This Keeps Many People From Moving to Mexico

[WilliamLower]

In 1982, I earned a green card to move to and work in the USA from Canada. Do you (Americans) know how HARD that is? I know the immigration process to MX is inconsistent. I came in on a temporary and after two years, applied for and got permanent residency. Here is the HUGE difference to gaining residency status in the US and Mexico (probably Canada, too). Here, THERE IS NO POLICE BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED. It's not a problem for me because I have no background on the wrong side of the law. You are also correct: it differs from consulate to consulate. I received mine from the consulate arm of the MX embassy in Ottawa. They were unbelievably wonderful. There was one area where I needed to verify income and it depended on an incoming statement. They said, 'bring that in and that will be good." I loath the word 'retired' but I think that is what I am. I love this country and I love your videos because they are conversational (vs huckster) and you have less hair than I do.

[englishincontext]

Folks, listen to this man; he has it nailed. I'm a British ex-pat who moved to Mexico with my Mexican husband 12 years ago. The immigration process is a total nightmare, staffed by rude, truculent, badly-trained and officious people. Before leaving the UK I paid to have my financial details notarised, then travelled to London to visit the Mexican embassy. When arriving in Puerto Vallarta I found that I had to go through the same process there, as I had in London. So that was a complete waste of time.

I visited the Mexican embassy every year for 3 years to pay the annual processing fee. Every year I was told that it was too soon to expect a residency permit, despite the fact that I had been married to my husband in Mexico City and had the marriage certificate to prove it. Eventually I discovered that there had been a big scam taking place at that embassy and staff had been taking bribes from Mexican lawyers who were paying to have their clients fast-tracked. Apparently, the data I provided every year which was supposedly logged on their computer had not in fact been logged, so I lost 3 years of contribution to the citizenship process.

I decided to try the Mexican embassy in Mexico City and that was just as bad. The rudeness of staff is awful. Not only do you pay for the processing of your documentation, but also pay for someone to check the form you yourself complete. A small error was found in my form and rather than simply have me complete another form I was informed that I would have to start the process again, pay another fee - and this despite the fact that the 'checker' had also missed the error. Neither fee was reimbursed. Starting the process again takes weeks.

You have to understand that Mexicans never apologise or take responsibility for their mistakes. Like with the Mexican banks, the error is always with the client, never the employee. Never forget to inform the immigration office if you move your location. If they find out you didn't inform them, or you miss the deadline date for renewal of your yearly application - even by one day - you will be classed as 'irregular' and will lose not only your fee but also the entire year of waiting for your residency. In Vallarta, despite protesting that my records had been scrubbed due to the bribery taking place there, and that it had lost me 3 years, the Mexican embassy in Mexico City were simply not interested. So those 3 years of fees and waiting in the immigration office were lost.

This is another feature of Mexico. Mexico is very tribal. Staff in one office never interfere with what happens in another office. Staff cover for each other's failures and mistakes within the same office. I then moved to Queretaro and the delights of the Queretaro immigration to enjoy. The 'office' is an airless, stinking concrete box with air conditioning for the staff who sit behind screens, but not even a fan for the poor devils who wait up to 3 hours to be seen.

Another point. The key is to check, check, check the things you are told by staff. What you are told by one person may be completely different to what another staff member tells you. You can listen to one set of instructions, leave the office, do what you were told to do, return to the office on another day, wait another 3 hours then be told a different story by another clerk - who then sends you away to do what he or she says, and have to return another day. It's a form of psychological and physical torture. There seems to be no consistent training and often people 'make sh*t up' just to get rid of you.

Point - relevant to banks, immigration and other government offices: staff don't look to enable the client, they look to find errors in paperwork - however trivial - as a reason for turning the person away and having them return another day. They will swing from lampshades to do this. Never in my life have I encountered people so unhelpful, officious, incompetent, rude and badly trained.

I finally got my residency permit after 7 years - I've related the short version here - and remember that I have been married to a Mexican over that time. I wouldn't even consider applying for citizenship. The Mexican immigration process is designed to 'milk the gringo' of cash and prolong the process as long as possible. It makes me laugh when young Americans protest about the vicious, nasty immigration process in the USA and want new arrivals to have all the benefits instantly. In their ignorance they aren't aware that the immigration process of Mexico is long, arduous, inconsistent, expensive and would test the patience of a saint.

So good luck. Living in Mexico is OK. It's cheaper than the UK and USA but it's not cheap. Don't think you can live like a hippy if you're over 25. Oh, and abandon at the incoming airport any hope that you can apply any form of logic when living here. Mexicans are for the most part chaotic (they love chaos), irrational, always late, unreliable, often insincere and unprofessional. They will tell you what you want to hear and are great story-tellers (in the UK we call it lying). Don't believe 90% of what people tell you; often they are spinning a tale to get something from you, sell something to you or avoid having to tell the truth. All in all, as by now you will have perceived, not my type of culture at all.

One final final thing. Don't think I expected Mexico to be like the UK, or that I'm inexperienced about living in other countries. I formerly worked as cabin crew on 747s for BA and am familiar with different cultures. I have previously lived in New York and Italy. So I'm not a hick.

[ivansanchez]

If you think it is difficult, try to get your residence in the US.

[jindandy]

LOVED your skit! You may have missed your calling...u made me LOL!

[chrismaxfield]

Seattle office it's currently $3, 500 per month for a temp; $5, 500 for perm.

[markwilliford]

Read the paperwork requirements from their website B4 you go. The photograph requirement for the immigration application is not necessarily "preset" at Walgreens, CVS, etc. (Had to hire a Photographer). Bring 6 months of statements from the source of your income. If you printed them from the internet- each page must be notorized. I was not allowed to "come back" later that day to drop off the paperwork. Either you have it or not. For consulate appointments, Calling the Reservation Number was far more easier than their website.

[cathyhilling]

Thanks for the awesome content. The skit was really funny!!! LOL

[CamronWilliams-iitl]

I promise I will like your videos about Mexico

[kristys]

We went to Albuquerque NM consulate, the woman told me $4800 per month just for me, and $800 for each of my dependents. We made an appointment at McAllen Texas consulate, $2600 a month for me, and I was able to sponsor both my dependents on my income.

[maricelagutierrez]

I say the same thing here in the USA.” Immigration laws are BROKEN!!

[brucegelman]

The most prescient question is...with all these moving target ever changing rules when exactly does an expat have time to exhale and relax?

[luisfernandogarcia]

Welcome to Mexico Mr. :) If you don't like it you can always look somewhere else

[larrypicard]

Move to Ecuador like I did. Many visa choices.

[javimuxica]

Y espero que se complique más, mandan mucha momia a vivir aquí, es mejor para ustedes terminar en su país

[joelmadrid]

"PANAMA RELOCATION TOURS!! WITH JACKIE !!🙋😊 👍❤️👈"

[roythousand]

I think the Mexican government do not want too many Americans living in Mexico long-term.

[AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks for explaining! I just told people “welcome to Mexico. Get used to it.”

[awakeaware]

I have been trying to make an appointment for temporary residency at the Mexican consulate for many months . I finally got an appointment for January 5th . The monthly income requirement at my local consulate was $2, 500, which i qualified for . Within 1 minute at my appointment at the Mexican Consulate they tell me that my monthly income does not qualify for temporary residency now, Since they raised the minimum monthly requirement to $3, 150 overnight on January 1st .
That is a 25% Increase at once, that is a big increase .

Now I do - not qualify for temporary residency .

[brucegelman]

I am in a quandary.Friends in Mexico.Not enough monthly.Not enough cash to buy a qualifying home.Limits are insanely high.I own a 300, 000 home in Texas with no mortgage but thats not enough to qualify for a home purchase in Mexico for temporary residency.Ridiculous.

[KingKatRider]

Ya keep treating them better than they treat us.