FREE CO P Y
www.theplayatimes.com
Every Wednesday
October 23-29, 2013
Weekly, Year 01, Number 04, 10,000 Copies, 16 Pages
México’s immigration law explained By Solomon Freimuth
I
n May of 2011 the Mexican Government published the ‘Ley de Migración’, which was Mexico’s biggest immigration reform since the previous immigration law of 1974. The new law did away with the old immigration forms, which most foreigners who have thought about living in Mexico know as the ‘FM3’ or ‘FM2’. When the new law was published, the big talk amongst many expats living in Mexico was about the new, easier ways that foreigners were going to be able to live permanently in Mexico. Many were excited about the mixing of the old ‘FM3’ and ‘FM2’ into one Temporary Resident card and the ability for foreigners to get Permanent residence in Mexico after living here for just 4 years as a Temporary Resident. At the time that the law was published it gave the executive branch of the Mexican government 180 working days to publish the specific guidelines and rules that were to guide the actual application of the law, but as sometimes is the case with government the ‘Reglamento’, or Regulations, took a little longer than was expected and the new immigration law was not actually implemented until November of 2012. Now coming up to the first anniversary of the application of the new immigration law, many potential residents are still in the
dark about the actual immigration rules. The new rules simplified the old rules somewhat, but can still be complex. The new types of residence that a foreigner can gain in Mexico are Temporary Resident and Permanent Resident status. Temporary Resident cards are given for 1-4 years, depending on the criteria of the local National Immigration Institute, and can be renewed for up to a total of 4 years. After having the Temporary Resident card for 4 years, it becomes compulsory for foreigners to change to Permanent Resident status. Permanent Resident cards are, as the law is cu-
rrently written, permanent. Foreigners who are interested in becoming Temporary or Permanent Residents must apply for residence at a Mexican Consulate outside of Mexico, usually having to provide 6-12 months worth of bank statements, proof of no criminal history and their valid passport. Some consulates ask for other documents as well, so it is a good idea to call the consulate for requirements and an appointment in advance. The law states that the consulates are able to grant both Temporary and Permanent Residence, but many consulates are not currently issuing Permanent
Resident visas to applicants. There are various different hypotheses that allow foreigners to qualify to be residents in Mexico, but in general Mexico wants to know that the foreigners can provide for themselves while in the country: this means that foreigners have to prove income of at least $2000 USD per month for the last six months, demonstrate an average balance of $100,000 USD in a bank account during the previous year or show that they have made a significant investment in Mexico via stock certificates, public deeds or notarized sale contracts. Once the consulate has is-
sued the residence visa, the foreigner then has 180 days to enter Mexico and then 30 days after entering to go to the National Immigration Institute to apply for their residence card. The process to issue the residence card with the Immigration Institute usually takes 4-6 weeks. The major benefits of having residence in Mexico, apart from having a neat government issued identification card, are the following: 1. Every five years residents in Mexico are able to claim income tax exemptions on the sale of their primary residence. 2. Residents can stay in Mexico for as long as their resident cards are valid, whereas people entering Mexico as tourists are only authorized to stay for 180 days at a time. 3. Foreigners are able to take advantage of certain government benefits; such as government health care and senior discount programs. 4. Many restaurants, theme parks and other establishments offer local discounts to foreigners with Mexican residence. Temporary Residents are also able to bring with them to Mexico their worldly possessions, including household items, clothing, computers and even their vehicle without paying import duty or tax on the items, but they must promise to return the items to their country of origin when the foreigner’s Temporary Residence expires.
The Golf Seaside Rotary Golf Classic Tournament begins Everything is ready for the Golf Seaside Rotary Golf Classic Tournament on 26th October at the Grand Coral Hotel, sponsor and host of the charity fundraising event. Among the prizes to be won are week long Terrace VIP passes to the OHL Mayakoba Classic, weekends for two
at the Valentin Imperial Resort, a weekend for four (two adults and two children) at the RIU Peninsula Cancun and $5,000 MXP cash “Closest to the Pin” prize donated by the Tequila Barrel. See Page 4
24hr Taxi Services Throughout Playa del Carmen and Cancun areas (984)877-3858 (984)877-3859 (984)877-3860