Ever since I was a child, my “life goals” were to travel the world and help people. And, to a decent degree, I have indeed done that my whole life. However, most of my travels had been short term (less than a month, other than 2.5 years with the Peace Corps in Cape Verde), and I have been itching to leave the US permanently for probably 30 years. I took all the places that I visited as potential future homes, and certainly found a few that I loved.
But Visas are tricky and cost of living varies, so as the possibility of being able to leave the US started to come more into focus, I dug deeper into the best options for my particular situation. Mexico and Thailand sat top of my list for cost of living, Visa feasibility, access to good diving, warm (ok, hot) weather with cooler highlands, a solid music scene, and amazing nature. As my search deepened, I realized that Mexico made the most sense due to proximity to the US, easier language acquisition for someone with a background in Portuguese, my interest in plant and indigenous medicines, and, well, it just seemed easier 😊
Once I realized I qualified for Temporary Residency, in true AuDHD fashion, I was determined to figure everything else immediately. This was back in June. I tried to piece through websites, tutorials, relocation blogs, YouTube videos, and soon found myself overwhelmed. Even more overwhelming trying to navigate the website used to book an appointment with the Mexican consulate!
I managed to register, but then couldn’t upload the documents required. I then promptly removed all traces of having done this from my working memory and went down another rabbit hole. Two months later, when I again tried to make an appointment (having had time to get all my documents together and do a bit of traveling), I found myself setting one up using the WhatsApp feature. Brilliant! That wasn’t so hard, now was it?
Except…I kept reading that I would need to upload documents prior to my appointment in Philadelphia. And I couldn’t find any place to do so. So I emailed the consulate, where I was informed that I did not, in fact, have an appointment for a Visa, I had an appointment for a passport as a Mexican Citizen. Oops.
Okay, strike one, no big deal, I could do this!
After about 15 emails back and forth with a nameless bureaucrat in Philly (who would later be named and was incredibly helpful through the whole process), I realized that I had already registered on the correct site in June, so the system wasn’t letting me “start over” since I already had an account. I wracked my brain for the information and had a vague memory of being frustrated once before, realizing then that yes, I did make an account, and miraculously knew the password. Success!
However…
One thing I would definitely not advise is trying to complete these tasks while out of the country, with limited cell service, using your phone as a mobile hotspot while driving in remote areas recently affected by landslides.
But my brain wouldn’t let me sit still until I completed the task, so MANY emails later, several attempted calls, 2 chat sessions, troubleshooting a website that was, in fact, down during part of my scheduling efforts, and a solid serving of Claude helping me get all my documents into 1 PDF and then shrinking them to the appropriate size…and voila! I had an appointment in Philadelphia for the following week!
Now, I don’t live in Philly, nor in PA, but it’s marginally closer to the Finger Lakes in NY than any other consulate, plus I would get to see some old friends while there. The 10 hour round trip drive seemed more than worth it.
I kissed Costa Rica good bye and landed in NY ready to get everything I needed printed in duplicate, plus any additional supporting documentation reflecting my economic solvency that I could possibly muster. I probably killed several small trees in the process for what, as I would soon discover, was a vast overkill.
Excited and nervous, I left home 8 hours before my appointment. I arrived far too early as there was barely any traffic, and a parking garage was right around the block. I got some lunch, and decided to see if they could take me early, believing that the process would take at least 3-4 hours if I was lucky.
If my experience trying to schedule an appointment was worse than a visit to the dentist, then my actual in-person experience was like a day at the spa. When I arrived, the receptionist helped me fill out a few of the questions I had about the application and sent me upstairs to Window 8. I paid the $56 via credit card and was told to shift down to the next window, where I was greeted by the infamous Alex, my hero on the other end of my panicked emails!
He asked me for my documents and I started with the bare minimum – quarterly reports from an annuity. I had read that they required monthly reports, so I had found a way to print out unofficial statements. He commented that they were just print outs and weren’t signed or stamped, then shrugged, glanced at my other balances, then handed everything back except the very short pile of the quarterly statements. Then he said “Okay, now we take your picture.”
I blinked a few times, surprised at how quickly we moved from “Forms please” to “Picture Day.” I had been worried that I would be asked a lot of questions about why I was going, and I would say something stupid that would flag me to not be allowed into Mexico. I have no idea what I thought I might say, but enough Reddit and Facebook posts had made me a bit wary, despite being told “relax, just be honest.” My form said I was going to Mexico to go diving and learn Spanish, both of which were true, and neither questioned. Actually no questions at all were asked regarding my intentions. I smiled, took the picture, and sat down.
There was another couple with me, a few years older, and we exchanged hopeful smiles and nods. In less than 5 minutes, he called all of us up at once. “Congratulations,” he said, “you all are getting Visas!” We all laughed and exhaled loudly, excitement and relief fighting for a larger portion of the room. He handed us our passports back (commenting jokingly – and proudly – on how much better the pictures he took were than our original passport photos). He let us know how and when to renew, how to move from Temporary to Permanent Residency, and reminded us to pay our taxes 😊 A few instructions were given about entering Mexico the first time (don’t use an automated lane, tell them you are here to exchange your Temporary Visa for your Resident card, don’t use the automated kiosks and DON’T leave the airport if they stamp you as a tourist), and we were all on our way.
My appointment was scheduled for 2pm. I arrived at 12:40, and was in the suburbs visiting the queen of the Slip ‘n Slide by 2:06. Not bad for “Mexican bureaucracy.”
Postcards welcome. Drop yours below.