We made it through the second visit at the Puerto Escondido Migration office. A trailer at the edge of the airport complex.

As previously noted to be able to rely on another experience is very questionable especially during the process of obtaining a visa here in Mexico.

That written there are a couple of absolutes and suggestions that should help and are standardized throughout the Country.

To begin the fees for a one year visa referred to as an FM3 (the name has been change to confuse the innocent and yet it lingers on). For a non-working visitor’s annual visa ”FM3”: 550 pesos ($40.75 U.S.) to apply first time (a one-time application fee for your first year up until the fifth time around when you will start anew if you do not chose to move on to an FM2.

You will also pay for the first visa and renewals 1451 pesos ($107.50 U.S.). Again this is throughout the Country.

You can take that to the bank – literally. You will be issued a billing voucher that should be taken to the bank of your choice. You pay and bring back the receipt to the office. No dinero will change hands at the migration office.

Relating to that exercise we went to the bank Monday the 16th. This is NOT recommended – going to the bank near the 1st or the 15th. The amount of transactions and thus people in the bank is huge! We waited for more than an hour at the local HSBC bank (not on our recommended list of banks by the way). But I am getting ahead here.

Initially and as far as I can tell universally, you must apply first online at: www.inami.gob.mx – basically you will perform a data entry function. Upon completion of the form you will receive a number (Pieza Number) that identifies your input. Write or print the number to give to the migration officer that you visit. We also printed out the form that is made available in PDF format. There are a lot of sites on the web that will walk you through filling out the online document. We started here for help:

http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/living-in-yucatan-mexico/moving-to-mexico-fmm-fm2-or-fm3/

The best tip you will receive anywhere on the Internet is this: Just after or even before you fill out the Internet form you should visit the INM office in your area. There you should get best information as to what is required. This will save a lot of guess work relating to what is required.

Visiting the local migration office and getting the straight scoop will save a lot of headaches. Also you should get the name of the person you are working with and try and stick to him/her like glue. It has been noted that a visit to the same INM office where you may encounter another official could add to the confusion – requirements may change.

The Calypso Couple went to the first meeting with our U.S. passports, current Mexican visas, three months banking records, an introductory request letter and more as directed on the above mentioned Internet site. We ended up needing to redo most of the paperwork we had prepared when precise requirements were clarified at the office.

The official went over what we each needed (my requirements were slightly different being a first time applicant). He asked when we would return. We agreed to return the same time the next day – acting quickly before they forget or change policies is a good idea.

On that first visit we had supplied enough information to both get vouchers to pay. I received the initial application fee voucher and Anita received a voucher for the standard annual fee (mentioned above).

The banks in Mexico are much like the Motor Vehicle Departments in the U.S. – they are understaffed and mostly treat the long lines of people like cattle waiting in the hot sun to be branded. When did this all get away from us as people? Really it is often a humiliating and debasing process – waiting in their lines and then talking through glass to Stepford wife type individuals. Believe me when I tell you George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) and Uncle Billie are not waiting to serve you.

The next day after getting Anita’s new photos, correcting and making more copies we returned to the INM office. It went pretty smoothly. We both were issued NUT numbers. With a NUT number we can login to the Internet to see the status of our processing paperwork.

The officials requested a phone number to notify us when to come in even with the NUT access. We do not have any kind of phone – just Internet. So they gave a number to call them. Even though the Internet site may say we are good to go and come on in – they may be too busy there at their tiny little trailer packed with four hombres with computers, printers and boxes of documents stacked from floor to ceiling.

We will call next Monday when we will hopefully be near done until next year when we can do it all again – and maybe with a whole new set of rules and laws that are supposedly on the horizon. Stay Tuned!