February 28, 2013
Since Nov. 9, 2012, the dramatic legal changes in INM categories have caused uncertainty for some Residente Temporal and Residente Permanente card holders, and created much uncertainty for local Aduana offices who are in charge of renewing or denying the extension of the expiration dates of expat’s Permisos de Importación Temporal de vehículos, (a.k.a “TIPs”), because the current Ley Aduanera and Reglamento use only the outdated Inmigrante and No Inmigrante terminology for INM permits.

Some local Aduana offices are issuing extensions of the TIP expiration dates and others are not. Since some police departments are now used to seeing past annual letters from Aduana documenting the updated TIP expiration dates, these police are now requiring TIP car drivers to have an Aduana letter, or the police threaten to confiscate the car. => a big mess…

Here is a copy of the latest volley fired in this dispute. This is a letter issued by Aduana Progreso, Feb. 25, 2013:
(The really fun/dismaying stuff is in the last paragraph of the letter – where Progreso bans even Residente Temporal immigrants from having TIP vehicles.)
. . . Continue reading here…

Is this the final word on national Aduana policy for Residente Permanente and Residente Temporal TIP holders?
I hope not.

All of this prompts me to encourage expats to write to their closest Consul in Mexico, and request that their Consul contact the head of Aduana DF about the variety of conflicting policies being used by various local Aduana offices.

We could ask that our Consul support an effort for the head of Aduana DF issue an official memo, a directive, or an executive order that temporarily resolves the current confusion over the unclear legal status of foreign plated cars for immigrants with the new Residente Permanente and Residente Temporal status.

A good interim policy could be:

Until further notification, all Aduana Permisos de Importación Temporal de vehículos remain valid, as long as the permit holder maintains a valid INM permit, including Residente Temporal y Residente Permanente Tarjetas de Residencia.

US Ambassador in Mexico:  acsmexicocity@state.gov

Canadian Ambassador in Mexico City: mxico@international.gc.ca.

Canadian Consulate in Cancun cancun@international.gc.ca

San Miguel Allende US Consul Agent, Edward Clancy: consuladosma@gmail.com
Merida Yucatan US Consulate: meridacons@state.gov

et al?

???
steve

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Full Article with contents of the letter can be read at: Update on Progreso Aduana’s Take on Foreign-Plated Cars for Residente Temporal Permits
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read on, MacDuff !