Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, I just returned from Mexico today after traveling to Juarez with my husband. He had an appointment with the U.S. Consulate there, and we paid thousands of dollars in legal fees in order to "do everything right." But to no avail. He was told that he has to stay in Mexico for 10 years, despite his American wife and son.
We decided that the first step for me is to look into getting Mexican residency. I know that there exists an FM-2 and an FM-3. I don't know which would be better or more attainable for me. I am interested in any information on the subject. (BTW, our son already has dual citizenship, something his father took care of when he was born so that there would never be a problem with his living there...so I don't need a visa for him). I understand that getting Mexican residency is no cakewalk.
Also, I read in these forums quite a lot about relocating to Mexico, but the cities which my husband thinks is are good choices for us were not mentioned. Those cities are Cuautla and Cuernavaca, Morelos. My husband says the weather there is beautiful and there is access to some American restaurants and even a Wal-Mart. Does anyone know about these cities or has lived there? I have returned to the States in order to sell everything we have here and let our son finish out his school year, and due to lack of funds (we're broke from paying immigration, what a total waste of money!) I won't be able to travel there again until it's time to move. I have no idea what kind of home we will be able to afford until I have sold what few assets we have here, and I know that life will be very different.
I wrote this to get information, by the way, not to be attacked by anti-illegal immigration posters. If you want to know why he was denied a visa, he was brought to the US illegally by his mother when he was a child. When he grew up, he returned to Mexico to visit his sick, elderly father (he's the youngest of eight) and then returned to the U.S. illegally to continue raising his son. (I said "our" son, but he is my stepson, born to my husband and a U.S. citizen girlfriend when my husband was seventeen years old and she was twenty-three. She abandoned her baby one year later and has shown no interest in caring for him since. No one knows where she is. He is now twelve years old, and my husband has raised him alone until he married me. So this proves that he did not marry me just to get a green card...the mother of his child was a citizen and they did not marry).
Of course now he deeply regrets having crossed the border illegally of his own volition (the first time was rather obviously not his fault) because it has cost us everything we have here in the U.S. At that time he was still very young and foolish, and simply followed the example of the rest of his family. That is not an excuse, but it is an explanation. So he was told that he does not qualify for a waiver and is subject to the 10-year bar. We were shocked because our lawyer said that since he was never arrested, deported or had any problems and even paid his taxes, he would qualify for the waiver. When he came out of the consulate and told me what happened, he was sobbing and kept begging my forgiveness, knowing that either we would be separated for a decade or I would be separated from my own family and country for that amount of time, possibly living in difficult conditions -- and that only if I was able to obtain permission to live in Mexico.
I am hoping against hope that that will not happen and that I can live with him there without starving or suffering, but any information on those cities and also on the visas would be welcome. Any opinions as to my husband's deserving the punishment he got are not welcome. It is my punishment as well, and our child's, and we have done nothing wrong.
Thank you. In answer to the first post, I have lived in Indianapolis for the past five years, but I was born in Illinois and my mother still lives there.
My family (who are spread out in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri) are intending on writing their congressmen. I will do so as well, if it will do us any good. The law affecting us has been in existence since 1997, and I personally know another couple who were similarly affected -- except that he had been arrested, so we thought that our own case would not turn out the same.
Still waiting to see if anyone in this forum can tell me about Cuernavaca and Cuautla, Morelos.
Sanchezfrank,,, have you posted anything similar to this thread in the other Mexico forum area? There may be other members there that have answers and information that could help you who never come here to view any topics in this forum.
I understand your situation. My wife is Mexican and I was born and raised in the USA. We did everything legally, from fiance visa, legal entry into the USA all the way through, 7 years later she will get her citizenship papers in August.
There is not much you can do at this point except he can stay here illegally and hope not to be deported. The towns you mentioned are all nice, but the cost of living in Mexico is no longer cheap.
A lot of things will change after the election as all candidates want illegals to be able to stay here, pay fines, fill out INS forms, pay fees and go to the end of the line, which beats leaving and not being able to return for ten years.
You can get an FM3, renewable every year, cost about $150, but you must prove monthly income, not sure what it is now used to be $600 per month. Your getting Mexican citizenship, being married to a mexican is easy, takes some time and cheap.
Of the places you mentioned probably the easiest adjustment for you is Morelia(not Morelos), in Michoacan State. Everything there we have here, stores, restaurant etc and a large gringo population, perfect weather etc, even though it is known as the drug lord haven you will never see any of that.
You cannot indo the mistakes of the past, just move forward. I personally would prefer to live in Mexico, but my wife prefers to live here. The only problem I see, getting any papers in Mexico is your proof of income, but as a spouse of a Mexican citizen, residency is not a problem there for you.
The hardest will be for your stepson. He will have adjusts he never dreamed of, culturally, school wise etc.
Good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanchezfrank
Hello, I just returned from Mexico today after traveling to Juarez with my husband. He had an appointment with the U.S. Consulate there, and we paid thousands of dollars in legal fees in order to "do everything right." But to no avail. He was told that he has to stay in Mexico for 10 years, despite his American wife and son.
We decided that the first step for me is to look into getting Mexican residency. I know that there exists an FM-2 and an FM-3. I don't know which would be better or more attainable for me. I am interested in any information on the subject. (BTW, our son already has dual citizenship, something his father took care of when he was born so that there would never be a problem with his living there...so I don't need a visa for him). I understand that getting Mexican residency is no cakewalk.
Also, I read in these forums quite a lot about relocating to Mexico, but the cities which my husband thinks is are good choices for us were not mentioned. Those cities are Cuautla and Cuernavaca, Morelos. My husband says the weather there is beautiful and there is access to some American restaurants and even a Wal-Mart. Does anyone know about these cities or has lived there? I have returned to the States in order to sell everything we have here and let our son finish out his school year, and due to lack of funds (we're broke from paying immigration, what a total waste of money!) I won't be able to travel there again until it's time to move. I have no idea what kind of home we will be able to afford until I have sold what few assets we have here, and I know that life will be very different.
I wrote this to get information, by the way, not to be attacked by anti-illegal immigration posters. If you want to know why he was denied a visa, he was brought to the US illegally by his mother when he was a child. When he grew up, he returned to Mexico to visit his sick, elderly father (he's the youngest of eight) and then returned to the U.S. illegally to continue raising his son. (I said "our" son, but he is my stepson, born to my husband and a U.S. citizen girlfriend when my husband was seventeen years old and she was twenty-three. She abandoned her baby one year later and has shown no interest in caring for him since. No one knows where she is. He is now twelve years old, and my husband has raised him alone until he married me. So this proves that he did not marry me just to get a green card...the mother of his child was a citizen and they did not marry).
Of course now he deeply regrets having crossed the border illegally of his own volition (the first time was rather obviously not his fault) because it has cost us everything we have here in the U.S. At that time he was still very young and foolish, and simply followed the example of the rest of his family. He had no idea of how it would affect his life in the future. That is not an excuse, but it is an explanation. So he was told that he does not qualify for a waiver and is subject to the 10-year bar. We were shocked because our lawyer said that since he was never arrested, deported or had any problems and even paid his taxes, he would qualify for the waiver. When he came out of the consulate and told me what happened, he was sobbing and kept begging my forgiveness, knowing that either we would be separated for a decade or I would be separated from my own family and country for that amount of time, possibly living in difficult conditions -- and that only if I was able to obtain permission to live in Mexico.
I am hoping against hope that that will not happen and that I can live with him there without starving or suffering, but any information on those cities and also on the visas would be welcome. Any opinions as to my husband's deserving the punishment he got are not welcome. It is my punishment as well, and our child's, and we have done nothing wrong.
I don't believe I ever said he had a "good reason" to stay. Although other than you, every friend, family member and acquaintance I have told has been shocked at the thought that the INS would willingly separate an American wife and son from their husband and father unless he had committed a more serious crime such as drug trafficking or had he been deported, for example.
Also, pointing out that he came illegally twice with your bold letters is a little redundant, isn't it? I believe I made it quite clear in my post, and I didn't ask for your sympathy or anyone else's. Maybe you should read my original post again, since you obviously didn't understand it well enough and felt the need to point out that he was here twice. What I did ask was for the smug, up-on-my-soapbox anti-illegal immigration posters to let me alone, because I wanted good advice, not criticism.
I have a twelve year-old stepson with chronic anxiety disorder and ADHD who misses his father and was devastated to hear that he is not coming back. I am deeply concerned about his adjustment to living in Mexico and the possible lack of good medical treatment for him there. Evidently that is not a "good enough reason" for people like you. I suppose you think that his mother, who first committed statutory rape by sleeping with a sixteen year-old and then abandoning the child she bore by him is more deserving than my sweet, kind, hardworking husband, because after all, she was a U.S. citizen. That makes her above reproach, apparently. Thank God she didn't cross the border twice. Then she'd really be pond scum.
Thanks for your help, marmac. Really, during all my grief and sleepless nights your posts were ever so helpful.
When it rains, it POURS. Am another person who was married to a Mexican National. Went to the offices in Mexico City and finally gave up. We got married in Vegas (no Problem and I spent 3 yrs as a Tourst that returned every 90 days to renew my Visa until I was once asked why the many trips back and forth. Explained that I was married to a national but did not have residence status. He stamped my Visa for 6 months. Bingo!! Never worked, my wife owned a house there and also a small weekend house on the free road going into Cuernavaca. I LOVE that town. Jump on the Quota (toll road) and you are in Mexico City fast. Other direction is Acapulco.Went there 3-4 times a year.You can do the same as I did. WORKING?? forget it, it would be impossible unless you are happy with 5-10 dlls a day. Wages are by the day, not by the hr as in the states. You would also have to live off his wages.Do not know his education background or trade. That will be a big factor. Living in Mexico City 3 yrs and knowing the people and their living/work habits and now in Baja 12 yrs, I can speak with a little (very) knowledge. Based on what I know, MONEY,MONEY, and more MONEY is going to be the major headache. The poor kid will be considered AMERICANIZED and NOT MEXICAN. Mexico City has ENGLISH schools for some Americans whose parents live/work for a major company but you are not in that catagory. It is going to be a TOUGH go and I feel for you but my GUT feeling is that you will be discouraged within 1-2 yrs at the most. You do not have any blood connection to warrant your staying longer then what I predict. However I do wish you well. Good Luck (buenas suerte) Stefhen
My husband is already in Mexico so he is not coming back illegally a third time. He had to appear in Juarez for his appointment where they told him that he could not re-enter the U.S. So all the process of moving I have to do alone.
Our son will find it hard to adjust because he has ADHD. That is what I worry about the most. But thanks for your advice all the same. One good thing in all this is that I already speak, read and write fluent Spanish. I don't have to live in a gringo area to get along. But I do like the idea of living where there are American things, like Starbucks and Pizza Hut.
Last edited by ontheroad; 03-23-2008 at 07:08 PM..
Reason: Inappropriate response deleted.
Hello, I just returned from Mexico today after traveling to Juarez with my husband. He had an appointment with the U.S. Consulate there, and we paid thousands of dollars in legal fees in order to "do everything right." But to no avail. He was told that he has to stay in Mexico for 10 years, despite his American wife and son.
We decided that the first step for me is to look into getting Mexican residency. I know that there exists an FM-2 and an FM-3. I don't know which would be better or more attainable for me. I am interested in any information on the subject. (BTW, our son already has dual citizenship, something his father took care of when he was born so that there would never be a problem with his living there...so I don't need a visa for him). I understand that getting Mexican residency is no cakewalk.
Also, I read in these forums quite a lot about relocating to Mexico, but the cities which my husband thinks is are good choices for us were not mentioned. Those cities are Cuautla and Cuernavaca, Morelos. My husband says the weather there is beautiful and there is access to some American restaurants and even a Wal-Mart. Does anyone know about these cities or has lived there? I have returned to the States in order to sell everything we have here and let our son finish out his school year, and due to lack of funds (we're broke from paying immigration, what a total waste of money!) I won't be able to travel there again until it's time to move. I have no idea what kind of home we will be able to afford until I have sold what few assets we have here, and I know that life will be very different.
I wrote this to get information, by the way, not to be attacked by anti-illegal immigration posters. If you want to know why he was denied a visa, he was brought to the US illegally by his mother when he was a child. When he grew up, he returned to Mexico to visit his sick, elderly father (he's the youngest of eight) and then returned to the U.S. illegally to continue raising his son. (I said "our" son, but he is my stepson, born to my husband and a U.S. citizen girlfriend when my husband was seventeen years old and she was twenty-three. She abandoned her baby one year later and has shown no interest in caring for him since. No one knows where she is. He is now twelve years old, and my husband has raised him alone until he married me. So this proves that he did not marry me just to get a green card...the mother of his child was a citizen and they did not marry).
Of course now he deeply regrets having crossed the border illegally of his own volition (the first time was rather obviously not his fault) because it has cost us everything we have here in the U.S. At that time he was still very young and foolish, and simply followed the example of the rest of his family. He had no idea of how it would affect his life in the future. That is not an excuse, but it is an explanation. So he was told that he does not qualify for a waiver and is subject to the 10-year bar. We were shocked because our lawyer said that since he was never arrested, deported or had any problems and even paid his taxes, he would qualify for the waiver. When he came out of the consulate and told me what happened, he was sobbing and kept begging my forgiveness, knowing that either we would be separated for a decade or I would be separated from my own family and country for that amount of time, possibly living in difficult conditions -- and that only if I was able to obtain permission to live in Mexico.
I am hoping against hope that that will not happen and that I can live with him there without starving or suffering, but any information on those cities and also on the visas would be welcome. Any opinions as to my husband's deserving the punishment he got are not welcome. It is my punishment as well, and our child's, and we have done nothing wrong.
Cuernavaca is absolutely beautiful -- very many of the towns in that area are. Taxco is nice, Guanajuato is nice, Colima. Puebla is a nice bigger city.
It's a myth that people are starving to death in Mexico. Your son will do just fine there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
