Mexico: Information on the status provided by an FM3 visa
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MEX9899 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: Information on the status provided by an FM3 visa, 1 December 1991, MEX9899, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab854c.html [accessed 18 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Consulate of Mexico in Ottawa stated the following: the acronym FM3 stands for "Forma Migratoria 3" and the visa is mainly issued to business people and students (2 Dec. 1991). The conditions upon which an FM3 visa is issued may vary according to the nationality of the applicant and treaties signed between the government of the applicant and that of Mexico (Ibid.). The source added that the FM3 is good for one year and can be renewed at the discretion of the "Secretaría de Gobernación" (Ibid.).
According to a spokesperson for the Embassy of Mexico in Washington D.C., an FM3 visa confers a status of temporary residence and is considered a non-immigrant category (2 Dec. 1991). The "Secretaría de Gobernación" (Department of Interior) is the authority responsible for issuing and cancelling the FM3 visa, at its own discretion (Ibid.).
The FM3 visa is given to visitors (not tourists) and may or may not include a work permit (Ibid.). The FM3 visa is issued to visitors under various circumstances such as those living off foreign income, those searching for jobs or potential investment in Mexico, or those working at a fixed place of employment or appointed to a particular position ("cargo de confianza") (Ibid.). Before July 1990, the visa was valid for a period of six months and could be extended only once, up to a total of one year (Ibid.). The Ley General de Población (General Population Law) was amended in July 1990, and the FM3 visa (defined by Article 42 of the law) is now valid for one year and can be renewed up to four times, for a total of five years (Ibid.).
The application form includes fingerprints and indicates clearly the person's intended occupation (Ibid.). If a change of occupation occurs, it has to be indicated in the corresponding documentation (Ibid.). Persons applying for an FM3 visa must pay a fee (Ibid.). The FM3 visa is usually obtained first by people who intend to become permanent residents of Mexico (Ibid.). This visa allows the Mexican authorities, among other things, to verify a person's intentions and capacity to obtain a job (Ibid.).
The FM3 visa can be obtained through any Embassy or Consulate of Mexico (Ibid.). However, the procedure may take some time and people may prefer to enter Mexico with a tourist visa and then apply for an FM3 visa (Ibid.). Nevertheless, using this procedure does not guarantee the issuance of an FM3 visa (Ibid.). Persons staying in Mexico under an FM3 visa may apply for an FM2 visa in order to begin the process to obtain permanent residence status (Ibid.).
The FM3 visa can be cancelled if the owner is involved in a crime (Ibid.). It can also be cancelled for various other reasons, such as working without a permit or in a field other than that specified in the visa (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC in Ottawa.
Bibliography
Consulate of Mexico, Ottawa. 2 December 1991. Telephone Interview with a Representative.
Embassy of Mexico, Washington, D.C. 2 December 1991. Telephone Interview with Lawyer.
