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Temporary and Permanent Resident (FM1, FM2, and FM3) in Mexico

Actualizado: 18 oct 2023

The resident alien or lawful status is a procedure by which the Mexican government issues a document called Resident Card to foreigners who wish to reside in Mexico regularly. The Political Constitution of the United States of Mexico, the Federal Administrative Procedure Act, the Migratory Act, the Migratory Act Regulation, the Guidelines for Migratory Procedures and Formalities, and the Organic Law of the Mexican Foreign Service regulate resident alien’s or lawful status’ legal framework.

There are different types of lawful status as stated in the Guidelines for Migratory Procedures and Formalities. Each document has a determined and specific reason of issuance and must be requested properly according to the specific situations of the immigrant. In further articles, we will thoroughly analyze each type of document; however, for this article, we will present the Resident Card divisions or the existing lawful status:


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  • Temporary Resident Card:

  • Visa issued by consulate (without Work Permit)

  • Familiar Unity Visa

  • Financial Solvency Visa

  • Ownership of real state Visa

  • Scientific Investigation in Mexican waters Visa

  • Invitation of a public or private institution Visa

  • Visa under an international legal instrument for the mobility of persons

  • Investor Visa

Visa issued by consulate (with Work Permit)

Valid Job Offer Visa

Visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities

  • By migratory regulation

  • Regularization for family unit

  • Regularization for not authorized activities

  • Regularization under a Federal Regularization Program

  • Regularization for expired document

  • Regularization for humanitarian reasons

  • By regularization of migrants

  • Regularization by Familiar Unity

  • Regularization for performing unauthorized activities

  • Regularization under a federal Regularization Program

  • Regularization by expired document

  • Regularization by humanitarian reasons

Due to changes of lawful status to a Temporary Resident without a Work Permit


  • By Familiar Unity

  • By humanitarian reasons


Due to changes of lawful status to a Temporary Resident with a Work Permit Applicable only for Temporary Student Residents


Request of Work Permit as a Temporary Resident:


  • Work Permit for Temporary Residents (except students)

  • Work Permit for Temporary Residents under a federal migratory Regularization Program


Permanent Resident Card


  • Visa issued at a consulate

  • For being a pensioner or retiree

  • By Familiar Unity

  • By a point-based system

By regularization of migrants


  • By Familiar Unity


Due to changes of lawful status


  • By Familiar Unity

  • Due to an uninterrupted 4-year period of lawful status

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It is important to mention that in the Vox Populi or the memory of the former immigration laws, there are terms as FM1, FM2, and FM3 that do not exist on the current Migratory Act. We mention them here only to inform and explain the proper existing lawful status. If someone tries to cheat a foreigner, and he or she completely ignores the law, they will use these terms to try to convince foreigners. Information is power, and my friend, if you are well informed, you will not believe in a fake agent that could ruin your peaceful stay in this beautiful country that welcomes you. Remember, there is always the correct path that will make your stay a peaceful one without setbacks.


If you want a free migration consultancy and to know more about other migration proceedings, contact us!


Resolve your doubts with a DIAM S.C. lawyer, fill out the following form for a FREE ADVICE:



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Or call the following number:

(52 1) 5519124567


DIAM S.C. is the best immigration law office in Mexico. With more than 5 years of experience and more than 2 thousand successful proceedings, we can help you with your migratory proceeding.


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