# Suggestions for employment/residency



## gummie (Jan 17, 2011)

I am a teacher in the US considering expatriating to Mexico prior to or at retirement. 

I am looking for specific locations that would offer employment for me as an English teacher. 

My plan is to try a few summer sessions in Mexico before I make my final commitment to move. 

I am not interested in big cities but the climate is very important to me. I would like to find a place that has milder summers than what I have been used to in Texas.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

:confused2:


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Unfortunately, big cities is where you'll find the highest demand for teachers and the best paid work. As for your weather preferences, the entire central altiplano has mild summers. There are lots of not-so-big cities there that might suit your desires and still provide work opportunities.

Have you checked out Dave's ESL cafe? It is a site for ESL teachers and has a ton of info and a specific Mexico section.


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## gummie (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out Dave's.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

There has been a recent thread on some people that have recently moved to San Luis Potosi to teach. You might want to review that thread and then ask how they did it.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

I have a friend in SMA that just started a English school altho he's done it before in Mexico. He's been at it 4-5 months and has 60-70 students in 3 shifts 4 days a week. He's totally bi-lingual and finds a much larger market teaching English to Mexicans than Spanish to Gringos. The market is big because there are many gringos in SMA ... not because Mexicans want to migrate to the US.

The smaller the town and fewer gringos, the less demand for English. If all you want is a hobby to keep you busy then any town may do. If you aren't bi-lingual then you'll probably need to be employed by a school that can take care of the extras.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Remember, you will need the express permission of INM entered on your visa before you can work in Mexico. Your employer can help you with that process.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks said:


> [...]
> The market is big because there are many gringos in SMA ... not because Mexicans want to migrate to the US.
> [...]


Is that true? I think the market for Mexicans learning English is big because it is an international language and wanted by many companies that do business outside of Mexico. I doubt that many Mexicans are learning English so they can speak to foreigners living here. I would find it easier to believe that Mexicans in tourists areas want to learn English to get jobs in the tourist industry. But maybe I don't appreciate how many foreigners live in SMA.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I think in big cities English is definitely sought out for the corporate angle. In a tourist place like Cancun it'd be for tourism jobs. In SMA there is probably a certain need because the foreigners don't speak much Spanish ... I was amazed to see how little Spanish folks spoke that had lived there for 10-20 years. I suppose someone has to help them interface with the Spanish-speaking world there. There's probably good money in real estate and some fields like that if you are fluent in both languages.


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## gummie (Jan 17, 2011)

My intent is to teach English to students at either secondary or university level. But again, I haven't decided how much call there is for my "talents." I am still working on becoming conversational in Spanish as well.

If I retire right now at 59, I would still need some additional income in order to be comfortable for the long run.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Those are the plum jobs and are pretty tough to come by from what I read... limited openings and lots of competition.

I have never heard of a foreign teacher at the secondary level in public schools but certain private schools - especially pricey bilingual ones - do hire foreigners to teach English. The universities also hire foreigners but it's extremely competitive from what I understand. 

If you have a masters and TEFL or CELTA certification it will improve your chances. It sounds like you already have a lot of teaching experience which will help. 


Suerte!


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

gummie said:


> My intent is to teach English to students at either secondary or university level. But again, I haven't decided how much call there is for my "talents." I am still working on becoming conversational in Spanish as well.


Private tutoring or mini school is your only chance in my opinion ... but even that is difficult if your Spanish is not real good


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Getting a position in a public school would not be an option. You would need citizenship, fluency and the necessary connections and resources to 'buy the job', with or without credentials. Such jobs don't pay much anyway, even in the private schools, and certainly won't support independent living outside of a large family household with multiple people working. So, plan to support yourself entirely on your own resources from the USA; anything more from working in Mexico would be a 'bonus' & shouldn't enter into your plans.


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## Balboa (Nov 16, 2010)

From my time in Mexico, I know many people would like to learn English. Isn't it possible to find some students and teach them on the side? (obviously you wouldnt make that much money)


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I have to disagree just a little with rvgringo. Depending on your lifestyle, you can indeed make a living teaching English. I know several who do. Sometimes it's not such a great living but plenty of folks are earning their keep here in Mexico by teaching English. 

Out of curiosity, I stopped in to Dave's ESL cafe to read recent posts about the kinds of jobs folks have and what they are paid. Pay depends VERY MUCH on location and, not surprisingly, Mexico City offers the best paying jobs. There are 4 types of ESL jobs: language schools, private schools, teaching as an independent, and universities. This is what folks say they are being paid in pesos...

Language Schools:
$60/hr to $100/hr -- hard to get more than 30 hrs a week. $80/hr times 100 hours a month = $8000/month... pretty rough but one could survive if they had to.

Private Schools:
$80/hr to $150/hr. -- also hard to find full-time work. $115/hr times 100 hrs/month = $1150. Livable, depending on your lifestyle, but you'd have to be fairly frugal. If you make $150/hr and work 120 hours a month things look much better at $18000 a month. This was the salary of a few full-timers who posted. Requires CELTA or TESOL certification.

Independent instructor:
$80/hr to $200/hr. -- This can be pretty good at the high end wage and with a large clientele but it is you working solo as an independent and you need to 1) have a work permit since there's no school to arrange one for you and 2) speak good Spanish since you have to be out constantly hustling the work. Most folks doing this have lived and worked for years in Mexico and speak fluent Spanish.

Universities:
No one mentioned specific salaries but it is the most lucrative of the 4 types. What they did mention is that almost all universities are now requiring a minimum of a masters in applied linguistics. If you don't have that, it's nearly impossible.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Balboa said:


> From my time in Mexico, I know many people would like to learn English. Isn't it possible to find some students and teach them on the side? (obviously you wouldnt make that much money)


You may not do work of any kind, even unpaid, without INM (Immigration) permission on your visa. Working illegally can get you deported. So 'on the side' isn't a good idea.


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## gummie (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for your info. I just got my validation for Dave's ESL Forum, but I have been reading it as well. 

I only want to work part time, if we can get by on our combined retirement income which won't be substantial -- about $3,000 a month. Anything above what we need to live on will be to save to bring or adult kids down for visits or for us to go see them. 

I don't know, maybe I am totally out of my league (or mind) but I thought I had heard that living in Mexico was substantially cheaper than US if you stayed out of the tourist areas that I am more familiar with.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Well, $3000 a month is more than double what we (a couple) live on and we don't feel that we suffer at all although we live frugally. Expats here live on an extremely wide variety of incomes depending on their lifestyles. You probably should make an extended trip to the parts of Mexico that interest you and you can see the prices of things and decide what your chosen lifestyle would cost.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Like Circle110 said, it all depends on your lifestyle. I, one person, lived on about a 1/3 of that amount last year. And two can live as cheaply as one, right?


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## Balboa (Nov 16, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> You may not do work of any kind, even unpaid, without INM (Immigration) permission on your visa. Working illegally can get you deported. So 'on the side' isn't a good idea.


Just curious. What is the process to gain Mexican citizenship? For an expat who lives in Mexico retired, is worth gaining dual citizenship?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

A 'no inmigrante rentista' visa (retired temporary resident) will require about $1250 USD per month per person to maintain. Your retirement income will satisfy that. Renewal is in the neighborhood of $125 per year for the five year period. Then, you need to apply again.
If you want to go for 'inmigrado' status, or even naturalization, you will need an 'inmigrante rentista' visa (retired permanent residency), which costs about 150% more to apply & to maintain. Since it also has higher income requirements, you might not qualify unless you own a home in Mexico and can get the income requirement reduced. This visa also has travel restrictions and, if granted working permission, you may not have a foreign car in Mexico. You may apply for 'inmigrado' or naturalization after five years and it may take another year or two to become approved.
With either 'inmigrado' (immigrated) status or naturalized citizenship, you will no longer have to deal with INM (Immigration) or be under work restrictions. You will want to have a Mexican plated vehicle by then. As a citizen, you may vote and will have a Mexican passport. In Mexico, you will be a Mexican and have no rights to US Consular assistance if you get in trouble.


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## gummie (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for all the valuable information. I think my next step is to actually begin visiting some of the places that interest me. Finding work can be a secondary step once I have actually decided where I want to live.

@RVGringo - thanks for the warning about staying within the laws in Mexico. I have seen the guns the Federales carry, and the jails they put criminals in. I don't think I want any direct experience with either. I am not a rule bender and usually make sure I know the laws before I venture to far. I appreciate the heads up, anyway!


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I think you've got it! $3K/month should be fine in any number of great areas. I'd pick a few spots that interest you and spend some time at each. Best if multiple seasons as weather can vary dramatically. Once you have sorted what is important to you, pick the spot you most like and do an extended stay. You can then check out ways that you might add to your income. One thing we have heard from expat friends is that a lot easier to start a business than to get official permission to work in one unless you have a corporate sponsor.


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