If you are French and you are in Mexico on a French passport, you must return to France and pay a visit to the Mexican Embassy/Consulate in that country. France is the only country where you can apply for an immigration status.

 

I don't think this is true, but I am not sure. Can someone with more knowledge confirm or rebut this claim. It is my understanding that you could go to any country outside of Mexico and start the application at any Mexican consulate or embassy.

 

AlanMexicali, yes you and I are both correct. This French citizen must apply in France for a visa and for SURE cannot apply in Miami, which was listed first as the consulate that would be "easiest". No, sorry, I don't think so.

By the way, I have held legal residence in Mexico twice. The first time I applied with my American passport at the Mexican consulate in Austin, TX. The second time, because I was living in Italy, I applied at the Mexican Embassy in Rome. When I handed the consul my American passport, she asked me if I had an Italian passport, which I did, so I handed her the Italian passport. She then told me if I wanted to apply for a Mexican visa using my American passport, I would have to go back to the United States to apply.

 

I stand corrected. My thanks to both of you.

 

Would a French overseas department with a Mexican consulate meet the OP's need? How difficult would it be to get to Martinique?

 

This is a good point and it might work except that he overstayed his tourist visa by 18 months and could be denied. Most likely he was informed that he had to leave Mexico and would be readmitted after he had obtained a visa but if they gave him any advice on where to obtain that visa, he wouldn't be asking this forum.

 

well that bring up the Martinique or Guadeloupe issue, they are oversea France so could he apply from there ? I think Guadeloupe would be a cheaper destination than Martinique.

 

Oh this is really getting amusing, maesonna. The countries of Guatemala and Belize are not on the USA waiver list. This means citizens from those countries cannot enter the USA for any reason whatsoever -- not even to transit through the USA on a flight to Europe. Instead if they want to go to Europe, they must entirely bypass the USA and book a flight to Madrid. When I was in the Madrid airport, I could not help but notice that nearly half of Central and South America was there. No exaggeration. And this is because they are not allowed to transit through the USA -- EVER. But oh yes, they "can" apply for a Mexican visa in the USA. Absolutely hilarious.

 

OK, Guatamalans and Belizians are not allowed into the USA for any reason whatsoever unless they have been approved for a visa in country of origin so they will not be applying at any Mexican consulate in the USA. I thought we already established this fact. A Canadian's passport is a visa waiver good for a three month tourist visit. So I guess it might be possible that a Mexican consulate in the USA would accept an application from a snowbird who decides to travel further south but this is really pointless because if the Canadian can enter the US with his passport and stay for three months, he can also enter Mexico with his passport and stay for six months and during that time apply for a Mexican visa.

 

You lost me on your last sentence. You used to be able to enter Mexico on a tourist permit, then apply for a visa while in Mexico. That is no longer true now. Now you have to apply at a consulate or embassy outside of Mexico, and exactly where is the discussion of much of this thread.

 

Go to Guatemala or Belize and see if you can apply for a visa into Mexico if you cannot fly back to France and apply from there , it is not complicated.
You may not be able to get a visa into Mexico if you overstayed your visa.

 

TundraGreen, OK I understand. The first time I was living there (2000), I, personally went with my visa obtained at Mexican consulate in Austin but there were many Americans who were applying for the first visa during the six months they were allowed to stay. So apparently that has now been changed, probably for security reasons. Thanks for the info. Even though Italy has a nice climate, it's sunny but cold this time of year so I always think about Mexico and how beautiful it is in Jalisco right now. Hope you're enjoying the weather.

 

Exactly they can't apply in Italy because they don't have an Italian passport OR an Elective Residence visa. Likewise, American citizens and legal, permanent residents of the USA can use consulates in the USA including the Mexican consulate to conduct personal business and apply for visas.

A tourist in the USA on a 90 day passport (no matter from which country) cannot use any consulate in the USA except his own. For example, a British tourist in the USA cannot apply for a Mexican visa in the USA but the British tourist CAN go to Mexico and stay for six months. If he wants to stay longer, he has to return to the UK and apply for a visa at the Mexican consulate.

I just LOVE how a Canadian is able to tell an American citizen how it works. An American citizen by the way who has dual citizenship with Italy, has applied for and been granted two Mexican visas (one in each passport American and Italian), has sponsored an immigrant for American citizenship, and who has assisted her current Italian-American companion with his own application for recognition of Italian citizenship.

As I said earlier, you can interpret the Mexican rules anyway you choose. It does not mean you are correct particularly regarding how it's handled in the USA and especially because you have no personal experience yourself except to have applied in Canada for your Mexican visa, which you now must renew every year if you expect to stay there or if after five years you have applied for a more permanent visa and eventually Mexican citizenship. However, none of what you did applies to anything that is done in the USA.

 

Also, I will now prove why it's necessary to be a legal, permanent resident in a foreign country in order to receive consular services. In 2000, I was an American citizen living in Mexico on an FM3 visa. During that time I submitted family documents from the USA to the Italian consulate in Guadalajara in order to be recognized as an Italian citizen and receive my Italian passport. I can assure you that if I were merely a tourist in Mexico instead of a legal, permanent resident, I would have been told to return to the USA and use the Italian consulate there. Despite the fact that I knew I would be leaving Mexico as soon as I received my Italian passport, while I was waiting for the Italian consulate to complete the paperwork my FM3 expired and I made sure I renewed it, not wanting to take any chances that perhaps the consulate in Guadalajara would not issue my Italian passport if I was now in Mexico illegally because my visa had expired.

 

@Nokomis

Please come and tell us how it all works out when you finish the process.

These responses are confusing.

 

I am sure glad I became a Mexican citizen because things can get messy. I am French and I have not lived there since 1970.. Sometimes like 3 years after I left the states Imy green card was cancelled so f I had to go through this nowadays I could not apply from either the States nor France although I am French.

 

Hi Citlali, thanks for confirming this. Correct, you proved the point that without a visa (greencard), you could not use any consular services in the US except for France. And at this time, because you have not lived in France since 1970, even though you are a French citizen and a citizen of the European Union, you would have to reestablish residency in France and be resident for at least one year before you could use the services of the Mexican consulate in France.

 

Greencard and visa are not the same thing.

Visas - are tourist , business, etc

Greencard - is residency, steps away from Citizenship

----------------- I am curious because Embassies/Consulates will usually allow processing of visas as long as you can prove you are legally in that country if you are not a citizen.
I don't know about Mexican consulates though, that is why I am curious for OP to share HIS experience.

Please give him a chance to come back and share, you have posted so much in the thread already.