# The Road From Arriving in Mexico to Naturalization



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

This is about my experience from arriving in Mexico in April, 2001 to today and going from temporary resident to permanent resident to naturalized citizen over a period of 13 years. I pass this experience on to the readers because I think that, if that is the route you plan to choose, you might benefit from the experience of those who came before you such as I.

Keep in mind that the rules for temporary and permanent residency have been modified by law since I went through the FM-3 (Temporary Resident) /FM-2 (Semi-Permanent) /Inmigrado(Permanent Resident) process but the reader can still go through the process with dissimilar names and somewhat and more stringent modified processes.

So, here I was, after all that time, finally an "Inmigrado" or permanent resident in Mexico and no longer obliged to visit INM once a year to go through the unseemly process of renewing visas as "Inmigrado" defined permanent residency forever - at least for then back in 2010. Then, in strolled the new law and I was supposed to go back into INM and exchange my "Inmigrado" card for a "Residente Permanente" card so, what the hell, why not go for citizenship and get out from under INM´s jurisdiction forever.

Not really that simple.

In order to get naturalized and become a Mexican citizen, one transfers one´s elective proceedings from INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) to the SRE (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores) and the INE (Instituto Nacional Electoral) in order to affect Mexican citizenship and acquire needed national identification and the right to vote and then must modify other documents such as driver´s licenses and other documents to reflect the change from "extranjero" to "citizen". It´s a Little bit complicated but, perhaps, worth it in the final anaysis. 

Once one goes beyond "residente permanente" under the auspices of the INM, one becomes subject to more stringent rules in order to qualify for naturalization (SRE) and voting accreditation (INE) and therefore, if one goes that route, meticulous attention to application detail is warranted unless one wishes to enter the gulag again and again. At least this is true in Guadalajara. In some other town, who knows.

I will say that, if one wishes to accomplish naturalization in Guadalajara or San Cristóbal de Las Casas, one had better be quite conversant in Spanish because the folks with which you will be inteviewing at the SRE and INE offices will not speak any other language with you and may actually boot you out the door. It was a trial for me but has been done.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

Congratulations!


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Anonimo said:



Congratulations!

Click to expand...

_thanks, Anónimo:

Once I ran the gulag to become a citizen instead of a permanent resident; a process which was, at times, unpleasant to say the least, after the thoroughly antagonistic "third degree" inquisition was over, I suddenly blossomed into a Mexican citizen and my status, despite my halting spoken Spanish, was elevated and out of the blue I found myself treated by governmental functionaries with a modicum of respect I had not anticipated.

After all that humiliation at the hands of SRE functionaries who appeared to disdain me and particularly seemed to take offense at my inarticulation, I successfully applied for and will shortly receive my Mexican Passport which awaits me at the SRE office in Guadalajara and this morning I was able to take delivery of my "Credencial" (voter) card in Jocotepec, Jalisco and, while the application process for a voter card was arduous, once I had met the standards for its issuance, I was, when taking delivery of the vitally important document which is, in effect, the national identity card in Mexico, I was treated with the utmost respect as if I were a citizen as I now am. A pleasant experience.

During this process, I, at times, questioned the wisdom of my seeking Mexican citizenship but now I´ll take it. Thank you very much. 

No more INM games with my residency.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> thanks, Anónimo:
> 
> Once I ran the gulag to become a citizen instead of a permanent resident; a process which was, at times, unpleasant to say the least, after the thoroughly antagonistic "third degree" inquisition was over, I suddenly blossomed into a Mexican citizen and my status, despite my halting spoken Spanish, was elevated and out of the blue I found myself treated by governmental functionaries with a modicum of respect I had not anticipated.
> 
> ...


Hound Dog, after reading your post, I am encouraged to apply for Mexican citizenship as soon as I'm eligible. When I've mentioned this to Mexican friends, they sometimes seem a little surprised but also are very pleased that I want to become one of them!


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

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Isla Verde said:



Hound Dog, after reading your post, I am encouraged to apply for Mexican citizenship as soon as I'm eligible. When I've mentioned this to Mexican friends, they sometimes seem a little surprised but also are very pleased that I want to become one of them!

Click to expand...

_A splendid idea Isla. We have found the Mexican people in general to be quite patriotic and welcoming to foreigners climbing on their bandwagon. Ordinarily, one is welcome as a foreigner if one´s allegiance is construed to be sincere and not cynical or simply pecuniary in nature. 

You can become a Mexican citizen without sacraficing your U.S or French citizenship or the citizenships of other nations allowing dual or even multiple citizenships so there is no risk to compromising the citizenship of your birth. I remain a U.S. citizen and my wife a French citizen and we are both Mexican citizens. A fine idea.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I wonder how long I'll have to wait. I got my RP card last year.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> I wonder how long I'll have to wait. I got my RP card last year.


As I understand it you need a total of five years on an FM-2, imigrante, or residencial permanente. Time on an FM-3, no-imigrante or residencial temporal does not count. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. I should be eligible to apply next year. My first few years here did not count.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> As I understand it you need a total of five years on an FM-2, imigrante, or residencial permanente. Time on an FM-3, no-imigrante or residencial temporal does not count. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. I should be eligible to apply next year. My first few years here did not count.


Since I was on an FM3 before getting my RP last year, that means 4 more years to go. Unless I marry a Mexican citizen, of course.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> Since I was on an FM3 before getting my RP last year, that means 4 more years to go. Unless I marry a Mexican citizen, of course.


Go for it.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Go for it.


I don't think so.

P.S. When I wrote the above message, I thought TG was encouraging me to marry a Mexican to speed up the naturalization process. Now I'm not sure what he meant.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Go for it.


I think when you get to an advanced age things like this option become easier to decide without putting other things that are remote possibilities in the way.

When I was early retired from my job I kept paying the $225 US per month heath care plan [company paid iot for me when working] and finally after 1 check up and 1 year of paying $2700 US I decided I could get all the medical care in Mexico for a fraction of what it would cost me to keep paying until 65. It was a hard decisión but look at the cash I have now saved after 7 years and still have a couple years to go until medicare. I have ISSSTE for almost 4 years and am pleased.


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## BirthAbroad (May 18, 2014)

Hound Dog said:


> thanks, Anónimo:
> 
> Once I ran the gulag to become a citizen instead of a permanent resident; a process which was, at times, unpleasant to say the least, after the thoroughly antagonistic "third degree" inquisition was over, I suddenly blossomed into a Mexican citizen and my status, despite my halting spoken Spanish, was elevated and out of the blue I found myself treated by governmental functionaries with a modicum of respect I had not anticipated.
> 
> ...


How did they treat you at the SRE? I chanced by their offices once and they seemed very nice and the most helpful government officials I have ever dealt with in Mexico. But how are they during the process? I have wanted Mexican nationality since I was a kid, but I won't be here long enough for it (I think it's two years with RP for me). I want to take an acting class here to give me a perfect "Mexican accent" so I will be taken a little more seriously here. Perhaps I should before I try for naturalization, from the sound of it.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

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BirthAbroad said:



How did they treat you at the SRE? I chanced by their offices once and they seemed very nice and the most helpful government officials I have ever dealt with in Mexico. But how are they during the process? I have wanted Mexican nationality since I was a kid, but I won't be here long enough for it (I think it's two years with RP for me). I want to take an acting class here to give me a perfect "Mexican accent" so I will be taken a little more seriously here. Perhaps I should before I try for naturalization, from the sound of it.

Click to expand...

_The SRE personnel receiving the applications of foreigners for naturalization are welcoming and civil. They are thorough and demanding when reviewing the applicant´s papers submitted to engage the process and largley intolerant of applicants not easily conversant in Spanish. 

There is, by the way, a good reason the people at SRE concéntrate on the language issue. If a person is from elsewhere and lives in Mexico as a foreigner under a permanent residency visa then, as that person roams about the country and, perhaps, has need to articulate a problem to local authorities while out in the boonies, those authorities will probably be more accepting of the notion that the foreigner is not fluent in Spanish than they will be if that foreigner is a Mexican citizen. The language thing is a serious issue as it should be.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

By the way, Birthabroad, I should point out that the one thing the SRE personnel did that was critical was that they scrutinized my U.S. Passport, apostiled birth certificate from Alabama and residency visas. The name issue can be quite complicated but more so for women than men because of birth/marraige name change issues. You will need to address these "name" issues at the beginning bof the application process if you are female or you may have hell to pay further on down the line. 

I sufferred through his agonizing process because of my own ineptitude at conversing in Spanich so, unless you have a steel backbone, or speak Spanish fluently, I suggest you not subject yourself to this humiliation. Your choice. I got through the "gamut" and survived but that doesn´t mean you will as well.


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