# Immigration/ Visa Questions



## koalas14 (Dec 18, 2014)

Hey, I am new to this forum I have had an account for a long time just have not used it very frequently


I will tell you about my situation and maybe one of you will have some answer for us, or have experienced this yourselves. My wife and I are considering moving to Mexico. I will still be working my job in Canada on a 14x14 rotation so I will be flying down there on my 14 days off. My wife would like to stay down there for the whole time while I am at work in Canada. Neither of us will be working in Mexico. 

Are there any types of visas we can get to allow that?? I would technically only be in the Country for 6 months per year but my wife on the other hand would be there for the full year. 

Please let me know if anyone has any experience with this or any ideas about visas either of us could get to do that..

I am Canadian, and my wife is Brazilian with a Canadian permanent residency. 
We have thought about Mexico but are open to other countries that are not too far from Canada that may have visa options, and are within a 5-6 hour flight from the west of Canada would be great for us. 


Thanks


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Can you wife retain a permanent resident visa in Canada although she does not live there? You cannot do that in the States.


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## koalas14 (Dec 18, 2014)

Yes she should be able to as long as she is in Canada for I think is 2 out of 5 years. The time though that she is out of the country will not be counted toward the time required to apply for her Canadian citizenship.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

koalas14 said:


> …
> Are there any types of visas we can get to allow that?? I would technically only be in the Country for 6 months per year but my wife on the other hand would be there for the full year.
> …


Your options are: 
• Tourist permit - good for 180 days total. You and/or your spouse would have to leave the country every 180 days and reenter with a new one. This would probably be no problem for you since you will be coming and going all the time. But it does cost, so you would be paying every two weeks. I think the cost is about $30 or $35 usd and it is often included in the cost of an airplane ticket. You cannot leave and return on the same permit. You get a new one with every entry.
• Visa Residencial Temporal - good for one to four years. Requires meeting income or asset minimum. You can come and go on this.
• Visa Residencial Permanente - Never expires. Requires meeting somewhat higher income or asset minimum. Also allows coming and going.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I would suggest that the OP should, if he can qualify, apply for a Residente Permanente visa at the nearest Mexican consulate to his home in Canada. His need to enter and exit every 14 days would create a bit of a problem at renewal times, and transition time from Temporal to Permanente, while “en tramite“. 
Another advantage would be that, if he is Permanente, his wife could come as a tourist, not having to meet financial requirements, then apply in Mexico, under vincula familiar, once he has his visa in hand.
It will be important to plan the timing, as his initial move must be made within 180 days of consular visa approval, and he should allow several weeks for the process to be completed for the visa card issuance in Mexico, when multiple exits and entries would not be feasible. They are, after all, residence visas.
A second option: The wife qualifies for a residence visa first, while working husband commutes between Canada and Mexico as a tourist indefinitely....until he has a long vacation and can have the time, in Mexico, to proceed with vincula familiar at INM for his own visa.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

TundraGreen said:


> • Visa Residencial Temporal - good for one to four years. Requires meeting income or asset minimum. You can come and go on this.
> • Visa Residencial Permanente - Never expires. Requires meeting somewhat higher income or asset minimum. Also allows coming and going.


You laid out a good list of koala’s options at this time for starting residency in Mexico. It might also be worth noting that after four years of “_temporal_” residency, an immigrant must** apply for “_permanente_” residency, and at this point, they don’t have to meet the higher _permanente_ income or asset standards.

--------------------------------------
**Unless they either leave Mexico, or start all over from scratch applying for a new _temporal_ visa (with no guarantee that it will be granted).


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## pappabeemx (Jun 20, 2016)

But remember that the 180 day visa is just that===180 days. Not 181.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

pappabeemx said:


> But remember that the 180 day visa is just that===180 days. Not 181.


Right. Not 6 months.


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