I recently received my temporary residency visa and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone on this subreddit who has answered questions and documented their process. I am hoping to pay it forward and hopefully someone finds this information helpful. I did not use any facilitators at any point of the process, and instead used the information posted on this subreddit, the official Mexican government websites, and a little bit of googling.

Locations: Consulate in San Diego and INM building in Tijuana

Step 1: Consulate Preparation & Appointment

I applied for a visa via economic solvency through employment. I read the requirements for my local consulate and made sure I had all the documents. I then scheduled an appointment online for the closest available date, and went to my appointment.

I arrived 10 minutes early and went inside. The person processing my application asked me some questions such as if I spoke Spanish, where I learned to speak Spanish, and why I wanted a visa to live in Mexico. I replied that I know a little Spanish, learned to speak it in school and continued to practice in Mexico and Latin America, and wanted to move to Mexico to live with my girlfriend. He then told me to pay the $56 fee, and I came back with the receipt. My Spanish is not super strong, but the agent knew English pretty well, so anything I didn't understand could be filled in with English. After looking through my documents, he said I was missing my remote work authorization letter and that I would need to come back. Damn, $56 down the drain.

I made another appointment and proceeded to ask my boss to write me a letter confirming that I was allowed to work remotely.

I arrived at my appointment and it was the same process as before, but note that if this happens you will have to arrive with all required documents (including paying the $56 again), so don't count on them keeping your documents from last time. After answering the same questions and about 45 minutes of waiting in total, I got called back to the window. I proceeded to get my picture taken, and then got my fingerprints scanned. The agent then printed out the sticker version of my visa, placed it in my passport, and said I needed to complete the CANJE process in Mexico.

Documents Needed:

• $56 in cash
• Completed visa application form
• Passport + copies of my passport that includes data page, last page, and all pages with stamps
• 6 months of paystubs (I brought 8 months - they only looked at the last 6 months)
• 6 months of bank statements (I brought 8 months - again only looked at 6. I also just used the page from the bank statement that showed beginning balance, deposits, and ending balance.)
• Signed letter from employer approving of me working from home and residing in Mexico.

Step 2: Making the Appointment & Entering Mexico

After getting my passport sticker, I went online to make an appointment with the INM office in Tijuana. First you will need to fill out the Formato para solicitar tramite migratorio de estancia so that you can receive a pieza number which you will use when making your appointment. When I first checked, I saw no appointments available. I kept checking throughout the day, and then the next day at around 11am I saw a bunch of appointments available. I reserved an appointment for a Friday early in the morning to give myself plenty of time.

I arrived at San Ysidro the day before my appointment, and crossed by foot. When I got to the customs agent, I presented my passport open on the page with the visa sticker. I then told him I have a visa and that I was there for the tramite de CANJE. He checked the CANJE checkbox on my FMM, stamped the FMM and the visa, and I was on my way. When I got home in Mexico, I then made a copy of the FMM and my visa sticker.

Step 3: CANJE at the INM office

I arrived 20 minutes before my appointment, and waited outside along with a small line of other people. I noticed that quite a few people came with facilitators which surprised me. Personally, I do not believe it is worth it, unless you absolutely do not want to stress or deal with paperwork.

Once they opened, they let us in and an agent called me over to the window. He took all of my documents, looked through them, and had me sign multiple papers. Like at the Consulate, agents at the TJ location speak enough English to help out a bit, but I wouldn't rely on only speaking English. Once he verified everything was correct, he then had me pay right there. Total cost was around ~$655. I signed multiple papers, and was told that I could wait around 1-2 hours to get my card, or come back later. I said I would wait, and was told to sit until I get called. The agent called me to the window a few more times to sign more papers, and finally directed me to sit outside the biometrics room. After waiting for around an hour or so, I got called in. They proceeded to ask me questions from the Formato Basico, and collected fingerprints and took pictures. After all that was said and done, he printed a form, asked me to confirm all the information on it was correct, sign it, and then he printed my card. All in all, I was there for around 2.5 hours total, and left with my temporary visa card in hand.

Documents Needed:

• Passport (original) + copies (data page, visa page, pages with stamps)
• FMM marked with CANJE + copy
• CFE electricity bill
• Formato para solicitar tramite migratorio de estancia
• Confirmaction de cita en linea (Appointment confirmation, not needed if doing walk-up)

I did not need the formato basico printed out as they asked me the questions during biometrics, however if your Spanish is weak it might be a good idea to take a look at what they will ask you to make the process smoother. During the process, I prepared but did not need to use a passport size photo of myself. All photos were taken both at the consulate and the INM office.