# Question re residente temporado & medicare, etc



## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

I have been spending at least 6 month a year in Mexico for the last 12 years. I now want to buy a vehicle down here and also look into getting onto Mexican medicare, so some questions:

1) I do know i have to start temprado application in my home country. How long is that good for? I know you cannot renew it and have to change it to permanente.

2) I have a motorhome down here on a 10 year permit. I know that is OK on temporardo. What happens if it changes to permanente. Can I still drive it down here until it expires? Or gt it out of the country before it does.

3) Can I get mexican medicare on a temporado?

4) I know I can get a car down here on temporado.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The visa is "Residente Temporal", and it has to be applied for outside of Mexico, as you know. Once you receive consular approval, you will have up to 180 days to enter Mexico with that 'canje' stamp in your passport. You have 30 days from entering to report to INM (immigration) serving your area, and present proof of residence. There, you will begin the 'tramite' process of getting the actual visa card from INM. It may take a few weeks, or a couple of months. Meanwhile, you will have a "tramite letter" to use as a temporary immigration document within Mexico. It will include a website and password for you to keep track of the progress of your 'tramite' and to get notices requiring you to visit INM throughout the process, and to pick up the visa card at the end of it.
The Residente Temporal must be renewed every year, just before it expires, and sometimes a 3 year renewal is permitted, for a total of four years. During that time, you may drive a foreign plated vehicle (your motorhome, for example) in Mexico. When you transition to Residente Permanente, at the end of the four years, you will no longer be able to have, or drive such a vehicle in Mexico. It should be removed before the end of the 4-year period. You must also go to an Aduana office at any change of INM status, to request an update or extension of any vehicule's Importada Temporal; perhaps even for your 10-year permit, just to keep the details accurate and to protect any deposits involved.


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## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks went to a lawyer today, she is checking on a couple of things. She thinks if i cancel the permit on my motorhome on exit this year, then bring it in under my wife's name next season, I can still drive it with residente permanente as long as my name is on the registration. She is also checking if I can get medicare under a temporary. My wife is 6 years younger, so the medical insurance from Canada is not so expensive for her as it is for me. By the time she reaches 71 we wont likely to be wanting to RV down here anymore anyway so then it wont matter.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

My understanding has been that the "2nd half" of the process for Residente Temporal, i.e. when you cross the border and submit the papers to INM office, requires more an interpreter/translator than a lawyer. 

The "1st part", i.e. showing up at the Mexican consulate in Vancouver with your 6-months income statements or 12-months investment statements doesn't require an interpreter because consular officers speak English. 

I am curious what will be the laywer's findings regarding Mexican Medicare aka Seguro Popular. Haven't heard that Temporal status prevented people from getting on board, but maybe this has changed.


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## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

That is my main question. if it does I will stay on temporado as long a s possible. Thanks for the tip on financial info, I will make sure I take that with me.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

telcoman said:


> That is my main question. if it does I will stay on temporado as long a s possible. Thanks for the tip on financial info, I will make sure I take that with me.


A gentle reminder that the visa you will be applying for is "residente temporal", not "temporado".


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

telcoman said:


> Thanks went to a lawyer today, she is checking on a couple of things. She thinks if i cancel the permit on my motorhome on exit this year, then bring it in under my wife's name next season, I can still drive it with residente permanente as long as my name is on the registration.


This is correct... it is the law. AND, your name does not even have to be on the registration! AND she does not have to be in the vehicle while you are driving it around. 

Since not all Mexican authorities know this, it might be wise for you to print out the law in Spanish just in case you get one of the uninformed stopping/questioning your rights.


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

Hi Paul: You should be aware that with the new Presidente there are many changes coming. The IMSS is undergoing some radical changes that may affect your eligibility. You should also be aware that the level of service varies and in many cases you would not be happy. BC medical might look like a Cadillac service!! The importation of vehicles is also changing. Right now no one knows what will happen but it is possible that no used vehicles will be allowed. Some of the rumors are that the import duty and taxes may become 50% of the book value. Every Province is different but you could lose your Canadian medical coverage. Personally if you can keep your time spent in Mexico to the max that BC allows I would do nothing! Just bite the bullet and get the travel insurance. I almost forgot. Your being a Wagonmaster might affect all of the above.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Not only you will need to take financial info to the consulate, but also photos, marriage certificate, passport and possibly something else, I don't remember. You should check your local consulate homepage. Their requirements for photos are a bit confusing. The exact amount in CAD may vary, but roughly a single person needs USD 27,000 in savings (12 months) or USD 1,620 monthly income (6 months): https://www.mexperience.com/?ebook_download=1&ebook_id=13392. See page 37. It's a nice guide.

Only one of spouses needs to qualify, the other one can be a dependent. If you have mucho dough, I would go straight for Residente Permanente. Renewal of Temporal for 3 years, and then changing it to RP not only will cost more, but will also require several more trips to inland INM office with photos and other papers.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Bobbyb said:


> Hi Paul: You should be aware that with the new Presidente there are many changes coming...... The importation of vehicles is also changing. Right now no one knows what will happen but it is possible that no used vehicles will be allowed. Some of the rumors are that the import duty and taxes may become 50% of the book value.


None of us know what ‘changes’ will be coming and when with regards to the new President. BUT, there has been NO discussions about the TEMPORARY importation of vehicles into Mexico and this is what the discussion was about.



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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Bobbyb said:


> The IMSS is undergoing some radical changes that may affect your eligibility. You should also be aware that the level of service varies and in many cases you would not be happy. BC medical might look like a Cadillac service!! The importation of vehicles is also changing. Right now no one knows what will happen but it is possible that no used vehicles will be allowed. Some of the rumors are that the import duty and taxes may become 50% of the book value. Every Province is different but you could lose your Canadian medical coverage. Personally if you can keep your time spent in Mexico to the max that BC allows I would do nothing! Just bite the bullet and get the travel insurance. I almost forgot. Your being a Wagonmaster might affect all of the above.


Didn't want to speculate on something that may or may not happen, but - yes, losing BC medical is a possibility. Being physically present in BC minimum 5 months in calendar year is one criteria, and another one is "making your home here". Neither simplified write-up of provincial government, nor the underlying federal act don't explain what exactly "making one's home" is. Becoming a Temporal means acquiring a resident status in Mexico, a person is no longer a visitor, he declared his intent to reside in Mexico and obtained all the papers. You will have Mexican Visa sticker in passport. 

It is not clear whether he asked about IMSS or Seguro Popular when saying "Mexican medicare" - either plan could be called that. And yes, either plan can be a horrible or an acceptable service, depends on particular clinic. There are more poorly equipped clinics than good ones, in either IMSS or Seguro Popular system.


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

Rick> I never mentioned anything about TIP's. If Telcoman went to a RP he would not be able to import his motorhome.


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## Bobbyb (Mar 9, 2014)

Regardless of any of the responses giving up your Canadian residence is a big deal. It sounds like Paul does not want to move to Mexico. He just wants to be covered by some sort of socialized medicine. Once you are no longer a Canadian resident if you get really ill and want to be flown back to Canada there is no coverage for a period of time. Could be 3 months!


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

The OP stated that he could/would either bring the motorhome back in his wife’s name using a Temporal visa or stay Temporal himself. If he does either of these things the motorhome is good to go for 4 more years regardless of what the new president may do about importing vehicles...


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Canada's criteria of who to consider a non-resident differ from ministry to ministry. 

BC provincial plan allows you 7 months absence in calendar year, but you must "make your home in Canada". Btw, BC plan allows up to 2 years absence every 5 years under certain conditions - but again, you must make your home in Canada. 

What the heck this "making home" means, is not clear. In the worst case scenario, provincial healthcare ministries could apply the test of "ordinarily resident", same as the federal ministry responsible for social supplements for seniors OAS/GIS (those may also be affected by temporary absence). There is no clear-cut definition of "ordinarily residing", they instead refer to Supreme Court decision from 1940s. In a nutshell, your routine life in all its applications must take place mostly in Canada. Having home and bank accounts in Canada is NOT in itself sufficient to be an "ordinarily resident", and neither is spending half the time in Canada. Having all of the above is often sufficient, but sometimes it is not, for example when your ties to foreign country are stronger than ties to Canada. 

Canada Revenue Agency use a test different from "ordinarily resident" and if they find you to be a tax non-resident, they will impose 15% tax on your OAS with cumulative interest for all the period since you've become a tax non-resident.

Usually provincial healthcare authorities don't go after a garden variety snowbird who splits his time 50/50 between Canada and Mexico. GIS authorities sometimes do. CRA sometimes do, depends on how much they gain by declaring you a non-resident.


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## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

I still spend 7 months a year in Canada for the most part. It does look like you can go on IMSS with temporal. One of the main reasons to do that would be so I can buy a car in Mexico, but my Mexican citizen partner says I could put one in his name, so that may work. Ghecko car rental in Bucerias says you can buy a car without a residente card in Nayarit. I do not know if that is true. Another option is to leave my motorhome in Mexico (High altitude away from coast) then drive my honda Fit back & forth ( a motorhome back & forth at 9 MPG is getting pretty pricey) and hold off on temporal, until travel medical insurance becomes too prohibitive. It does go up when I turn 71 in 14 months. What I save in fuel by leaving my motorhome in Mexico coudl subsidize insurance pretty well.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

I believe Temporal is enough for Seguro Popular as well. The only status-related document that they require from a foreigner is CURP, and with Temporal you can get CURP.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Bobbyb said:


> Rick> I never mentioned anything about TIP's. If Telcoman went to a RP he would not be able to import his motorhome.


OK.... my bad.





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## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

i know that which is why I canceled the 10 year when i left Mexico in March. I will bring it back in under my wifes name. It is registered in both.


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