My visa to work in Mexico was just approved the other day. Yes, it is great news! And I'm thrilled. There are a lot of questions and confusion out there about this process, though. So, I want to throw in my 2 cents and try to give another persceptive on the process.
Searching online for "mexico fm3" will yield a lot of tragic stories and exasperated accounts of the paper-trail nightmare that can be the process of getting an FM3 when you're already in Mexico. Obviously, the best game-plan is to finish processing the visa before you even get to Mexico, therefore avoiding all the translating and notarizing of foreign documents that is often required when beginning the process here on your own, but not all of us are so organized nor had any idea of where our paths would take us in this beautiful country.
Therefore, for those of you who are in a similar position, my recommendation is to hire a qualified lawyer. It was amazing how quickly and easily I was whisked through the whole process. I just collected a packet of papers from my employer about their tax records and proof of their status as an extant Mexican business and dropped them off with my passport. No translated, notarized copy of my university degrees necessary. No original birth certificate required.
All the cumbersome paper-shuffling that I dreaded having to endure from reading about the process online was not necessary at all.
For a reasonable 3000 pesos in lawyer's fees and another 2500 pesos in the cost of filing all the paperwork with the government, I was on my way to getting the coveted work visa. When the day came to dot the last i's and cross the last t's (only 3 weeks after I dropped off the papers with the lawyer), I was personally escorted around town with the lawyer to sign the last papers, take my headshots, pay the fees at the bank, and turn it all in to immigration.
We wasted no time due to the lawyer's guidance, zipping from one location to the next efficiently and often being escorted to the front of long lines. It was wonderful. No drama. No headaches. No wasted time. I highly recommend paying for a professional to help you out with this vital tool for working in Mexico legally. It will be worth every penny.
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Written by michdeshaine on 2008-07-23 02:22:05Hi Jenny. Thanks for your blog. I have been experiencing mass confusion with how to relocate to Cozumel, Mexico. What area are you and what type of company or job are you working? I'm trying to reach out to someone who has already "been there, done that" so that I can get some good advice. Have any?
