rhintransit
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FM2/3 flying to USA without FMM?
okay, I ended up entering Mexico without a FMM last time (on bus, through Nogales. the bus did stop at immigration but they declined to give me
one/stamp passport, saying I'd get that when I flew to Loreto from Guaymas. but of course that didn't happen, isn't done) I've straightened this
out with my local immigration office (letter in file) but havel no FMM.
now I'm wanting to fly back to the states from another city, not my local.
has this happened to anyone lately? now that the form is a 'courtesy' for FM2/3's...is there still a fine? if so, how much?
thanks
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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jeffg
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I doubt if you'll have a problem. When you fly OUT of Mexico on an FM2 or 3, that's when they issue the new FMM. Then you keep your copy of it until
you fly back into Mexico. So as far as they're concerned, I think you are right in sync.
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Brinloor
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I flew out of Loreto at the end of June, didn't have my FMM. Lovely new Immigration officer came to the waiting area, looked at my FM2, filled out
and stamped a new FMM. I didn't even have to go back to the office.
While I'm on the subject of helpful officialdom.....some friends had a horrific traffic accident north of Sta. Rosalia several weeks ago. Car
totalled, minor injuries, I drove to pick them up. The Federales were kind and helpful throughout the entire ordeal. Of course, my friends were
properly insured and it was obvious the accident was not their fault.
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MitchMan
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If you are an FM3 holder, do you have to pay the $23 usd for the FMM if you are staying in baja sur for 10 days or more? Actually, I am not so sure
that an FM3 holder has to get an FMM when entering or leaving the Baja. If there is any disagreement to this, please state (citation of specific
legal requirement in writing), cite the authority that stipulates an FM3 holder has to additionally obtain an FMM when entering/leaving the
Baja...because I haven't seen any formal citation mentioned anyhere in this forum or any where else for that matter.
Futhermore, as a holder of an FM3, I have never been asked or required to show an FMM. Last January when entering Baja at TJ border, we stopped at
the immigration office there to obtain an FMM for my wife. The immigration officer asked for my ID when he was processing my wife's FMM, I showed him
my FM3. He never asked me for an FMM, didn't suggest that I get one either, he just waived me on. When I go to La Paz next week, I am going to the
immigration office there to ask them if I need an FMM and whether I need an FMM together with my FM3 when I go to renew my FM3 at the La Paz office
this September. I will post my findings on this forum.
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jeffg
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
If you are an FM3 holder, do you have to pay the $23 usd for the FMM if you are staying in baja sur for 10 days or more? Actually, I am not so sure
that an FM3 holder has to get an FMM when entering or leaving the Baja. If there is any disagreement to this, please state (citation of specific
legal requirement in writing), cite the authority that stipulates an FM3 holder has to additionally obtain an FMM when entering/leaving the
Baja...because I haven't seen any formal citation mentioned anyhere in this forum or any where else for that matter.
Futhermore, as a holder of an FM3, I have never been asked or required to show an FMM. Last January when entering Baja at TJ border, we stopped at
the immigration office there to obtain an FMM for my wife. The immigration officer asked for my ID when he was processing my wife's FMM, I showed him
my FM3. He never asked me for an FMM, didn't suggest that I get one either, he just waived me on. When I go to La Paz next week, I am going to the
immigration office there to ask them if I need an FMM and whether I need an FMM together with my FM3 when I go to renew my FM3 at the La Paz office
this September. I will post my findings on this forum. |
Hmmm, I could probably answer a lot of this but the requirement to provide "citation of specific legal requirement in writing" would seem to preclude
me from doing so.
Let me know if pre-requisites get eased up, all I can offer is my past experiences!
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rts551
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If you ever intend to apply for immigrado status, I have personally seen one application kicked back because the exit and entrance stamps did not
match up, they would not re-accept his application until he was able to explain the discrepancy in writing to Mexico City .
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rhintransit
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
If you ever intend to apply for immigrado status, I have personally seen one application kicked back because the exit and entrance stamps did not
match up, they would not re-accept his application until he was able to explain the discrepancy in writing to Mexico City . |
yes, I've heard that. which is why there's now a letter of explanation, with copies of all tickets/documents, in my file at immigration. the
subdelgada agreed that not doumenting time in/out of country could be a problem later and the documentation was her suggestion as to how to deal with
it.
as to paying for the FMM, that's not required with FM2/3 status however having the FMM processed (which has a check box space for holders of same) is
required on landing at a Mexican airport. it's not clear to me whether is is needed for flying out of country...hence my question.
info would have to be recent as I think the FMM form-for-all was just instituted sometime last fall.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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Brinloor
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
If you are an FM3 holder, do you have to pay the $23 usd for the FMM if you are staying in baja sur for 10 days or more? Actually, I am not so sure
that an FM3 holder has to get an FMM when entering or leaving the Baja. If there is any disagreement to this, please state (citation of specific
legal requirement in writing), cite the authority that stipulates an FM3 holder has to additionally obtain an FMM when entering/leaving the
Baja...because I haven't seen any formal citation mentioned anyhere in this forum or any where else for that matter.
Futhermore, as a holder of an FM3, I have never been asked or required to show an FMM. Last January when entering Baja at TJ border, we stopped at
the immigration office there to obtain an FMM for my wife. The immigration officer asked for my ID when he was processing my wife's FMM, I showed him
my FM3. He never asked me for an FMM, didn't suggest that I get one either, he just waived me on. When I go to La Paz next week, I am going to the
immigration office there to ask them if I need an FMM and whether I need an FMM together with my FM3 when I go to renew my FM3 at the La Paz office
this September. I will post my findings on this forum. |
I am looking at my FMM. I quote from the top of the form "This form must be filled out individually by all foreigners entering Mexico, including
diplomatic personnel." In English even.
On the back it says Only for Statistical Purposes, Holder of Immigration Form (checked for my FM2)
I have been asked to present the FMM upon departure before my passport is stamped at the airport.
Hope this helps.
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rts551
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No answer, but "for statistical purposes" you could end up with a bunch of entrances and no exits. (by the way, my son has been turning his in
after 6 months on exit because of their ability to track them now). I am glad I am done, Immigrado's do not have to have the FMM and can travel
freely in and out of Mexico.
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Bajatripper
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
If you are an FM3 holder, do you have to pay the $23 usd for the FMM if you are staying in baja sur for 10 days or more? Actually, I am not so sure
that an FM3 holder has to get an FMM when entering or leaving the Baja. If there is any disagreement to this, please state (citation of specific
legal requirement in writing), cite the authority that stipulates an FM3 holder has to additionally obtain an FMM when entering/leaving the
Baja...because I haven't seen any formal citation mentioned anyhere in this forum or any where else for that matter.
Futhermore, as a holder of an FM3, I have never been asked or required to show an FMM. Last January when entering Baja at TJ border, we stopped at
the immigration office there to obtain an FMM for my wife. The immigration officer asked for my ID when he was processing my wife's FMM, I showed him
my FM3. He never asked me for an FMM, didn't suggest that I get one either, he just waived me on. When I go to La Paz next week, I am going to the
immigration office there to ask them if I need an FMM and whether I need an FMM together with my FM3 when I go to renew my FM3 at the La Paz office
this September. I will post my findings on this forum. |
I'm in total agreement with your opinion on this. The FMM is a temporary document for tourists, whereas the FM2 and FM3 are immigration documents of
longer duration. I'm paying around $200 a year for my FM2 and would be surprised to learn that I'd also have to pay the $23 for an FMM. I've never had
an FMM since getting into the FM3 and FM2 documentation cycles some eight years ago. Whenever I've been asked to produce immigration documents, those
two have always sufficed. In fact, when I started the FM3 process, I had to turn in a valid FMM to get the ball rolling. Said document was never
returned nor was a new one issued along with my FM3. If we were required to maintain both documents simultaneously, that wouldn't have been the case.
But, in the interest of accuracy, I will go down to the local immigration office tomorrow and see what their take is on this and post the answer.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajatripper
But, in the interest of accuracy, I will go down to the local immigration office tomorrow and see what their take is on this and post the answer.
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Oh, yeah.....like they'll know. 
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MitchMan
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Great follow up posts.
Interesting that the Immigration office requires documentation or consistent date stamps on the FM3. But, since we now have a laminated card instead
of a green FM3 booklet, one cannot get the FM3 date stamped.
I never fly into Baja from the US. I always cross the border on foot going to and coming from Baja, then fly a Mexican airlines from TJ to/from La
Paz. No one stamps anything nor ever asked to show an FMM. Even the US customs at the border doesn't stamp the US passport. To get Immigrado status
sometime in the future, it makes sense to get an FMM if only to document and prove entry and exit, but, why couldn't I simply claim I never left
Baja? After all I have a place in La Paz and have all the utility bills to prove it.
Conclusion: Makes sense for an FM3 holder to get an FMM in order to have a documentary trail showing consistent entry/exit dates IF immigrado status
may be desired in the future.
[Edited on 7-26-2011 by MitchMan]
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Bajatripper
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Just got back from the immigration office, and here's what they said.
If traveling by car and you have either the FM2 or FM3, you will never need anything else. HOWEVER, if traveling by plane, they do ask that everyone
fill out the FMM for, as someone said, statistical purposes. This opinion is backed by a pamplet they have available on the counter at the La Paz
office, which states the same thing. The pamplet is in Spanish, however, so who knows how many of us have bothered to read it.
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Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Great follow up posts.
Interesting that the Immigration office requires documentation or consistent date stamps on the FM3. But, since we now have a laminated card instead
of a green FM3 booklet, one cannot get the FM3 date stamped.
I never fly into Baja from the US. I always cross the border on foot going to and coming from Baja, then fly a Mexican airlines from TJ to/from La
Paz. No one stamps anything nor ever asked to show an FMM. Even the US customs at the border doesn't stamp the US passport. To get Immigrado status
sometime in the future, it makes sense to get an FMM if only to document and prove entry and exit, but, why couldn't I simply claim I never left
Baja? After all I have a place in La Paz and have all the utility bills to prove it.
Conclusion: Makes sense for an FM3 holder to get an FMM in order to have a documentary trail showing consistent entry/exit dates IF immigrado status
may be desired in the future.
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Although I understand the requirements have changed in recent times, when I first got here you were actually limited in the amount of time you could
spend out of the country and still maintain your FM-3 status. If that was the case, then you actually wouldn't want to document a bunch of exits of
Mexico since that would work against you maintaining your legal status. But I understand that they no longer hold us to those standards since about
the time they came out with the laminated cards.
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rhintransit
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summary as far as I can tell...(?)
everyone gets an FMM (courtesy/free if FM2/3) when flying into Mexico 'for statistics'...maybe keeping up with collections for tourist FMM fees vs
claims by airlines for FM2/FM3' holders who request a refund for the fee built into the ticket price.
an FM2/3 holder doesn't need, or get if requested, an FMM when driving, busing, walking or boating in.
whether an FM2/3 holder needs an FMM when flying out is still up in the air...
documentation of time in Mexico, according to the Loreto INM office, will be done by USA passport stamps.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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rhintransit
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morgaine, so you're saying that I just fill in a new FMM and turn (part of) it in when I fly out? that answers the question.
[Edited on 7-27-2011 by rhintransit]
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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