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Mexico has a “Regularization” program (https://www.mexperience.com/mexico-offers-special-residency-procedure/) that allows for obtaining temporary residency in country.

In order to qualify, you must purposefully overstay your FMM (tourist) entry. You then head to the immigration office the next day, apply, and walk out with a temporary residence card.

I have spoken to several facilitators and immigration lawyers in Mexico; this program is legitimate.

My concern is how that overstay will be seen by other countries in the future, either when I attempt to enter or apply for a visa.

Does anyone have any information on whether or not my concerns are valid? The Mexico entry FMM isn’t really a visa per se so you’re not “overstaying a visa”…or at least that’s what one facilitator told me.

mlc
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Caleb Chiesa
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1 Answers1

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I originally added this as a comment.

As part of Mexico's regularization process, you are required to pay a fine for overstaying your FMM. The fact that Mexico imposes this fine shows that it officially considers the situation an overstay.

From your Mexperience link:

All applicants must pay the government processing fees for the special procedure that consist of:

  • A regularization fee of around $1,780 Mexican pesos.
  • A fine of around $11,000 Mexican pesos.
  • The government fees for temporary residency cards—you can choose to apply for between 1 and 4 years and pay the corresponding fee that will range between $5,550 and $12,529 Mexican pesos.

Since Mexico officially views this as an overstay, it would be reasonable to assume that other countries would consider it the same.

Midavalo
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