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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Another successful day! Today I went to the Instituto Nacional de Migracion to get everything settled with my visa - what a process! I had already gotten my FM3 (Student visa) from the Mexican Consulate in DC (as seen below), but knew I needed to go to Migrations within the first 30 days in Mexico (though it wasn't quite clear for what).
So today I met up with Billy (Rotary Scholar) and Tatiana (UNAM exchange student from Colombia) for a joint adventure at Migrations.
Steps for getting an FM3 ID card instead of book/ registering as a foreigner in Mexico / extending the visa in your passport to 1 year (according to our experience today):
1. Call the Institute of Migration and ask about what documents you need.
2. Show up and wait in a line to figure out where you're supposed to go, since no one seems to be around to ask questions and there are lines everywhere.
3. When it's your turn, be told you need to go wait in another line.
4. Once it's your turn in that line, find out the required documents are different then what you were told over the phone -- but at least now you know the procedure!
5. Go find the least expensive option for taking the necessary photos -- 3 front and 2 profile -- and make a copy of your passport.
(Then stop for a taco from a street vendor along the way!)
6. Go to an internet cafe to fill out a form online. When the computer does not work, change computers and fill out the form again. Ask for help as necessary with the international keyboard (especially for the well-hidden @ and / symbols). Then print.
7. While you're waiting, fill out the other form, which includes questions such as race, religion, body type, and area of expertise.
8. Return to Migrations and wait in line to pay. Find out that you receive the bill but do not actually pay here.
9. Go to a bank around the corner to pay $669 pesos.
10. Go back to Migrations (and hurry before it closes at 1:00 PM!) and wait in another line. Show them your passport and turn in the 2 forms, receipt from payment, FM3, stamped customs form from the airplane and photos. Have them make a copy of another page of your passport, since this was not mentioned in previous instructions.
11. Voila! Receive the paperwork proof of your efforts of the day and instructions to return in 10 business days to wait in another line to pick up your new snazzy FM3 card.
After our Migrations adventures, we explored Polanco a bit and I got to play tour guide since I had been there one Saturday. We tried a fruit called "tuna" (a prickly pear, according to wordreference), which was delicious!
We passed by a cool looking mall called El Palacio de Hierro.
We found a Rotary statue/fountain, so obviously we Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars had to pose in front of it!
(Maybe a Rotarian can help me with who this is??)
We saw the Parroquia de San Agustin.
And lots of pretty houses!
We also stopped for a delicious lunch of tacos al pastor and micheladas (beer with lime and salt).
Though we have no picture evidence, we also stopped for some delicious gelato. Yum!
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