The Mexican Immigration Department (“INM” by its abbreviation in Spanish) has issued a new immigration policy to allow foreigners with irregular immigration status to obtain legal residence in Mexico without leaving the country. The main requirements are: 1) you must have entered Mexico before November 9, 2012 and have means to prove it; 2) be in Mexico with an irregular immigration status before January 13, 2015; 3) have a valid passport; and 4) Pay $632 dollars to the Authority for filing fees (2 payments, $78 for the study and $554 when you are authorized). If you meet these requirements, you should be granted legal residence status no later than 30 days after you file your petition.
Foreigners that have been or are about to be deported, that have lied to the Immigration Authority, that were convicted or are involved in a criminal process, in Mexico or abroad, are excluded from the program.
The program expressly prohibits the Immigration Authority from detaining any irregular immigrants who approach them with questions about this program, so you are protected if you want to stop by the immigration office to discuss your case.
The novelty of this program is that, unlike previous policy, you do not have to prove that you have a job to get approval and so far paying a fine is not a requirement. Nonetheless, the fees you have to pay to the Authority are higher than the $178 charged under the last program. The good news is that once you obtain your immigration card, you will not have to renew it for 4 years so it is a smart investment.
The program will end on December 18, 2015. If you would like to take advantage of this program and increase your chances of approval, contact us at info@iiclegal.com