# advice on moving to Oaxaca



## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

I am planning on moving to San Jose Chacalapa in a few months. I have a trip planned to visit the city next month. My fiance went back there a week ago. He has been living here in the US for seven years. In that time he has built a beautiful little home there, that I have seen pictures and video of, courtesy of his siter. His plan is to get a visa so he can return to the US to work. However, he wantws to come here and work for a few months out of the year and live there a few months out of the year as well. What should I expect in this little community? It is about an hour outisde of Huatulco. He says it is safe there. What can I expect?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Lorij said:


> I am planning on moving to San Jose Chacalapa in a few months. I have a trip planned to visit the city next month. My fiance went back there a week ago. He has been living here in the US for seven years. In that time he has built a beautiful little home there, that I have seen pictures and video of, courtesy of his siter. His plan is to get a visa so he can return to the US to work. However, he wantws to come here and work for a few months out of the year and live there a few months out of the year as well. What should I expect in this little community? It is about an hour outisde of Huatulco. He says it is safe there. What can I expect?


Hi Lori and welcome to the Forum. I tried googling San José Chacalapa and what little information I found seemed to indicate that it's more of a smallish town than a city. I can't tell you what it would be like to live there except that the climate is quite tropical.

You mention that your fiance has been in the States for seven years. What kind of visa has he had during that time? Was it one that allowed him to work? If he has been working without papers, then it may be almost impossible for him to get a visa and return and work there legally. 

I wish both of you luck and hope things work out for you.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Lorij said:


> I am planning on moving to San Jose Chacalapa in a few months. I have a trip planned to visit the city next month. My fiance went back there a week ago. He has been living here in the US for seven years. In that time he has built a beautiful little home there, that I have seen pictures and video of, courtesy of his siter. His plan is to get a visa so he can return to the US to work. However, he wantws to come here and work for a few months out of the year and live there a few months out of the year as well. What should I expect in this little community? It is about an hour outisde of Huatulco. He says it is safe there. What can I expect?


Congratulations on the pending move, and, I'm assuming ... marriage. :clap2:

I, too, looked-up the town on google maps.  It's a small agricultural town and you'll need to like that and a somewhat isolated life but one probably filled with lots of your husband's family. You'll need/want to become fluent in Spanish if you don't already have that ability. Some families can be a bit stand-offish when one of their returns home with a gringa. You won't be too far from the Pacific Ocean. If your husband leaves to go back to the USA will he be taking you with him, or leaving you behind with his family? Also, you'll want to verify the requirements you will have to meet in order to receive permission to live in Mexico.

Best wishes for a successful transition.


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> Hi Lori and welcome to the Forum. I tried googling San José Chacalapa and what little information I found seemed to indicate that it's more of a smallish town than a city. I can't tell you what it would be like to live there except that the climate is quite tropical.
> 
> You mention that your fiance has been in the States for seven years. What kind of visa has he had during that time? Was it one that allowed him to work? If he has been working without papers, then it may be almost impossible for him to get a visa and return and work there legally.
> 
> I wish both of you luck and hope things work out for you.


Thank you. Yes he has been here illegally, however from what I have been reading, I think his best bet is to apply for a b2 tourist visa since he has most of his family is there and he owns a home there. He does have some family here however. I think if he can get the b2 visa then when he is here he can apply to change it to a different type of visa eligible for work. Of course he is not planning on telling them he was here previously, since he was here he hasn't had even as much as a traffic ticket, so hopefully it will work out. Thanks again!


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

Thanks Longford, yes I will be coming back with him when he comes here. So basically we would be living a few months there and a few months back here. My spanish is moderate, his English is so good he never speaks it with me, so I will really need to brush up on it!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Lorij said:


> Thank you. Yes he has been here illegally, however from what I have been reading, I think his best bet is to apply for a b2 tourist visa since he has most of his family is there and he owns a home there. He does have some family here however. I think if he can get the b2 visa then when he is here he can apply to change it to a different type of visa eligible for work. Of course he is not planning on telling them he was here previously, since he was here he hasn't had even as much as a traffic ticket, so hopefully it will work out. Thanks again!


From experiences of Mexican friends of mine who've applied for tourist visas for the US and been turned down, it would be best for him not to mention that you are now a part of his life. The mention of any personal connections that he has with someone in the US will make the folks at the US Embassy suspect that he will end up staying in the US to work and his visa application will most likely be denied.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> From experiences of Mexican friends of mine who've applied for tourist visas for the US and been turned down, it would be best for him not to mention that you are now a part of his life. The mention of any personal connections that he has with someone in the US will make the folks at the US Embassy suspect that he will end up staying in the US to work and his visa application will most likely be denied.


I would add an asterisk about withholding information from the visa interviewer.

I have several friends who work in the US Consulate in Guadalajara. They spend 8 hours a day interviewing Mexicans that have applied for a visa. Every applicant gets an interview that lasts about three minutes. So the interviewers are interviewing hundreds of people every day. The consular interviewers get really good at knowing when people are telling the truth and, when they suspect that an applicant is not telling them something, they deny the visa. Several of them have told me that the best way to get visa is to tell the truth and not make up some story. They have heard them all and are not impressed.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I would add an asterisk about withholding information from the visa interviewer.
> 
> I have several friends who work in the US Consulate in Guadalajara. They spend 8 hours a day interviewing Mexicans that have applied for a visa. Every applicant gets an interview that lasts about three minutes. So the interviewers are interviewing hundreds of people every day. The consular interviewers get really good at knowing when people are telling the truth and, when they suspect that an applicant is not telling them something, they deny the visa. Several of them have told me that the best way to get visa is to tell the truth and not make up some story. They have heard them all and are not impressed.


If the OP's fiance tells the truth, that he's engaged to an American woman and hopes to convert a tourist visa to a work visa, do you think that will convince the person interviewing him to grant him a visa? I think not.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> I would add an asterisk about withholding information from the visa interviewer.
> 
> I have several friends who work in the US Consulate in Guadalajara. They spend 8 hours a day interviewing Mexicans that have applied for a visa. Every applicant gets an interview that lasts about three minutes. So the interviewers are interviewing hundreds of people every day. The consular interviewers get really good at knowing when people are telling the truth and, when they suspect that an applicant is not telling them something, they deny the visa. Several of them have told me that the best way to get visa is to tell the truth and not make up some story. They have heard them all and are not impressed.


I agree that the Consular staff is adept at doing their jobs. But telling the truth in this instance will probably result in the significant other being barred from entering the USA for an indefinate period of time.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> I agree that the Consular staff is adept at doing their jobs. But telling the truth in this instance will probably result in the significant other being barred from entering the USA for an indefinate period of time.


I am not arguing with that, just cautioning about being too casual about thinking you can make up some story. He is going to have to convince them that he really is just planning to visit and go back to Mexico. The best way to do that is if it is true. Thinking you can make up some story about visiting when you really plan to stay is not going to fly.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I am not arguing with that, just cautioning about being too casual about thinking you can make up some story. He is going to have to convince them that he really is just planning to visit and go back to Mexico. The best way to do that is if it is true. Thinking you can make up some story about visiting when you really plan to stay is not going to fly.


I have to agree with you, TG. It might be better for Lori's fiance to just stay in Mexico and make a life for the two of them in his hometown in Oaxaca.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> I have to agree with you, TG. It might be better for Lori's fiance to just stay in Mexico and make a life for the two of them in his hometown in Oaxaca.


I hope everything will work out for them. But it is also possible that the fiancee will find it difficult or impossible to return to the US legally. I think they need a plan B, maybe accepting that decision and making a life for themselves in Mexico as Isla Verde suggests. If plan B is for him to come back without documentation, then that also has consequences that they should understand. These are life changing decisions that should be made with eyes wide open.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

When and if the engagement turns into marriage, even then there could be questions, but being married to an American is certainly an easier route to go than to lie or withhold information about one's past.

Does the OP's fiancé have a skill that could entice an employer to sponsor him for a work visa in the US?

That would make the process easier, as well.


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## 2oaxaca (Dec 7, 2009)

On a more personal note - sometimes you may want to spend a little time with others. There is an active expat community in Oaxaca City - some of it can be found at the Oaxaca Lending Library. There is also an active ex-pat group in Puerto . My daughter will be closeby at Zipolite this winter working at Pina Palmera, a habilitation center.
The closest place for ****** food is probably the Super Che at Huatulco or Puerto Escondido. My experience as I've driven from Oaxaca to the beach is that the climate here is very tropical with many bananas and near by we have always purchased great honey and coffee. It's hard to see much town from the highway - all one sees is a few shops and eating places. It is very hilly so the road sits on only a very narrow level area. 
The road is the major route from Oaxaca City to the beach and vans rush up and down at least 20 times a day. there is a new road being built that will bypass this area and go much closer to PE - that will probably negatively affect the area. but I wouldn't worry too much - it may be years.
Best of luck


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

Thank guys for all the info. It gives me a lot to think about. I read on the embassy website that having family in your home country as well as owning property there is one thing they look at as to determine if the person will return. I have to agree with Longford that while truth may be the best point if he tells them he is engaged to an American they will assume he isnt returning, which isnt the truth. He wants to come here and work for a short period then us return to Mexcico together.


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

Also another note to add, while he may enjoy living in Oaxaca part of the time with his family, he is very Americanized as well, so it will be a big adjustment for him as well as myself. Someone asked about what he does for a living, he is a painter. He was emplyed by a college here in Alabama when he was here. He loves to paint and is very good at it.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Lorij said:


> Thank guys for all the info. It gives me a lot to think about. I read on the embassy website that having family in your home country as well as owning property there is one thing they look at as to determine if the person will return. I have to agree with Longford that while truth may be the best point if he tells them he is engaged to an American they will assume he isnt returning, which isnt the truth. He wants to come here and work for a short period then us return to Mexcico together.


Lori, in your first post you seemed to be saying that your fiance wants to spend six months in Mexico and then six months in the States, going back and forth between the two countries for the foreseeable future. In this post, it sounds like a one-time thing, which would certainly be an easier thing to handle for both of you to handle.

If he asks for a US tourist visa with the intention of not being a tourist at all but instead looking for work while he is in the States, that is not being honest and there's a good chance the Embassy person interviewing him will pick up on it and deny him the visa. Don't you think his plan is a bit unrealistic? In any event, during the interview, he'd better not use any of his excellent English or the interviewer will ask him where he learned to speak English so well.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> In any event, during the interview, he'd better not use any of his excellent English or the interviewer will ask him where he learned to speak English so well.


Excellent advice. :clap2:


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