To get to the office of the Mexican Migration Service to carry out any process (not “just ask”), you must obtain an appointment. In Spanish it is cita («sita») and, to make it clearer, in English — appointment. According to the regulations, the sieves are electronic and should be purchased online on the website of the migration service.
How to obtain an electronic ticket to visit the Mexican Migration Service office, we described in thispublications.
Nowadays a situation has arisen where it is extremely difficult to obtain an electronic sieve. Many migration service offices do not have sieves for 3 weeks in advance (this is the maximum period for which a siev can be obtained). Every weekday at 00:00 Mexico City time, new sieves are opened for the same day after 3 weeks, but literally after 5 minutes they are dismantled. People start monitoring the sieves a month + 3 weeks before the expiration of their resident card, surf the Internet at night, but are still not entitled to receive the sieves.
In fact, it is quite possible to “catch” the electronic sieve after being on duty for several nights, but on social networks the picture is described as “impossible.”
We can offer an alternative: find a sieve on a first-come, first-served basis directly at the migration service office. We don't guarantee this will work (depends on the office), but it's worth a try.
Of course, when going to the migration service office, you should already have a ready-made set of documentation with you for carrying out the steps, except for the sieve itself.
Closer to the deadline
By law, you are required to contact the migration service office, in particular, to obtain a new resident card, no later than the expiration date of the current card. Expiration date of the current card — This is the deadline, then you will have to pay a fine. If you receive an electronic sieve, the date you receive the sieve is considered the call date, but the sieve visit date may be later.
A few days before the deadline, go to the migration service office early in the morning. Join the general queue at the information window, although in some offices it may be a separate queue — find out on the spot. When the migration service officer begins to distribute people from the queue to windows, explain the situation to him. Say that there are a few days left until your card expires, and all your attempts to apply for an electronic card over several years have been in vain. You can even show him a screenshot from the sieves receiving page, where all the dates for the next 3 weeks are marked in red (there are no sieves for these days anymore).
In a normal situation, he can add you to the journal and give it to you for one of the next days or even for today (hence he should have a ready-made package of papers with him). Has the opportunity, but is not obligated.
Here are three negative scenarios:
- registration of the sieve on a first-come, first-served basis — outside the regulations, accordingly, the migration service officer has the right to refuse,
- There may be a live queue for receiving sieves only today (depending on the office), with a limited number of visitors per day. And if you are not among those accepted today, you will have to try again another day,
- Sits have the right to be issued only for a limited number of upcoming dates (depending on the office), with a limit of visitors per day, and you also have the right not to be among the lucky ones and go beyond the deadline.
If only everything were as simple as before — came at night, got in line first, and you were accepted the same day, — then many would prefer to be on duty outside the migration service office than to catch the sieve at night on the Internet. But no, it doesn't work that way.
Internal sieve system
All immigration service offices have their own internal sieving system. It is needed for those cases when a visitor has already been, but he needs another visit: to deliver papers, receive a card with a delay, etc. But not all offices use it to issue sieves to visitors for the first time.
Check with your office to see if you can obtain a sieve on a first-come, first-served basis. You can find out in advance or just come early in the morning, about 2-3 hours before the office opens, and apply for a sieve. If the internal sieve system is in use, you will be given a sieve. It is unlikely that it will be on the same day, but it has the right to be in a few days or even in 2 weeks. The main thing is that you receive the sieve (sieve issue date) before your deadline.
You don't have to wait until the deadline approaches to apply for a sieve. But let us repeat: the system of internal screens is not used in all offices of the migration service, more often in those states where there is not a large flow of foreigners.
Registration of the screen on a first-come, first-served basis — this is an extreme case. If you manage to get an electronic sieve — better do it.
A few words about buying a sieve. Electronic sieves are non-transferable; they cannot be staked out and then transferred to another person. The sita cannot be canceled in order to immediately receive a new one for the free time. Therefore, by entrusting someone with getting an electronic sieve for you, you are actually transferring your work to him: in addition, he will sit at night and catch the sieve for you on the Internet. In addition, the so-called express mechanism of visiting the migration service office without a sieve at all operates behind the scenes, but this is completely different money.