Our FM2’s were due to be renewed in the middle of the summer while we would be in Canada on vacation. We visited the immigration office in Progreso in early May to determine what our options were.

We renewed our FM2 visa’s early, the date did not change on them and they are still in effect until the end of July 2013 when we will have to renew them again. It is very important to have this process started or completed before the date on your visa. If you go after the date to renew, you may lose all the time you have accrued towards your visa. We did see some individuals who did not renew on time and hope that they did not lose any time accrued towards their permanent status. I am not sure what happens in this case: the black and white version says they lose their time and start over on the quest to permanent residency; the ‘grey’ version says there may be fines in special circumstances. I personally would not be late.

The process was relatively the same as the original application for the FM2’s for our family. We had to:

• Complete the online application again (there is a fast way if you use the number on your current FM2 so that you don’t have to enter everything again)
• Have our previous FM2’s to turn in while we waited for the new ones
• Show our last three month’s Bank Statement’s
• Write a letter saying why we needed to renew early
• Pay the renewal fee at the bank
• Have new pictures taken for each of us (3 front, 2 side)
• Get our new visas

For our family it was a fairly simple process. Every family is different and it is important to allow yourself enough time to renew your FM2’s. I am not sure what the process is like in Merida, or other parts of Mexico, but in Progreso – they really seem to cater to expats and it is a fairly enjoyable experience.

I would recommend that when you are originally applying for your FM2 visa, that you do so at a time of year when you know you will always be in Mexico. Like when the snow is falling in the far north, that is a good time to ensure you are Mexico!!

One last reminder: always remember to check the dates on all your documents: Visas, drivers licenses, passports, and any other document which has an expiry date and ensure you have enough time to get the documents renewed. For example, if you have a Canadian passport that is due to expire, you should probably take care of that on your next trip!