Mike Gordon on fri 27 aug 10
My niece sent me this several years ago.
=3D46rom Tom O'Malley, former Director with South West Bell in Mexico =3D
City.
I spent five years working in Mexico.
I worked under a tourist visa for three months and could legally renew=3D20=
=3D
it for three more months.=3DA0 After that you were working illegally.=3DA0 =
I=3D20=3D
was technically illegal for three weeks waiting on the FM3 approval.
During that six months our Mexican and US attorneys were working to=3D20
secure a permanent work visa called a FM3.=3DA0 It was in addition to my =
=3D
US=3D20
passport that I had to show each time I entered and left the country.=3DA0
=3DA0
Barbara's was the same, except her's did not permit her to work. =3DA0To=3D=
20=3D
apply for the FM3 I needed to submit the following notarized originals=3D20=
=3D
(not copies) of my:
1.=3DA0 Birth certificate for Barbara and I.
2.=3DA0 Marriage certificate.
3.=3DA0 High school transcripts and proof of graduation.
4.=3DA0 College transcripts for every college I attended and
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0 proof of graduation.
5.=3DA0 Two letters of recommendation from supervisors I had
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0 worked for at least one year.
6.=3DA0 A letter from the St. Louis Chief of Police indicating
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0 I had no arrest record in the US and no outstandi=
ng =3D
warrants and=3D20
was
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0 "a citizen in good standing."
7.=3DA0 Finally; I had to write a letter about myself that
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0 clearly stated=3DA0 why there was no Mexican citizen w=
ith my =3D
skills and
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0why my skills were important to Mexico.=3DA0 We called =
it our =3D
"I am the
=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0=3DA0greatest person on Earth" letter.=3DA0 It was fun to wr=
ite.
All of the above were in English that had to be translated into Spanish=3D2=
0=3D
and be certified as legal translations and our signatures notarized.=3DA0=
=3D20=3D
It produced a folder about 1.5 inches thick with English on the left=3D20
side and Spanish on the right. =3DA0Once they were completed Barbara and I=
=3D20=3D
spent about five hours accompanied by a Mexican attorney touring=3D20
Mexican government office locations and being photographed and=3D20
fingerprinted at least three times.=3DA0
=3DA0
At each location and we remember at least four locations we instructed=3D20=
=3D
on Mexican tax, labor, housing, and criminal law and that we were=3D20
required to obey their laws or face the consequences.
=3DA0
We could not protest any of the government's actions or we would be=3D20
committing a felony.
=3DA0
We paid out four thousand dollars in fees and bribes to complete the=3D20
process.=3DA0
=3DA0
When this was done we could legally bring in our household goods that=3D20
were held by US customs in Laredo, Texas.=3DA0
=3DA0
This meant we had rented furniture in Mexico while awaiting our goods.=3D20=
=3D
There were extensive fees involved here that the company paid.
We could not buy a home and were required to rent at very high rates=3D20
and under contract and compliance with Mexican law.
We were required to get a Mexican drivers license.=3DA0 This was an =3D
amazing=3D20
process.=3DA0 The company arranged for the Licensing Agency to come to our=
=3D20=3D
headquarters location with their photographer and finger print=3D20
equipment and the laminating machine.
We showed our US license, were photographed and fingerprinted again and=3D2=
0=3D
issued the license instantly after paying out a six dollar fee.=3DA0
=3DA0
We did not take a written or driving test and never received=3D20
instructions on the rules of the road.=3DA0 Our only instruction was to=3D2=
0
never give a policeman your license if stopped and asked.=3DA0 We were=3D20
instructed to hold it against the inside window away from his grasp.=3D20
=3DA0If he got his hands on it you would have to pay ransom to get it =3D
back.
=3DA0
We then had to pay and file Mexican income tax annually using the=3D20
number of our FM3 as our ID number.=3DA0 The company's Mexican accountants=
=3D20=3D
did this for us and we just signed what they prepared. It was about=3D20
twenty legal size pages annually.
The FM 3 was good for three years and renewable for two more after=3D20
paying more fees.
Leaving the country meant turning in the FM# and certifying we were=3D20
leaving no debts behind and no outstanding legal affairs(warrants,=3D20
tickets or liens) =3DA0before our household goods were=3DA0 released to=3D2=
0
customs.
It was a real adventure, and if any of our Senators or Congressman went=3D2=
0=3D
through it once they would have a different attitude toward Mexico.
The Mexican government uses its vast military and police forces to keep=3D2=
0=3D
its citizens intimidated and compliant.=3DA0 =3DA0=3DA0They never protest a=
t =3D
their=3D20
White House or government offices but do protest daily in front of the=3D20=
=3D
United States Embassy.=3DA0
=3DA0
The US embassy looks like a strongly reinforced fortress, and during=3D20
most protests the Mexican military surround the block with their men=3D20
standing shoulder to shoulder in full riot gear to protect the Embassy.=3D2=
0=3D
=3DA0These protests are never shown on US or Mexican TV. =3DA0There is a =
=3D
large=3D20
public park across the street where they do their protesting. Anything=3D20=
=3D
can cause a protest such as proposed law changes in California or=3D20
Texas.
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