# After a FM2



## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

Hi...
If anybody can help me out there....
After the 5 years on the FM-2 are there any reasons for a ****** to become a Mex citz?

Would I be equal to a Mexican, or still be a person from another country?

Do I have all the rights such a voting, buying land in the restricted zone?

If not, is it worth it to be a citz of Mex Vs just a permanent res so I don't have to mess with imm after 5 years and import my car to mex plates? We live in Mexico and visit US 2 months a year or so!

Anybody have any answers? I am new to this site, so this may have been gone over many times....tx


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

DennyDaddy said:


> Hi...
> If anybody can help me out there....
> After the 5 years on the FM-2 are there any reasons for a ****** to become a Mex citz?
> 
> ...


I can't answer all of your questions, but some things to think about:

1. Would you be equal to a Mexican, or still be a person from another country? In terms of where you were born, you will still be a person from (born in) another country, but as a Mexican citizen, you would be equal to other Mexicans vis a vis the law, keeping in mind that there is a lot of inequality in Mexico, as there is in most countries, as I'm sure you have observed.

2. You would have the right to vote, yes. Buying land in the restricted zone? There are restrictions on buying land in restricted zones for Mexican citizens as well, but your rights would be the same as theirs. (I'm thinking "communal lands" like ejidos here. Restrictions on such lands don't apply only to non- citizens, although they're probably different.)


A couple of things to think about:

I don't know if you've thought about dual citizenship or not, but you should. The U.S. frowns on it, but there is little they can do about it. I don't know how this is viewed, legally, in Mexico.

Also, if you're happy with your current status, consider simply renewing it for another five years, if that's possible.

All long time expats have probably thought about these questions too, so I'm sure others will weigh in. That's all I've got though, at least for now.

I'll be interested in following this thread. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Just some things to think about. Good luck.


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## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

I will be interested in this thread also. It's my understanding that you can not re new an FM2. You have to go to inmigrado or become nationalized. Will be interesting to me to see if I've been doing my homework and have this figured out in my head.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

ronb172 said:


> I will be interested in this thread also. It's my understanding that you can not re new an FM2. You have to go to inmigrado or become nationalized. Will be interesting to me to see if I've been doing my homework and have this figured out in my head.


You cannot renew an FM-2 or "inmigrante" visa after the fourth annual renewal. You must apply for "inmigrado" status which is permanent residency, revert to what was until recently known as FM-3 or "non-inmigrante" status or apply for citizenship. You could also revert to a simple periodic tourist visa but God knows why anyone would go through the 4.5 years on a FM-2 unless one were aiming toward at least "inmigrado" status. That doesn´t seem to make sense under normal circumstances. "Inmigrado" is simply the same thing, more or less, as a "green card" is in the U.S. and is referred to up there as "resident alien". 

During the mid-year term of the fourth annual renewal of your FM-2, you will need to apply for "inmigrado" status and once that status is achieved, you can stay in Mexico for the rest of your life without visiting INM ever again as long as you remain resident in Mexico despite occasional foreign travel

We achieved "inmigrado" status last year and thank God for that. At least one of us will become a Mexican citizen soon to protect our investments here and also because we want to fully support our adopted country.


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## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

Hi.
Mostly not want to mess with a bank trust! The up front fees to lawyers, the high bank fee...I can deal with that. But it's paying the bank those yearly fees for the life of me owning a home in the zone area, required by Mex law! Miss a yearly payment, poof can a greedy bank employee, fix it so it's gone, since the bank owns it! I heard stories, true or not, but I also heard horror stories about banks! 
So I guess this is life in Mexico.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

as a citizen of Mexico would you be eligible to pay yearly income tax in Mexico??????


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## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

Oh boy, more taxes less fixed income!

The business office who did my FM-2 paperwork, said no income tax unless I have a business! Reading all the different threads, about everything in Mexico, it seems that it's like opening up a can of worms here! I guess that is the name of the game here, the official who is king in your area, writes the rules and laws!

Maybe that is what is so interesting about Mexico.

I guess city hall is the same everywhere!


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

DennyDaddy said:


> Oh boy, more taxes less fixed income!
> 
> The business office who did my FM-2 paperwork, said no income tax unless I have a business! Reading all the different threads, about everything in Mexico, it seems that it's like opening up a can of worms here! I guess that is the name of the game here, the official who is king in your area, writes the rules and laws!
> 
> ...



I doubt this will come as a surprise but, yes, there are tax laws here that apply. They are published on the Internet.

Eventually, if you aren't already, you will be dealing with SAT (IRS) here. If I were you, I'd talk with them ASAP to ensure a smooth and orderly transition to your new status. You can even make an appointment with them on-line.


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## martygraw (May 15, 2007)

All of the above becomes moot when the new imagration laws come into effect, sometime in the next 6 month or so.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

There is no 'FM2' and hasn't been for over a year. The new equivalent was an 'inmigrante' visa, but it was eliminated with the signing of the new INM law on May, 25, 2011. As soon as that is implemented, there will be a new 'tarjeta de resedencia', either 'temporal' or 'permanente', good for four years. For most of us, there will be eligibility for 'resedencia permanente' after four years on 'resedencia temporal'.
Citizenship is not handled by INM, but by SRE (Exterior affairs).


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