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THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN CERTAIN INM OFFICES IN MEXICO AS OF 2023. TO GET HELP WITH THIS PROGRAM, OUR MEXICO RELOCATION GUIDE HAS THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE YOU CAN STILL APPLY.
Mexico’s sudden increase in the minimum wage for in, 2023-Which went from $172.87 to $207 pesos, also caused a sudden spike in the Mexican Residency income requirements.
This means that several people are giving up on their dream of moving to Mexico because they don’t have enough to prove they can qualify for residency.
Don’t give up, though! There’s a solution!
A special program that gives you a 4-year temporary residency WITHOUT having to prove any financials! THIS IS A GAME-CHANGER FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT QUALIFY, BASED ON ECONOMIC SOLVENCY.
But to know if you are eligible, you have to know a few things first:
1. You should have a visit to Mexico documented between 2015-2021
The special regularization program is intended to give people already in Mexico a sort of amnesty and fast-pass to residency. But to qualify, immigration requires you to have visited Mexico at least once between 2015-2021
It varies by INM city in Mexico.
2. Your FMM should be expired.
Despite everything we have heard about not overstaying your FMM, this regularization program has a special provision that requires the applicant to have an expired FMM.
This doesn’t mean you won’t get deported if there is a random checkpoint and you are caught in Mexico with an expired FMM. You should still have your ducks in a row if you plan to apply for this program and know the risks.
Find out more about: what an FMM is and who needs one.
In some cities, your current FMM can be less than 180 days. But in other cities like Playa del Carmen, you must have an expired FMM with 180 days. So each city has its own rules.
Cities like Playa del Carmen, Merida, Los Cabos, and Queretaro require you to be in Mexico with an FMM that expired in 2022. If you came in 2023 and are waiting for your FMM to expire, you must get this special residency at a different INM office.
Which INM offices?
Well, because we are always looking for ways to help YOU, we have a few recommended immigration facilitators in Mexico City, Huatulco, and San Miguel de Allende that can still help you if you come to Mexico in 2023! 🙌
Check out Our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide for our directory of recommendations in those cities.
3. You DO NOT need to prove economic solvency
The biggest difference and game changer in this program is that you do not need to prove you have any money in the bank to qualify. That’s huge! Especially for someone considering moving to Mexico but not qualifying with the current income requirements.
But remember, you have to have visited Mexico at least once between 2015-2021.
The important thing to know here is that there is a chance that more people will take advantage of this program. But we don’t know how much longer it will last. So you should hurry and plan now!
And yes, with this special regularization, you can also petition for your dependants without providing financials! That includes your spouse or children under 18.
4. You will have to pay all immigration fees upfront.
Because you are getting a 4-year residency in Mexico through this special program, you must pay all immigration fees upfront.
The 4 year Temporary Residency Fee: $11,488 pesos
An RNE Fee for Immigration to Process Your Case: $1632 pesos
And a Fine For Overstaying your FMM Allowed Time: $2704 pesos
This comes out to approx. $15,824 MXN or about $800 USD. Well worth it, in my opinion, if you have all the requirements to qualify. This also means you don’t need to worry about renewing this visa yearly.
This doesn’t include the cost of hiring an immigration facilitator– which I highly recommend you do.
The requirements to know if you qualify are pretty straightforward. However, the process is not that easy. You’ll have to write a letter in Spanish explaining why you want to live in Mexico. And you’ll have to know where to pay your fees and ensure the paperwork is done 100% correctly.
5. You Don’t Have To Leave Mexico to Apply
This special regularization program is done within Mexico. Unlike the standard process for residency, which requires you to apply from a Mexican Consulate abroad- this program is different.
Applying is done from within Mexico.
Other Considerations
One of the caveats of this program is that you have to wait for your current FMM to expire. And you have to consider that almost all international airports are issuing eFMMs for 180 days.
But what happens if you can’t wait around in Mexico for 180 days?
We have a solution for this as well! Our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide has an excellent recommendation in Huatulco that can help expedite the process if you get a paper FMM.
How do you get a paper FMM?
You have to either cross the border by car. Once in Mexico, you can easily fly to the rest of the country from any major airport. But to secure a paper FMM, you must cross at a land border.
The Game Changer!
If you were worried about not qualifying based on your income, this could be the light at the end of the tunnel! It’s a great program that seems promising. And we don’t know how long it will last. If this is a program you qualify for, I suggest applying sooner rather than later!
To fully understand if you qualify, our recommended immigration contacts recommend coming to Mexico and physically visiting an INM office to verify your entries to Mexico from 2015-2020.
If you are certain you qualify, then I recommend working with an immigration facilitator to help you out right away.
But not all immigration facilitators know about this program. So hiring the right one can make all the difference. Get our list of recommended immigration facilitators in our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide.
