Commissioner of Immigration in Mexico Resigns and New Commissioner Appointed

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At a Glance

• The Commissioner of the National Immigration Institute (INM), which has authority over immigration in Mexico, resigned today; the respective​ authorities have already announced his replacement.
• The new Commissioner is likely to take a much more restrictive approach to immigration and as such, there are expected to be significant policy and staffing changes within the INM.
• As a result, employers and foreign nationals should expect continued processing delays of work permits and visa applications.

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The situation

The Commissioner of the National Immigration Institute (INM), which has authority over immigration in Mexico, resigned today; a new Commissioner was appointed who will likely take a much stricter approach towards immigration.

Background

The INM is a largely autonomous governmental body which technically operates under the Ministry of Interior in Mexico and which controls immigration to and within Mexico. The Commissioner of the INM has the ability to appoint the 32 directors of offices across the nation and to set the policy for immigration to the country.

Impact for employers and foreign nationals

As a new Commissioner has been appointed who is likely to take a much more restrictive approach towards immigration, there will likely be a replacement of higher-level staff, including the directors who are required to approve or deny each immigration application, and the establishment of more conservative policies and adjudication practices.  As a result, employers and foreign nationals will likely see continued processing delays of work permits and visa applications.

Looking ahead

As the new Commissioner has just been announced, it is likely that there will be significant policy changes in the near future. Fragomen will provide updates as they become available.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].