Mexico Permanent Residency Through Family Ties

Article 54 of Mexico's Migration Law lists several family grounds for permanent residency:

"Mexican by birth" includes anyone born in Mexico, and people born abroad to a Mexican parent (Constitution, Article 30). Naturalized Mexicans can also sponsor relatives, but the parent and grandparent grounds in the table refer to Mexicans by birth.

For spouses and other relatives who start as temporary residents, see family unity.

A baby born in Mexico is Mexican by birth, whatever the parents' nationality (Constitution, Article 30). This is one of the most common ways foreigners qualify for permanent residency.

Once the birth is registered with the Mexican civil registry, the parents can apply to INM for permanent residency based on having a Mexican child. If you are in Mexico as a visitor or temporary resident, Article 141 of the Migration Regulation allows a change to permanent residency for this reason. Bring the child's Mexican birth certificate, your passport, and your current immigration document.

The same applies if your child was born abroad but is Mexican by birth because the other parent is Mexican. See citizenship by descent.

1. Register the birth at the civil registry (Registro Civil) of the Mexican state where the baby was born. You receive the Mexican birth certificate (acta de nacimiento).
2. Get the baby's CURP, which is usually assigned at registration. See getting a CURP.
3. Apply for the baby's Mexican passport if you plan to travel. As a Mexican, the child must enter and leave Mexico as a Mexican.
4. Apply at INM for your own permanent residency based on having a Mexican child, as a change of status if you are already in Mexico.
5. Consider the other parent. Each foreign parent applies separately and pays their own fee.

If the baby also has another nationality through the parents, the child is a dual national. Mexicans by birth cannot lose Mexican nationality. See dual citizenship.

Article 54 also covers ascendants and descendants up to the second degree of a Mexican by birth: parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren.

Common examples:

• A foreign parent of an adult Mexican citizen who wants to retire near their child.
• A foreign-born child or grandchild of a Mexican who has not registered as Mexican.

Children and grandchildren of Mexicans should first check whether they are already Mexican by birth. Since a 2021 constitutional reform, children born abroad to a Mexican parent are Mexican by birth even if that parent was also born abroad. If you are Mexican, you don't need residency at all. See citizenship by descent.

Under Article 55 of the Migration Law, permanent residents can bring:

• Their parents (permanent residency).
• Their minor, unmarried children, and the minor children of their spouse or partner (permanent residency).
• Minor siblings under their legal care (permanent residency).
• Their spouse or partner (temporary residency for 2 years, then permanent).

When the sponsor is a foreign resident, consulates usually ask for proof of funds for each relative: 220 UMA days (25,808.20 pesos in 2026). The Montreal and Vancouver consulates list CAD 2,090 per family member.

Inside Mexico (INM). Visitors and temporary residents with a qualifying family tie can ask INM to change their status. Article 53 of the Migration Law makes an exception to the rule that visitors cannot change status for people with a family tie to a Mexican or a foreign resident. You file the INM application form online, pay the fee, and attend an appointment. See change of status.

Outside Mexico (consulate). Book a family unity visa appointment at a Mexican consulate. Some consulates require the Mexican or resident relative to attend with you. After entering Mexico, complete the canje within 30 days.

Documents usually include:

• Your passport and current immigration document, if any.
• Birth and marriage certificates proving the relationship, apostilled and translated into Spanish if issued abroad.
• Proof of your relative's Mexican nationality (Mexican birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate) or their permanent resident card.
• Proof of funds, if the sponsor is a foreign resident.

• Fees. INM charges a fee for the change of status and for the permanent card. Consulates charge the visa fee (US$56 at several US consulates in 2026) if you apply from abroad. Fees change each January.
• Financial proof. Family ties to a Mexican generally do not require an income test. Relatives of foreign permanent residents usually need proof of funds of 220 UMA days each.
• Timing. INM processing time varies by office. Keep your current immigration document valid while your case is pending, and ask INM for an exit and return permit if you must travel.

• Indefinite validity for adults. Minors renew on a schedule until 18 (Regulation, Article 157).
• Permission to work is implied for adults. Report a new workplace to INM within 90 days.
• Multiple entries without a visa.
• A path to citizenship. Parents of Mexican children and direct descendants of Mexicans by birth need only 2 years of residence before applying for naturalization, instead of 5.

Family cases can involve custody questions, foreign documents that don't match, or earlier overstays in Mexico. If any of these apply, talk to a licensed Mexican immigration lawyer before you file. See how to verify a lawyer or consultant.