As we have done more research into what is actually involved in moving to Honduras, we are finding that Honduras, just like the US, has many laws restricting immigration, what foreigners can and can't do and the importation of personal goods and vehicles. For instance, we can stay in Honduras as long as we want on a tourist visa. Sounds simple, but here's the catch; we can stay in Honduras as long as we want on a tourist visa as long as we leave the country every 90 days for a 72 hour period and renew the visa when we reenter Honduras. Using this technique we can stay indefinitely. Of course you have to disrupt your life, drive to Guatemala, Nicaragua or El Salvador every three months to make it happen. Or...
Or...another option is to apply for residency. This would be for a 1 to 5 year period. The application process usually takes at least 6 to 8 months. The good news is that leaving the country every 90 days is not required while your application is being reviewed. Instead, extensions (with fees of course) to your visa are given. Of course this process is not simple or easy and requires apostilled documents (that's a special notarization from the State the document was issued in), fees, lawyers, trips to Tegucigalpa, etc. Red tape on top of red tape! Unless...
Unless... you are a member of the Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries and Missions . HFMM under John Mattica was started several years ago specifically to help independent missionaries and ministries, like ours, with the technical and governmental aspects of living in Honduras, allow them to concentrate on what they came to do. HFMM has worked with the Honduran immigration department to streamline the residency process, cutting out the need for lawyers and reducing the time and the fees involved. They do a lot of other things as well, but for us the help they will give obtaining residency and importing our vehicle and household goods is invaluable. There is the added advantage for us of being under the umbrella of an Honduran ministry and non profit organization. Although they exercise no control or authority over the network of members, we do have responsibilities to HFMM like attending at least four events each year and keeping them up to date on our ministry activities. We are very grateful for all that they are doing and look forward to being a part of the larger effort being made in Honduras.
Note: I'm a little late this morning, but I have been trying to post once a week on Sunday morning at 8 am. In these months of preparing to leave there has not been much "exciting" stuff to write about. However, the things I am writing about have been the emotional and spiritual aspect of going. Writing about these things has forced Barbe and me work through these issues in a way we may not have otherwise done...at least not beforehand. So thank you readers for allowing me to express my thoughts and feelings (right or wrong) and for hanging in there with us. We are hoping to leave Maine after Thanksgiving and arrive in Siquatepeque after Christmas.
Or...another option is to apply for residency. This would be for a 1 to 5 year period. The application process usually takes at least 6 to 8 months. The good news is that leaving the country every 90 days is not required while your application is being reviewed. Instead, extensions (with fees of course) to your visa are given. Of course this process is not simple or easy and requires apostilled documents (that's a special notarization from the State the document was issued in), fees, lawyers, trips to Tegucigalpa, etc. Red tape on top of red tape! Unless...
Unless... you are a member of the Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries and Missions . HFMM under John Mattica was started several years ago specifically to help independent missionaries and ministries, like ours, with the technical and governmental aspects of living in Honduras, allow them to concentrate on what they came to do. HFMM has worked with the Honduran immigration department to streamline the residency process, cutting out the need for lawyers and reducing the time and the fees involved. They do a lot of other things as well, but for us the help they will give obtaining residency and importing our vehicle and household goods is invaluable. There is the added advantage for us of being under the umbrella of an Honduran ministry and non profit organization. Although they exercise no control or authority over the network of members, we do have responsibilities to HFMM like attending at least four events each year and keeping them up to date on our ministry activities. We are very grateful for all that they are doing and look forward to being a part of the larger effort being made in Honduras.
Note: I'm a little late this morning, but I have been trying to post once a week on Sunday morning at 8 am. In these months of preparing to leave there has not been much "exciting" stuff to write about. However, the things I am writing about have been the emotional and spiritual aspect of going. Writing about these things has forced Barbe and me work through these issues in a way we may not have otherwise done...at least not beforehand. So thank you readers for allowing me to express my thoughts and feelings (right or wrong) and for hanging in there with us. We are hoping to leave Maine after Thanksgiving and arrive in Siquatepeque after Christmas.
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