Today we went to the Instituto Nacional de Migración for the second of (hopefully) three stages for our FM-3 visa. The FM-3 is the visa that allows us to live and work in Mexico as missionaries. I confess that government forms and paperwork leave me knock-kneed and nervous. We’ve always just gone with a lawyer in Mexico City, but now we’re told that the paperwork can be done in the Immigration offices here. So to save $300 or so we decided we could do it ourselves.

With the president of our church religious association here who knows the system, Tim traveled up to Mexico City to start the process by leaving a letter from the association to the government asking for our approval. That government agency then gives us a letter of approval for the Immigration agency. We then take that letter to Immigration with other documentation (today’s work) and then in a couple of weeks they should issue our visa cards.

That sounds a bit complicated, but it’s really pretty simple, and it bears mentioning that in the Mexico City office and today at Immigration the workers were incredibly friendly and helpful. They answered questions, steered us straight and even laughed at our, ok, Tim’s, jokes. I must say that THAT was against all expectations, and I’m quite sure it’s totally counter to anything you’d find at US Immigration offices! Hats off to the Mexican Government!