash "4" . My wife´s has dash 2 and my doesn´t so I presume 2 and then 4 means something. 

Thank goodness my INM visa/card is correct and so is my SLP drivers license. :wave:


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## alvaradojg (Jun 8, 2017)

It is true that Hispanic Americans use their middle name/initial as the place to put their mother's maiden name. It does get mixed up as Latin countries first last name is their father's followed by their mother's last name as legitimacy is very important to Latin cultures. In Spain I was called Mr. Gonzalez (Mother's last name) instead of Mr. Alvarado (father's last name) as I had Gonzalez as my middle name. Yes, I will have to be careful when getting my Curp as a PR.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Another common custom in Latin America is having the middle name as the name commonly used by the family and friends, rather than the first name. I did that to my oldest, but didn't want to do that to my youngest 2. I have too many Lat Am friends here in Toronto where half the world (the English-speaking half) call them by their first name and the other half (Spanish-speaking) use their middle name.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

ojosazules11 said:


> Another common custom in Latin America is having the middle name as the name commonly used by the family and friends, rather than the first name. I did that to my oldest, but didn't want to do that to my youngest 2. I have too many Lat Am friends here in Toronto where half the world (the English-speaking half) call them by their first name and the other half (Spanish-speaking) use their middle name.


With the advent of FB, I've noticed that my newer friends call me by my first name, but my family and older friends, from growing up, call me by my middle name.

To some, it can be confusing.

Furthermore, I'm accustomed to hear my first name in English, and my middle in Spanish. 

Crazy stuff.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

WintheWin said:


> With the advent of FB, I've noticed that my newer friends call me by my first name, but my family and older friends, from growing up, call me by my middle name.
> 
> To some, it can be confusing.
> 
> ...


I have always been called different names by different groups of people. My family used one nickname, in college people used my last name, another verson when I started working. In Mexico, most Mexicans I know call me by the Spanish nickname for the Spanish version of my name, a few Mexican women call me by my full name in English. One Mexican friend uses the diminutive version of my Spanish nickname. The US and Canadians I know, not many, use either my Spanish nickname or an English nickname. There are lots worse things to be called. 

The common nickname missing from the list below is only used by people I don't know so it makes an easy filter. If I pick up the phone and hear it, I know it is a cold call. I have learned to answer to all of them except that.

William
Will
Willy
Guillermo
Memo
Memito


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I have always been called different names by different groups of people. My family used one nickname, in college people used my last name, another verson when I started working. In Mexico, most Mexicans I know call me by the Spanish nickname for the Spanish version of my name, a few Mexican women call me by my full name in English. One Mexican friend uses the diminutive version of my Spanish nickname. The US and Canadians I know, not many, use either my Spanish nickname or an English nickname. There are lots worse things to be called.
> 
> The common nickname missing from the list below is only used by people I don't know so it makes an easy filter. If I pick up the phone and hear it, I know it is a cold call. I have learned to answer to all of them except that.
> 
> ...


Hi, Bill!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I have just two names: my given name and my family name. And since my first name doesn't have a nickname commonly associated with it, and has no real Spanish equivalent, I don't have to deal with the problem of needing to respond to variations on a theme.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> Hi, Bill!


Who is that?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Who is that?


A really nice guy. You and he have a lot in common, I think.


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