# Permanent Residency and Returning to USA



## gnosticker (Jan 15, 2014)

My wife and I are planning to move to the U.S. Being a permanent resident here, does anyone know of any safeguards I must observe if we intend to return to retire in ten years? In other words, in the U.S., a permanent resident normally has to intentionally reside in the U.S., but I've not found the same sort of requirement for Mexico in my two days of searching


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

I would walk in the local INM office and ask...

INM Delegación Federal en El Estado de Puebla
State Government Office
Address: Av de la Reforma 1907, San Matías, 72090 Puebla, Pue., Mexico
Phone: +52 222 243 1251


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I would not ask. Just keep your cards, in case you decide to return. There is no time limit on your travels outside of Mexico.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

But I wouldn't word it the way you do in your post. I would say - we have to return to the US and are not sure when we will return. Is there a point at which we will lose our permanent residency status ? And - is there some form we should complete before leaving to ensure our status in our absence. I worry that they are going to look at you and say - so then it really wasn't your intention to stay permanently - you should have asked for temporary status. But I'll also bet it will depend on the person you ask...


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

RVGRINGO said:


> I would not ask. Just keep your cards, in case you decide to return. There is no time limit on your travels outside of Mexico.


I was looking for any such statement on the gob website. Do you have a link ?

I was looking at the "Departure Registration" Form - there is a section which says "Estancia Maxima Hasta 180 Dias". But I have no idea.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That 180 days is for tourists. You have a permanent visa for residence in Mexico. You seem confused. Permanent is.......until you expire. The visa does not expire. You are free to come and go. Simple, unless your life revolves around a smart phone and “links“. I think it is just one of those questions that you should not ask of a beaurocrat. It might confuse them too.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

RVGRINGO said:


> That 180 days is for tourists. You have a permanent visa for residence in Mexico. You seem confused. Permanent is.......until you expire. The visa does not expire. You are free to come and go. Simple, unless your life revolves around a smart phone and “links“. I think it is just one of those questions that you should not ask of a beaurocrat. It might confuse them too.


Yes I understand the word permanent. And I don't mean to be argumentative and this is the last I will say on the topic. But - let's take the original post on this thread. I have no idea how long they have been in Mexico with their permanent status - but now they intend to leave for 10 years ! All that financial ability analysis done by the consulate is probably worthless. I don't think you should be allowed to 'reserve' your permanent residency. I also believe that at least to some extent Mexico's motivation in issuing permanent visas was to bring in revenue. If you ain't here - you ain't spending. Finally - after five years on a permanent visa you can visit SRE and go for nationalization. Seems to me that that clock should reset at some point if you ain't here. Perhaps they ask for a tally of your time out of Mexico as part of the process.

The form I was referring to in my last post is the form a permanent resident completes at - say - the kiosk at the airport when you 'leave' Mexico. They keep half and the permanent resident returns the other half when they return. I'm sure - now that Mexico is no longer living in the dark ages - someone puts the two pieces together and validates them.

And as for 'links' and assurances - heck I would hate to be cavalier and make a suggestion to someone if I didn't know the basis for my advice...


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

[Edit - last I promise]
So just for giggles I went searching for comparable conditions with the US. Apparently a Green Card is equivalent to the Mexican Permanent status. Both are 'permanent' (and green I guess) although it appears you need to renew your US green card every 10 years.

From this link  (I'm sure the info would be the same for any country - not just Barbados)
https://barbados.usembassy.gov/legal-perm-residents.html

"I expect to be outside of the United States for more than 12 months. What should I do?

If you plan to be outside of the United States for more than 12 months, you should apply for a re-entry permit before leaving the United States. You will be required to file Form I-131, Application for a Travel Document/Re-entry Permit with USCIS. A re-entry permit is normally valid for up to 2 years and shows that you are returning from a temporary extended visit abroad. You will be required to show the re-entry permit at the Port of Entry when you enter the United States."

So - if you have a permanent visa to the US;
a) you should apply for a re-entry permit before leaving
b) that permit is good for 2 years.

Saludos


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You are comparing a lot of apples with oranges. The US system is not similar to the Mexican system. One can actually leave and re-enter Mexico with no paperwork at all, as we frequently do by land. Mexico does not inspect us upon entry, and the USA does not stamp our passport on the way out. However, the US and Mexico do share data on traffic, so our crossings are available to either of them.
What you or I may think, about how things should be done, is of no interest to either government. You may also be interested to learn that many of us qualified for permanent residency without ever having to prove any financial qualifications. There are still people who can become permanent residents, and then, naturalized citizens, without financial requirements. You may not be one of those, but since you now have a permanent visa, you could apply for naturalization at the appropriate time. That is the only time that Mexico will have a real interest in how much time you have spent outside of Mexico, and it will affect the outcome of your application, along with your linguistic capabilities. So, there you have it.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

In ten years, who knows what the Mexican system for granting and/or retaining permanent residency will be like.


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## gnosticker (Jan 15, 2014)

Thank you both for your responses. I had only just gotten my PR status, here at the INM in Puebla. I had assumed that I'd done all i needed to do, and if it weren't for RVG's advice and logic, I'd have taken your advice Gatos (despite me not feeling every very comfortable at INM - they largely seemed negative towards me, despite my better than normal disposition). So thanks you both. By the way, Gatos, as she has family here, and we are going to return often, we will be providing Mexico with a net gain far in excess to what I'd have paid in taxes were I to have become and remained employed.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

For comparison, _before_ the immigration reform that took place in the last couple of years, the limit for being outside Mexico without losing _inmigrado_ status (more or less the equivalent of the current permanent resident status) was either 3 years continuous, or 5 years cumulative within a period of 10 years.

Since the reform, there has been no clear statement of any limits on absence from Mexico, but as Isla implied in post #10, who knows if that could change again.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RV is correct about time outside of Mexico being a consideration if one applies for citizenship by naturalization. When I applied, they went over the visa stamps in my passport with a fine tooth comb, comparing the dates to a list of "salidas y entregadas" that I had to provide. Once you have citizenship (by naturalization), there is only one restriction on travel outside of Mexico. If you are absent from Mexico for more than five years without any visits, you can forfeit your citizenship. For citizens by birth, I don't think you ever lose your Mexican citizenship.


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## jackBnimble (Oct 18, 2016)

agree w Isla Verde - living here for years, I would say that you can always rely on:
1. the rule is the rule until they decide to change it
2. the rule is variably interpreted and enforced by the authorities 
3. there is always a way for a determined party to circumvent the rule (without getting into trouble) 4. creativity, flexibility, social engineering skills, and persistence are all helpful attributes


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