# Work for Registered Nurses in Mexico



## aggie1084

Hi,
My family and I have started discussing moving to mexico (Cancun area). I am a registered nurse in the US and was wondering what the job market is for american nurses in that area? We are just beginning our research and would appreciate any advice.
Thank You!


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## RVGRINGO

Welcome to the forum.
I assume that you know that your US credentials will have no standing in Mexico, and that you should contact a Mexican university to determine how much of your education may be transferable and what the requirements would be to obtain a license in Mexico. Of course, I also assume that you are fluent in Spanish and know that Cancun is a very seasonal resort destination with little happening in the long hot summer months. You would also need government permission, as a foreigner, to work in Mexico and that can be difficult to obtain. As such, one should be prepared to show proof of foreign resources sufficient to qualify for an FM3 visa while applying for work and the support of the employer for working permission. You will need to prove those resources, for each family member, and should realize that wages will be very, very low, compared to the USA.


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## Lucydelsol

RVGRINGO said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> I assume that you know that your US credentials will have no standing in Mexico, and that you should contact a Mexican university to determine how much of your education may be transferable and what the requirements would be to obtain a license in Mexico. Of course, I also assume that you are fluent in Spanish and know that Cancun is a very seasonal resort destination with little happening in the long hot summer months. You would also need government permission, as a foreigner, to work in Mexico and that can be difficult to obtain. As such, one should be prepared to show proof of foreign resources sufficient to qualify for an FM3 visa while applying for work and the support of the employer for working permission. You will need to prove those resources, for each family member, and should realize that wages will be very, very low, compared to the USA.


Why are you so angry the world is not a robotic monster, our education is transferable just as their education is transferable, relax and stop sounding like a crazy  next time before you reply take a breather and :ranger:


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## Isla Verde

Lucydelsol said:


> Why are you so angry the world is not a robotic monster, our education is transferable just as their education is transferable, relax and stop sounding like a crazy  next time before you reply take a breather and :ranger:


I don't think that RVGRINGO was angry when he posted an answer to your question. He was just giving you the non-sugar-coated truth about your chances of finding work in your field in Mexico. Just my opinion, of course.


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## Lucydelsol

Q


Isla Verde said:


> I don't think that RVGRINGO was angry when he posted an answer to your question. He was just giving you the non-sugar-coated truth about your chances of finding work in your field in Mexico. Just my opinion, of course.


Hi, well I just think he may be painting a wee bit of a facist pic of mexico, it wasnt my question but people get jobs all over the world depending on their destiny, maybe God is calling to her to mexico and maybe she would do great things granted its hard but its hard everywhere and its not good to scare her away. As for the lifestyle, well that just depends how someone likes to live.


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## TundraGreen

Lucydelsol said:


> Why are you so angry the world is not a robotic monster, our education is transferable just as their education is transferable, relax and stop sounding like a crazy  next time before you reply take a breather and :ranger:


Isla Verde is correct. We see many people post on this forum about working in Mexico without realizing the hurdles one has to overcome to do that. RV was just trying to help the Original Poster by outlining what some of those hurdles are. It doesn't mean it is impossible, but it is not easy.


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## Lucydelsol

TundraGreen said:


> Isla Verde is correct. We see many people post on this forum about working in Mexico without realizing the hurdles one has to overcome to do that. RV was just trying to help the Original Poster by outlining what some of those hurdles are. It doesn't mean it is impossible, but it is not easy.


Ok, its hard everywhere you go that is not yours by citizenship but that does not give any of you the permission to scare people away. What right do you have to be so hard about giving out information, you are not the government. Did it occur to you that she and her husband might have a specialty that would be needed in mexico? You do not scare me as a moderator and you certainly don't seem to have an open mind regarding people! She is obviously a hard working woman asking a perfectly normal question and you go at her like a bunch of hyenas, well I wonder what the mexicans really think of people like you dishing out your mis-information.


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## circle110

LucydelSol, no one is trying to be harsh on anyone here, least of all TundraGreen who is a very mellow moderator.

You must understand that Mexico is a fairly impoverished nation with the wealth held by a small group and the bulk of the country is left to fight for those remaining pesos. Because of that there are, for example, many well trained specialist Mexican nurses that are out of work and looking for jobs. To help keep as many as of its own people employed as possible, the Mexican government has created laws that specifically try to keep foreigners from taking away those jobs that Mexicans employees could do.

For that reason, the outlook isn't very positive for a foreigner trying to land a job in a field like nursing where there are many qualified Mexicans seeking the same positions and specific laws that prevent employers from hiring the foreigner. The folks here at this forum are just trying to warn people that the cards are intentionally stacked against them. 

Of course, it is technically possible to find a situation where a foreigner could uniquely fill the needs of a certain job and the government would give the required permission to work but it honestly is not that common outside of teaching English, working in an English speaking call center or some technology and science work. Nursing is one of those fields where it is very uncommon for a foreigner to find work due to the large number of qualified Mexican applicants.


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## makaloco

Well, Aggie1084's original post and RV's response were almost three years ago, so I imagine Aggie has looked into the situation further by now and made up her mind one way or another.


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## Isla Verde

makaloco said:


> Well, Aggie1084's original post and RV's response were almost three years ago, so I imagine Aggie has looked into the situation further by now and made up her mind one way or another.


You're right - I never noticed those dates. But we never did find out what happened to the OP. Too bad . . .


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## Quetza

Lucydelsol said:


> Ok, its hard everywhere you go that is not yours by citizenship but that does not give any of you the permission to scare people away. What right do you have to be so hard about giving out information, you are not the government. Did it occur to you that she and her husband might have a specialty that would be needed in mexico? You do not scare me as a moderator and you certainly don't seem to have an open mind regarding people! She is obviously a hard working woman asking a perfectly normal question and you go at her like a bunch of hyenas, well I wonder what the mexicans really think of people like you dishing out your mis-information.


Lucydelsol, I am mexican and I don't find RVGRINGO's post offensive or wrong at all and I will agree with circe 110 and RVGRINGO on this. Mexico doesn't need foreign people taking jobs that mexican people can do (and sometimes are qualified or even overqualified to do but can't because of the economic situation.) 
There is a good reason for the laws regarding foreigners working here and, while no, no one in here is the government, at least they have a good knowledge of those laws having researched and lived through the same process the OP is asking about.

I think it's a lot more respectful of my country to aknowledge it's realities than to paint an inaccurate and romanticized version of it that will leave visitors and expats feeling cheated on their expectations and locals feeling resentful of them. 

If they really want to try it and find a way to qualify for it, then I will welcome them with open arms but fist, the OP or anyone else interested in coming here will need all that information and sugarcoating it won't really help them. I can't see that as scaring people away... and if it scares off someone, then I guess Mexico wasn't for them or they weren't right for Mexico. 

Attacking users and mods like that is the surest way to being labeled a troll, I'm sure we can have strong, oposing opinions without fighting and yelling at each other. :boxing:

EDIT: Oops, I didn't notice the post was so old D: Sorry if I went overboard here.


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## Lucydelsol

I realize that you have no intention to harm. You could consider that you may be coming from an outdated perspective, there is no longer a bush like fence separating mexico from theu.s. and health care establishments are seeking out the expertise of mexican nurses by the 1000s actually, there are so many u.s. jobs for mexican nurses it is even easier for them than anyone else so, does'nt that leave room for a few foreign nurses to become mexican nurses. To make money for a country you have to step out of the dark ages and get a bit more global. Mexico would probably welcome a few young foreigners. I am from wales and I can tell you that people get bored when theres no new people coming inro a country, it just breeds stagnation which leads to violence . I have seen it in wales. I for one am going to live there as a young professional and I believe in change, which is happening slowly and I am inviting other people to go with their dream to be where they want and live in fear because if you do you suffer more at the end of the day. Spirit of life bless us all on our journey.


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## mickisue1

It's helpful, when posting, to avoid the use of descriptors such as "harsh" and "Dark Ages."

The need in the US for RNs and LPNS has no bearing on the ability of a US citizen to obtain a job in MX as an RN or an LPN. While it may be possible to become employed as an RN in another country, you must realize that the R in RN stands for something: the person has taken a licensing test, and, unless s/he is in the first year or two after passing the test and being licensed in ONE state in the US, has completed continuing education requirements.

Some, but by no means all, states in the US will accept a license from another state, and some, but not all, states in the US will accept the amount of continuing education that is required by another state, if it is less than in the state in question.

That's within the borders of the US.

So. To assume that it's not challenging to try to transfer one's education and license from one country to another is to be disrespectful of the laws in that country, and, for all we know, the varying laws from state to state in that country. You are aware that there are states in MX, right?

My knowledge of the laws governing nursing come from my background: I was licensed as an RN for 30 years in the US. Since I've not pursued becoming licensed in MX, I don't know the requirements. RVGringo was merely pointing out some of the hurdles that may exist. In particular, the need to be fluent in not only conversational Spanish, but in medical terminology in Spanish, would be critical. 

Even a pharmacist in the US would be hard put to deal with the differences in both names of drugs and the laws governing them in MX. An RN, just that much more.

Lucy, you state that you are a professional from Wales, now living in Canada. Right? I assume that you further realize that any professional in MX will make significantly less than in the UK or CA.


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## Lucydelsol

Hello, I am aware that nurses from mexico are welcomed to the u.s. without need for further studies and that it would be fair to think the same of mexico as we are both licensed within the firm medical foundations set by Louis Pasteur. Some states require a licensing exam while others do not. I have looked into this question and it seems the same law applies to foreign nurses in mexico as it does for mexican nurses in the states, that your education is valid in mexico as long as the education recieved is in keeping with the same medical system in mexico, that is to say that the same medical education is taught in all three countries and that nurses can travel as they please and work where they lki, in canada, u.s. and mexico, with regard to state licensing requirements.


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## circle110

These viewpoints we are expressing are not "antiquated" in any way. They are a harsh reality of today.

Comparing the US and Mexico as far as immigrant workers isn't even apples and oranges - it's more like strawberries and sausage pizza.

In the US there are some 15 million Spanish speakers, many or most of whom don't speak much English. This puts Spanish speaking nurses at a premium. In Mexico there are maybe a couple hundred thousand English speakers - a tiny fraction of the population - so English speaking nurses are not in much demand here.

On top of that, a Mexican nurse can not just hop a plane to the US and land a job. The immigration situation in the US is a VERY BIG deal and a big time hot button topic. There are work visa complications galore. 
Your profile says you are Welsh - the immigrant worker situation is completely different in the US and Mexico than it is in Europe. Special work visas are required by both Mexico and the US and they are not automatic by any means.

Think of it this way: if a huge amount of nurses from Mali arrived in England and wanted jobs, would their ability to speak French make the British government gladly give them work visas because of the overwhelming French speaking population of England? I don't think so. It's a similar situation in Mexico; one's ability to speak English is not very important here and, remember, the government is doing everything in its power to make sure that any job taken by a foreigner could not have possibly been done by a Mexican.


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## Lucydelsol

I'm sure mexican nurses in the u.s. take the time needed to ensure their green card and ultimatly immigration status and they do recieve help from their employers over there. There is even a forum here on this site from a u.s. employer looking for mexican nurses and I have seen many others over the internet.If a foreign nurse speaks good spanish then it is the same as a mexican nurse who speaks good english. I believe things will change in mexico and that it will be a wealthy and peaceful nation . Sometimes a new perspective is necessary to help change a situation and I am not alone. I'm sure there are people all over the world going to where they need to be regardless of the financial or political situation. There are many people in canada and the u.s. making huge profits from goods made in mexican factories practically for free and then those people take their holidays in mexico being served by hard working mexicans. That seems worse to me than a hard working professional taking a job vacancy left by a mexican who might be deciding to work in the u.s. or canada. If people thought of fair trade instead of free trade the economy over there would not be so bad.


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## mickisue1

Lucydelsol said:


> Hello, I am aware that nurses from mexico are welcomed to the u.s. without need for further studies and that it would be fair to think the same of mexico as we are both licensed within the firm medical foundations set by Louis Pasteur. Some states require a licensing exam while others do not. I have looked into this question and it seems the same law applies to foreign nurses in mexico as it does for mexican nurses in the states, that your education is valid in mexico as long as the education recieved is in keeping with the same medical system in mexico, that is to say that the same medical education is taught in all three countries and that nurses can travel as they please and work where they lki, in canada, u.s. and mexico, with regard to state licensing requirements.


That last statement is absolutely untrue. In some states in the US, there will be exceptions made for exceptional situations. Strikes by nursing personnel, in larger metropolitan areas, usually affect all, or nearly all the hospitals there, because the nurses union negotiates with the hospitals as a group. 

In those situations, the hospitals will obtain variances from the state to allow nurses with "foreign" licenses to practice there in limited circumstances. Those circumstances will include, for example, that the RN in question work only in the one facility where s/he's been hired to work as a scab.

Be that as it may, all states in the US require a license to practice nursing there. As does the US as a whole, and the country of MX.

Wherever you have been educated, assuming that your degree transfers, you still have the hurdle of passing the language barrier in MX. Assume that both your degree and your license transfer, you will still have to show that you can communicate effectively with the rest of the nursing and the medical staff, few, if any of whom have English as a first language. The patients, of course, deserve to be spoken to in their native language.

As for Louis Pasteur. REALLY? The basis of nursing is caring for the patient's physical, emotional and safety needs. While the need for clean, or sterile as the case may be, technique certainly enters into the picture, it's hardly all, or even most of what is done by a member of the profession. 

Be that as it may, when an OP asks a question about the situation NOW in a place where they'd like to relocate, grand ideas about the future are unhelpful in giving that questioner useful ideas to use in the immediate future.

Please get your facts straight.


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## Lucydelsol

I am correct as I have done extensive research. The basis of nursing care are security, safety and emotional and physical care, I have referred to Louis Pasteur as a medical system which allows nurses to travel to other countries where his methods are also recognized. Mexican nurses are welcomed in the united states with the rights and benefits of everyone else. It is true, you have to do your homework to know your rights so that you get the respect you deserve so that you do not get treated like a "scab" as you have mentioned. I don't think I am affecting the decision of the O.P. as I am sure she has a mind of her own. I am writing what I think is true as this is a democracy and everyone has this right.


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## TundraGreen

I do not see additional posts to this thread being constructive. Both sides have stated their opinion several times. Consequently, I have closed it.

Thanks to all of you for the lively debate.


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