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 Vallarta Living | December 2007 
Changes in Mexican Naturalization Laws
 Bonnie Sumlin - HELP!
| | Bonnie Sumlin, the General Director of HELP! (the Manzanillo Foreign Community Association A.C.,) can help expats who want to obtain Mexican Citizenship. For more information, contact Bonnie directly at bonniehelpsinmexico(at)gmail.com. |
Due to recent changes in the laws regulating Mexican Naturalization, now foreign citizens living in Mexico MUST have a FM2 for at least five (5) years before commencing with the Mexican Citizenship process.
The FM3 no longer counts - unless you are married to a Mexican National, then you MUST have an FM2 for at least two years. Anyone who started the process of Citizenship with an FM3 will be able to continue on as they obviously got in under the wire!
The law is FEDERAL and applies in all of Mexico’s 31 states - not just a few or different states. As a highly respected (Naturalized) Mexican citizen in my area, I will be working with my Senators to change this law. It CAN be done. It will just take some time.
In spite of the changes, more foreigners - American and Canadian - have received Citizenship thru HELP! than anywhere else in Mexico. We have had eleven people who went through high-priced lawyers, with no success. I was their last resort, and now they are Mexicans.
At this time, thousands of deserving foreigners will not be able to obtain Citizenship with an FM3, foreigners who have lived here many years and who love Mexico and who, additionally, feel that they would be an asset to the Mexican community, not only with new enterprises, and bringing funds into Mexico, tourism and business into Mexico.
I would say that about half of those we assisted into Citizenship had FM2s and changed to adopting Citizenship as their status because they had foresight and saw the writing on the wall, as we say.
Many who have FM2s do not feel comfortable with that document either because Immigration could change their laws too, as the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs has done, and at any time foreign guests with FM2s would have to adhere to such changes too, no matter what.
The drawback with FM2s is that you are not permitted OUTSIDE OF MEXICO more than 3 months a year. At my meeting in Puerto Vallarta in late January, I will discuss our options with regard to that law.
Bonnie Sumlin is the General Director of HELP!, the Manzanillo Foreign Community Assn., A.C. - All of Mexico and Beyond! She is also President of the Mexican Red Cross in Manzanillo, Colima, the first American appointed to this post in the history of Mexico. For more information, contact Bonnie directly at bonniehelpsinmexico(at)gmail.com. |
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