# Have the rules for naturalization changed ?



## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

At some point this week we were planning on visiting SRE to begin the naturalization process. We are both 62+. I thought that at that age you no longer needed to take a history test - yet this site makes no mention of that exclusion - simply :

"8. Prove that you know how to speak Spanish, that you know the history of the country and that it is integrated into the national culture."

gob.mx | Gobierno | Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores|

edit : I should add that at the bottom of that page is - "Effective as of January 8, 2018." - tomorrow.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Some people say there is a new study book for the test and it is not clear if people over 62 take the test or not. We did not take it but who knows.. just ask SRE you will have the latest scoop in your area.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

lat19n said:


> At some point this week we were planning on visiting SRE to begin the naturalization process. We are both 62+. I thought that at that age you no longer needed to take a history test - yet this site makes no mention of that exclusion - simply :
> 
> "8. Prove that you know how to speak Spanish, that you know the history of the country and that it is integrated into the national culture."
> 
> ...


They didn't say anything about culture test when I went through the citizenship application process. Also they never asked me about my Spanish ability. I had a certificate from a language course that I showed them but they weren't interested in it. All of our conversations were in Spanish and that apparently was enough for them.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

TundraGreen said:


> They didn't say anything about culture test when I went through the citizenship application process. Also they never asked me about my Spanish ability. I had a certificate from a language course that I showed them but they weren't interested in it. All of our conversations were in Spanish and that apparently was enough for them.


Over five years I have used my wife's Spanish skills as a crutch - but at the same time I can go out shopping on my own (sometimes with pictures) and have managed to conduct things like ordering at a restaurant, banking transactions, pleasant conversations with friends over dinner. I know very little of the history of Mexico - other than the financial crises (which did hurt us personally). I've managed to go through a surgery at IMSS (and live). 

If they turned me down for my Spanish skills it would not be the end of the world - but it sure would be nice to get my/our Mexican citizenship(s). I wonder - is it one time and you are out ? or do they tell you to practice and come back in 6 months ?

btw : I appreciate your experience mentioned in your blog. I intend to do the same in my own blog on wordpress - which at some point I may make non-private.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

In Guadaljara the test is just a conversation on how long you have lived here and so on.. it is not a formal test just a conversation in Spanish, also I believe that over 60 when I went they did not give a test on history and culture, but I cannot swear to the exact age. The test was very easy anyways..I have read lately that the test may get more difficult but thre is nothing concret yet as it is early in the year. It should not take long to hear from peope who will have gotten their citizenship this year.


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

I read on another forum that the new study book for 2018 reads like a thesis. It's much much bigger than the old one. The personal worth clause has $numbers I will never see.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

Visited our local SRE office this morning. We weren't quite ready to start the process - we still need to get photos and make a few more copies. We both have 1 year old passports so we need to copy all the pages of both the old and new passports - all the pages but we can open the book and put two pages on a sheet of paper. We don't need to copy our CURPs. There is no history test since we are 62+. 

My wife did most of the talking - but if I understood the context of the conversation I chimed in some in Spanish. Their system was down so we really couldn't do more than ask questions today. We were told to call next week, make an appointment, and then we could start the process. The woman said - bring in all your paperwork - we will look it over - you pay the fee - then head into Mexico City/the state police for your good conduct letters and then return with them. That way some of the process will be completed and we may not have to repeat the trip into Mexico City because the letters are only good for 3 months. 

We are still not clear about how you make the payment. Do they give you a piece of paper and you then run out to your bank and pay, returning with a receipt ?


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

*We are still not clear about how you make the payment.*

Cash, under the table. They prefer 100-dollar bills.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

lat19n said:


> We are still not clear about how you make the payment. Do they give you a piece of paper and you then run out to your bank and pay, returning with a receipt ?


Looks like the answer to my question is contained on this page :

https://sre.gob.mx/procedimiento-de-pago-de-derechos-a-traves-de-medios-electronicos-para-nacionalidad-y-naturalizacion


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

Yep it's there .. same way you pay anything connected to a government office/service.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

When we did it I was at the SRE office and they told me to go to the bank and we paid according to what they told us to do.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

citlali said:


> When we did it I was at the SRE office and they told me to go to the bank and we paid according to what they told us to do.


Which is how it is every year when we renew IMSS. That is a pain. You get all the paperwork done and then you have to run out to the bank and then return to the same person at the window and present your receipt. In the IMSS case - you have to get it all done that same day.

From that last link I posted it looks like we could pay SRE with a SPEI transfer from our Mexican bank. It would be a BIG improvement if IMSS allowed that form of payment. They ARE making progress. You can now make (some) appointments online !


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

*That is a pain.*

It's only just started.


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## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

1, Not all cultures see time in the same light. Two examples are, lineal and cyclical. Americans and whomever else are lineal, time never repeats itself. I haven't read up on every culture in Latin America but I assume they're all cyclical. 
2, They will be less likely to respect your "time is money" credo. They are in no way in a hurry and generally don't care if you are. In other words they won't let themselves be pushed just because we, the Gringos, believe this event in time will be lost if not completed, soon.

I'm having this experience as we speak, I'm still waiting for the mover to show. We had a date for 1:00 PM, it's now 6.

I remember a piece I read a long time age, great illustration. A ****** businessman went to Mexico to search around for a carpenter who'd build 50 tables with chairs to his specs, for export. He went to pick them up and told the carpenter they looked great and he wanted 200 more. The carpenter told him he'd have to charge him double for each one if he wanted 200. The ****** asked why, and that things in bulk cost _less_ not _more_. The carpenter said the first 50 were built on _his time_ .. when he had time. These 200 will be built on _your time_ .. I have a family, I want to be with them, if you take that time from me you'll have to pay for it.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

Oye, anybody know if the SRE still gives the History-Culture test for naturalization?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We did it in Guadaljara and SRE is not IMMS they are not crowded . I went in there because I had a question, there was no one waiting , and they said since you have all the paperwork lets start.. then I had to go to a bank close by paid the fee and went back finished the transaction and I was out of thre. If you think that is a pain you should apply for a green card in the US... now that is a pain. When I did it I waited all day long to know to which offic I had to go to and the place closed down before I could ask. I had to go back I do not know how many time. I had to get a lawyer to find out how to get them to answer the phone so I was told to call another office and get transferred so I did that and they were plenty annoyed when they answered the phone.. It took me several weeks to get the application in, you have no idea what a pain is if you think the IMMS here is a pain.


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