We would like to tell you what additional standards the Mexican Migration Service can put forward when exchanging a temporary resident card for a permanent resident card. Such an exchange is possible after 2 years for temporary resident cards received on the basis of marriage to a Mexican citizen, or after 4 years for cards received on other grounds. Although the migration service website provides a list of documentation required for the exchange, this list is not considered exhaustive, and migration service employees are able to request other confirmation at their discretion.
Some additional standards are based on the fact that migration service personnel have the right to believe that in order to obtain a permanent resident card, a foreigner must retain the same basis as for issuing a temporary resident card for the first time. However, Mexican migration legislation clearly states that to acquire permanent resident status, it is enough to have 4 years of temporary residence without any additional confirmation.
Temporary resident card obtained through marriage to a Mexican citizen
Certified copy of marriage certificate. Before contacting the migration service office to exchange a temporary resident card for a permanent resident card, you must obtain a fresh certified copy of your marriage certificate. You can purchase such a copy at any office of the Civil Registry (Registro civil) of the state where the marriage was registered. The purchasing process is very simple and takes a few minutes. But the migration service will then still send a request to the Civil Registry to see if the marriage record exists in the registry and will wait for written confirmation from them before issuing you a permanent resident card. To summarize, the process of issuing a permanent resident card can take several weeks or even months.
Personal presence of the spouse. The Mexican spouse must be personally present when submitting documentation for a permanent resident card. He is obliged to confirm in writing that the spouses have been living together for 2 years. In this case, the migration service has the right to conduct an inspection to identify a fictitious marriage. Most often, the verification consists of an interview with the spouses at the migration service office, but sometimes an on-site verification can be carried out at the address that the foreign spouse indicated when receiving a temporary resident card. The purpose of the on-site inspection — find out whether the spouses live together. The field visit is carried out without prior notice, and neighbors may be interviewed during it.
The main condition for obtaining a permanent resident card by marriage to a Mexican citizen — the marriage must be continuous for 2 years from the date of registration of the temporary resident card. If during these 2 years you divorced and then remarried, the marriage cannot be considered continuous and a permanent resident card will not be issued. If you did not notify the migration service about the divorce and about the new marriage, in order to maintain your resident status, you will have to go through a settlement procedure. You will then be issued a new temporary resident card for 1 or 2 years, based on the length of your new marriage. You will be able to get a permanent resident card after 2 years in a new marriage, but not before the temporary resident card expires.
Temporary resident card received upon invitation to work
Employment in a Mexican company. Although there are no criteria for confirming employment when receiving a permanent resident card on the migration service website, migration service employees have the opportunity to request such confirmation. Usually it is enough to provide a letter from the employer, the same as when renewing a temporary resident card upon invitation to work. However, if there are suspicions that the employee does not actually work in such a company, the migration service has the right to request an extract from the salary account confirming that the salary has been received. In case of fictitious employment, it is not possible to purchase such an extract.
Temporary resident card received on other grounds
By other reasons we mean:
- relationship with a resident of Mexico,
- economic viability (income, savings, property ownership),
- settlement program.
Having the means to live in Mexico. The Migration Service has the right to ask for confirmation of the availability of funds to live in Mexico. Usually it is enough to provide an account statement from any Mexican or foreign bank with 3 months of movement. The account can be in any currency; it is not required to certify and translate a foreign statement into Spanish or English, but it is advisable to immediately purchase it in one of these languages. It should be clear from the statement that the funds were spent in Mexico. The amount of money spent and the account balance are not important.
Confirmation of relationship. The Migration Service can check whether the relative with whom you are related to temporary residence has received permanent residence, and only after that can prepare permanent residence for you. In addition, they are able to request papers confirming relationship with the resident — marriage or birth certificate with apostille and translation into Spanish by an official Mexican translator.
We would like to emphasize that it is not necessary to re-confirm economic solvency (income or savings) when renewing a temporary resident card obtained on this basis, or when subsequently receiving a permanent resident card.
In all cases, you should be prepared for the fact that the migration service has the opportunity to ask againconfirm your residential address, in other words, provide fresh receipts for utilities with the same address that you indicated during your previous request.
We would like to add that staying 4 years as a temporary resident for study does not give the right to obtain a permanent residence permit in Mexico.
The materials in this publication are based on our own experience of accompanying us to various offices of the Mexican Migration Service. The other requirements described may not necessarily apply to your particular case.