We have done it

There is no real downside that I am aware of other than you need to leave the country every 6 months which could become a PIA. Yes, you can still buy a Mexican plated car. You just need your tourist visa, your passport and proof of residency.

However that being said Mexico is always changing their rules so you never know what may be in store down the road.....if you are planning on staying here FT getting a permanente visa would be preferable IMO.

mrum wrote:What is the downside of going the revolving visitor visa route?Leave and re-enter every 6 mths. Could you still buy a mexican plated car to use?

No downside in my mind. We've been doing it 2+ years and we bought a Mexican plated car 2 years ago.
As long as we continue to rent we will maintain tourist visa.
If we decide to buy something, then we will go for permanente.

CanuckBob wrote:
However that being said Mexico is always changing their rules so you never know what may be in store down the road.....if you are planning on staying here FT getting a permanente visa would be preferable IMO.

When was the last change to the immigration laws prior to this latest one passed 2 years ago?

Here is an interesting article that discusses Mexico's evolving immigration policies.

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/GONZALEZ%20%2526%20KOSLOWSKI.pdf

Apparently, and from the article you cite, the law as pertaining to the legal status of people such as yourself or others that have resided in this country for quite some time (ex-FM3 or FM2 holders), has changed only once since 1974.

And they are still evolving from the changes two years ago. So what's your point, Solo??

CanuckBob wrote:And they are still evolving from the changes two years ago. So what's your point, Solo??

I am only trying to comprehend the probability of a change in immigration status from the current law and how it may affect me (and others) in my life time. If I acquire permanent status, will I be subjected to a whimsical change in policy in the future? Is there precedent for this to happen, as I interpret from your prior post, or will I be able to live out my remaining years with a reasonable chance of not being denied residency in this country? I am hoping for an informative post, possibly for someone who has legally resided in this country for a fairly lengthy amount of time, on how many changes, either positive or negative, have occurred in the laws regarding legal immigration.

Your best bet would be to talk to an experienced immigration lawyer then for an opinion. We have one that posts on here regularly so maybe he can offer some insight......

Damn it Bob, I had a bet going that lapurafelicedad would last at least 5 posts before being discovered.

No one can predict the future including (or especially) an attorney. In the nearly 9 years we've been here there have been no changes from INM that affected permanent residents.

Thank you for your response David. Of course no one has a crystal ball but decisions for the future are best made by gathering information on past behaviors, whether it be the stock market or weather patterns. I would still love to hear from someone who held an FM3 or FM2 for say a period of 20 plus years.

viajero wrote:Damn it Bob, I had a bet going that lapurafelicedad would last at least 5 posts before being discovered.

===


??? what exactly do you mean by discovered?

lapurafelicidad wrote:Thank you for your response David. Of course no one has a crystal ball but decisions for the future are best made by gathering information on past behaviors, whether it be the stock market or weather patterns. I would still love to hear from someone who held an FM3 or FM2 for say a period of 20 plus years.

We have a friend who's been here since 1972, permanent since 1980. She says no changes that impacted her. I fear that there are few, if any, posters here who've been here that long. Our friend is 88. You might check with RVGringo on TOB, he's been here a long time. BTW, anyone here 20+ years will not have held an FM3 or 2 for all of that time. Anyway you asked about permanent residency, not temporay which is what FM2/3 were for.

I was under the impression that the FM2 or FM3 were renewable indefinitely under the previous law. I believe that they had the option to become landed immigrants (inmigrado) after certain requirements were met but it was not obligatory.

Sort of. The FM3 yes, but it doesn't go back 20 years. The FM2 was the track to permanent residence. If one was to renew perpetually then the FM3 was the choice since it cost about half that of the FM2. The new rules that took effect last year did away with perpetual renewal of temporary residence and made the path to Permanente easier.

viajero wrote:Damn it Bob, I had a bet going that lapurafelicedad would last at least 5 posts before being discovered.

Like Columbus discovered America?  LOL
Was it that legaleze courtroom style lingo or did you have inside information?   
He needs waterproof dye for cover.

Thanks again David. So if there was no FM3 20 years ago doesn't that mean there was some sort of change in the immigration laws in the past 20 years? What status were temporary residents accorded prior to the FM3?

David wrote:

lapurafelicidad wrote:Thank you for your response David. Of course no one has a crystal ball but decisions for the future are best made by gathering information on past behaviors, whether it be the stock market or weather patterns. I would still love to hear from someone who held an FM3 or FM2 for say a period of 20 plus years.

We have a friend who's been here since 1972, permanent since 1980.  She says no changes that impacted her.  I fear that there are few, if any, posters here who've been here that long.  Our friend is 88.  You might check with RVGringo on TOB, he's been here a long time.  BTW, anyone here 20+ years will not have held an FM3 or 2 for all of that time.  Anyway you asked about permanent residency, not temporay which is what FM2/3 were for.

Been here (same house, same street, same town) for 32 years. any foreigner I know, who has been here longer, is either inmigrado or illegal (or too old  ).

Interesting! What were the requirements for legally residing here all of those years ago?

lapurafelicidad wrote: What status were temporary residents accorded prior to the FM3?

Coyote status with frontier papers easily purchased in Guadalajara...renewable every 6 mos. That changed around 1990.  Much faster than the current INM process.

So there were no one year renewable visas issued to foreigners back then?

lapurafelicidad wrote:Interesting! What were the requirements for legally residing here all of those years ago?

In my case, an "acta de nacimiento", the ability to hold your tequila, and a few other things I forgot.
But why are you asking?...as you probably already know most of it. A refresher course? Writing a book?

I'm not really sure what your last post means but if you find my questions annoying then simply don't respond.

By "acta de nacimiento" I assume you mean a Mexican birth certificate which would mean you are a Mexican citizen so the immigration issues didn't apply in your case. So why ARE you responding?

lapurafelicidad wrote:So there were no one year renewable visas issued to foreigners back then?

I told you all that I know about what they did...hopefully someone will step up and fill in the blanks for you.

Yes, there was not.

slainte39 wrote:

lapurafelicidad wrote:So there were no one year renewable visas issued to foreigners back then?

I told you all that I know about what they did...hopefully someone will step up and fill in the blanks for you.

Hopefully.

You seem to be a bit cranky. Few Mexicans I know share that trait.