# PT looking to work abroad



## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

Hi, I'm a Personal trainer currently working in London but looking to possible spend some time working in Mexico. I'm no necessarily looking to work as a PT over there, i want to go for the experience rather than to earn money so i don't mind doing any job really. Can anyone tell me the rules about working as a Brit over there? I thought that they were quite open but i found this and want to know if it's true

[it wont let me post a URL for some reason so if you google 'Lonely planet mexico work' it comes up with the page at the top of the list]

If not, and there is a way for me to work & live over there for any period of time, what forms do i need to fill in to get a visa?

Much appreciated!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Mraustin said:


> Hi, I'm a Personal trainer currently working in London but looking to possible spend some time working in Mexico. I'm no necessarily looking to work as a PT over there, i want to go for the experience rather than to earn money so i don't mind doing any job really. Can anyone tell me the rules about working as a Brit over there? I thought that they were quite open but i found this and want to know if it's true
> 
> [it wont let me post a URL for some reason so if you google 'Lonely planet mexico work' it comes up with the page at the top of the list]
> 
> ...


A lot of this is more fully discussed in other threads on this forum, but the short answer to your question is the following: You can visit Mexico on a Tourist visa for 180 days. It does not permit you to work. To stay longer you need an FM-3 or FM-2 visa. You can qualify for one of these based on employment or other source of income. To get an FM-2/3 you would have to demonstrate that you have a job with a letter from your employer or that you have income with several months of bank statements. Regarding the needed forms, there is a sticky thread devoted to the topic.

(Clipped reference to illegal activity)


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks very much for the Info. However when you say that to get an FM-2 visa you have to have a prove that you have a job and income, how can i get a job when it is also illegal to work under the only other visa i can get, the tourist one?


Thanks

A


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Mraustin said:


> Thanks very much for the Info. However when you say that to get an FM-2 visa you have to have a prove that you have a job and income, how can i get a job when it is also illegal to work under the only other visa i can get, the tourist one?
> 
> 
> Thanks
> ...


You find a job, get the employer to write a letter specifying the salary, start and stop dates and then apply for a visa. You can even start working before getting the visa and they won't complain, at least, they didn't complain when I did that. I was here on an FM-3 sin lucrativo, started working, then applied for and got an FM-2 con lucrativo. They didn't say anything about the fact that I had been working for 2 or 3 months before the new visa was approved.

Will


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

INM may also require the employer's tax statements, indicating that they are insuring that the employer is an actual company, with proper registration and payment of taxes. There is increasing pressure on the 'underground economy'.


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

Ok, so i can go in with a tourist Visa (lasting 180 days) and then if i find someone who wants to employ me i get them to write a letter with the details you've stated above & that can get me a FM-2. It sounds simple enough. Thanks for the info!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That seems to be the correct approach. The hard part is finding a position and living on Mexican wages.


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

I'm not too worried about living on Mexican wages, i'm planning on saving up some money here first and the Pound Sterling is probably pretty strong versus the Mexican currency so it should stretch a fair way. Thanks again for the advice and information


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## ExpatPumpkin (May 30, 2010)

Do you speak Spanish? If not, you'll be competing with other low-skilled workers for jobs. And those jobs pay next to nothing. Mexico isn't like Europe where you can wash dishes in the back and still afford to pay a rent on a shared flat. 

Wages for those types of positions will not afford you even a semblance of the lifestyle to which you're accustomed. And by lifestyle I mean indoor plumbing and a nutritious diet.

Do you have any friends that live here? That would certainly help.


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

I speak a little Spanish, but will learn more before i go out there. I haven't got any direct friends out there but i have a client who is half mexican so i'm going to see if she's got any friends \ family that i could meet up with to give me some pointers. 

I'm not looking to live a lavish lifestyle out there. I just want to live there, hopefully work there and meet new people and experience the culture. I just checked the exchange rate £1 is 20MP so if i save up £2000 that's nearly 4000MP which should keep my head above water i think


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## ExpatPumpkin (May 30, 2010)

Mraustin said:


> I'm not too worried about living on Mexican wages, i'm planning on saving up some money here first and the Pound Sterling is probably pretty strong versus the Mexican currency so it should stretch a fair way. Thanks again for the advice and information


The issue is the great gap between the rich and the poor here. Although your pounds will go far, you probably won't want to live where they take you. The nicest and safest areas of Mexico City and Monterrey, for example, are expensive on a global level.

I live in Monterrey, and I wouldn't move here for a "look see" without at least 20,000 pounds. That would provide you with a decent standard of living in San Pedro or Polanco (in Mexico City) for 9-12 months. But no luxuries.

And you'd need a very good, highly-skilled job in order to continue with that lifestyle once your pounds run out.


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## ExpatPumpkin (May 30, 2010)

Mraustin said:


> I speak a little Spanish, but will learn more before i go out there. I haven't got any direct friends out there but i have a client who is half mexican so i'm going to see if she's got any friends \ family that i could meet up with to give me some pointers.
> 
> I'm not looking to live a lavish lifestyle out there. I just want to live there, hopefully work there and meet new people and experience the culture. I just checked the exchange rate £1 is 20MP so if i save up £2000 that's nearly 4000MP which should keep my head above water i think


Unless you're planning to live in the ghetto, you could EASILY spend your 40,000MP within a month. Two max.


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

I'm not sure how i could spend £2000 in a month in Mexico when i live off of £600 per month living in London. My housemate spent some time in Mexico whilst he was travelling South America so i'll quiz him on locations etc. Thanks for the feedback


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## ExpatPumpkin (May 30, 2010)

No problem. 

You could live on less as a retiree, for example, because you probably wouldn't move to one of the huge cities (where prices in the nice areas are set on more of a global scale). And you'd have your nest egg to back you up. And a steady fixed income to depend on.

You could also live on less if you have roommates. That's why I asked if you had friends here. I bet you have roommates in London, right?

You just need a much bigger cushion than 40,000 pesos since you:

- won't have working papers
- may not have the level of Spanish required to get a good job
- don't have any job leads at the moment

I don't want to rain on your parade, but Mexico's very divided... You may not be able to handle how the poor live and live among them. I'd just hate for you to get over here expecting it to be super cheap and nice and then be surprised that nice isn't cheap.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Note: Mexico is not in South America.
Unless you own a home in Mexico, or have a very cheap rental, your funds will run out very quickly. Please be prepared. In the UK, you have free medical and a lot of other government programs and 'safety nets' that don't exist for you in Mexico.
As has been discussed before, Mexican Immigration will only allow you to stay for 180 days unless you can qualify for a residence visa by proving external income/resources and other documents. Please don't plan on finding work in Mexico, as an expat without specialized skills/education that aren't available here and that a Mexican can't be found to do. It won't be easy, even if you were completely fluent in Spanish. Again, you won't live on Mexican wages at European standards. There certainly isn't much of a market for 'personal trainers' here. What other qualifications do you have that would make you attractive to a Mexican or International company?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Note: Mexico is not in South America.
> Unless you own a home in Mexico, or have a very cheap rental, your funds will run out very quickly. Please be prepared. In the UK, you have free medical and a lot of other government programs and 'safety nets' that don't exist for you in Mexico.
> As has been discussed before, Mexican Immigration will only allow you to stay for 180 days unless you can qualify for a residence visa by proving external income/resources and other documents. Please don't plan on finding work in Mexico, as an expat without specialized skills/education that aren't available here and that a Mexican can't be found to do. It won't be easy, even if you were completely fluent in Spanish. Again, you won't live on Mexican wages at European standards. There certainly isn't much of a market for 'personal trainers' here. What other qualifications do you have that would make you attractive to a Mexican or International company?


As a point of comparison. The US Peace Corps pays volunteer $8000-$9500 pesos/month. Most volunteers were able to live on that although some struggled (and some had money left over to save). That didn't cover any medical which was provided. You can rent a room in the big cities for $2500/month, less in small places. If you stay out of bars and restaurants you can get by pretty cheaply.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Mraustin said:


> Ok, so i can go in with a tourist Visa (lasting 180 days) and then if i find someone who wants to employ me i get them to write a letter with the details you've stated above & that can get me a FM-2. It sounds simple enough. Thanks for the info!


The official daily minimum wage in Mexico for 2010 rose by 4.85%.

The minimum salary in "Geographical Area A" is MX$57.46 pesos *per day*

57.46 Pesos = 2.82 British Pounds, enjoy your rice,beans and water mate...


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Mraustin said, "I just want to live there, hopefully work there and meet new people and experience the culture."
I admire his curiosity and sense of adventure, but I fear that he is misquided. I would ask him why he wants to live somewhere that he has not previously experienced by visiting, and how he expects to qualify to work. It is great to want to meet new people, but experiencing the culture is usually not possible; observing it may provide some insight, but becoming a part of it is unlikely.
Then, there is the detail of the INM financial requirements in order to stay beyond 180 days, plus their permission to work in the country.


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## Mraustin (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for all the negativity guys. Firstly, you don't have to visit somewhere to be able to spend some time there. I dont mind turning up, spending one month there and then moving on to another country, but i'm going to see how thing pan out and might spend longer there, thus planning ahead incase i need to increase my Visa. I've now got a contact in mexico city and one in cancun so i'm sure i'll be fine with the rest of my research. Thanks for answering my earlier question.

A


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Nobody is trying to be 'negative' but we're all trying to give you the 'reality' of the situation. Your initial post did not indicate a lot of resources, nor did it indicate your flexibility. Now that you have indicated that you would be able to return, and not end up disillusioned and stranded, we'll all feel more comfortable in responding to your future questions. Just remember that you will have to 'move on' within 180 days if you haven't made application for 'no inmigrante' status at the appropriate time; possibly as soon as within 30 days of arrival. That is still a bit unclear under the new INM procedures.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Mraustin said:


> Thanks for all the negativity guys. Firstly, you don't have to visit somewhere to be able to spend some time there. I dont mind turning up, spending one month there and then moving on to another country, but i'm going to see how thing pan out and might spend longer there, thus planning ahead incase i need to increase my Visa. I've now got a contact in mexico city and one in cancun so i'm sure i'll be fine with the rest of my research. Thanks for answering my earlier question.
> 
> A


We were pretty negative. I just reread over the thread to try to see why the conversation went the way it did. I think it was a difference of perspectives. Most of the discussion on this forum is of people looking for information about permanent relocation to Mexico. And that is the way many of us treated your original post. However, from your later comments it seems more likely that you just want to spend some time in Mexico, have enough money to live for awhile, and if you can pick up some work and extend your resources all the better. That is a very different mind set. And I would have responded in different ways if I realized that is what you had in mind.


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