VisaSponsors in Mexico should obtain family-visa approval before the overseas interview
Current-rule guide to the INM sponsor route, marriage evidence, separate fees and the different interview and post-entry deadlines.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Identify the sponsor and lodge the authorisation request in Mexico
A Mexican citizen or foreign resident living in Mexico who wants to bring a spouse from abroad should check the INM family-unity visa authorisation route before arranging the consular interview. The government's current procedure covers Mexican sponsors and holders of temporary, student-temporary or permanent residence. It requires the sponsor's current identification or resident card, the relative's valid passport, relationship evidence and the visa-authorisation application form.
Complete the official online form, download it and take the signed request and supporting evidence to an INM processing office. The procedure lists MXN248 payable when filing and a twenty-working-day response period. This is the INM authorisation stage, not the later consular visa fee or residence-card charge. Check the office's receiving arrangements and the actual payment reference before attending; merely saving the electronic form does not establish that the supporting file has been lodged.
Prove the marriage and distinguish temporary from permanent family residence
INM's family-unity FAQ asks for an original and copy of the marriage certificate. Where the sponsor is Mexican, it specifies a Mexican marriage record. If an earlier marriage was already relied upon, the sponsor must produce the competent authority's document ending that relationship. These details should be resolved before treating a foreign wedding certificate or a personal explanation of separation as the complete relationship evidence.
The FAQ distinguishes the resulting immigration category from the sponsor's own card. A spouse or qualifying partner of a Mexican citizen or permanent resident receives the temporary family-residence route under these instructions; marriage to a permanent resident does not automatically mean immediate permanent residence for the spouse. Other relatives have different categories. The FAQ also recognises qualifying partnerships, with evidence and criteria distinct from a marriage certificate. A couple using that route should consult its specific requirements rather than change the description of their relationship simply to match the spouse checklist.
Use the authorisation for the overseas interview
The Foreign Affairs Ministry's family-visa service says prior INM authorisation is obtained by the family member in Mexico before the overseas interview. The applicant presents a valid passport and, if not a national of the country of application, original evidence of lawful stay there. Book through the official consular appointment system, attend the interview, provide biometrics and pay the application charge. The portal lists USD56 and explicitly warns that paying does not guarantee approval; confirm the receiving mission's currency and accepted payment method.
Milan's family-visa instructions add a practical identifier check: use the INM authorisation's NUT number without leading zeros when arranging the appointment. They require lawful-stay evidence from non-Italian applicants and say a visa can be delivered on the day it is authorised, while allowing ten working days for a response. That is a mission-specific processing description, not an appointment guarantee for every applicant or an assurance that INM approval predetermines the interview outcome.
Keep the two thirty-day periods separate
The newer federal visa guidelines give family-unity authorisation thirty working days, counted from the day after the sponsor is notified that the consular interview may proceed. Their additional wording also refers to validity from grant, so check the dates on the actual authorisation and arrange the interview promptly rather than infer extra time from a delayed message. An older INM information sheet still says fifteen working days. The newer guidelines and INM FAQ use thirty working days; the old sheet should not be used as the current period.
After entry into Mexico, the guidelines require the foreign resident to apply to INM for the residence card within thirty calendar days. That is a separate post-entry obligation, not the same clock as the overseas interview authorisation. Public foreign documents submitted to INM generally need apostille or consular legalisation and Spanish translation where applicable, with passport exceptions specified in the rules. Keep the authorisation, issued visa, entry evidence and civil records for the relevant stage. A visa allows the person to seek admission at the border; the guidelines expressly say it does not guarantee entry.
