# How/Should/Could I



## ty_cin (Oct 23, 2017)

Hi

I am currently living in USA. I work as an online tutor for a private company making up to $280 per week. I can essentially work anywhere not in an embargo with the USA as long as a reliable wifi is available. 

I am thinking of moving to Mexico because I researched a little about immigration and Mexico was the most appealing out of countries (good weather, low cost) I read about that were easy to move to. I read you need a visitor visa that lasts 6 months and must be renewed for a total of 5 years to become a permanent resident.

During this time, can I move to Mexico and get an apartment and open a bank account and change my direct deposit and make money online without a work permit? If I work online, how can I go about moving to Mexico? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks.


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## rmajijic (Jul 15, 2017)

Well, I am pretty sure the part about having a vistor's visa for a total of 5 years and then becoming a permanent resident is wrong. You need to apply for a temporary visa which if you hold and renew for 4 years you are then grandfathered in and can get a permanent visa. Your other option is just to stay on a visitor visa and travel back to the border every 6 months for renewal. Some people do.
Getting a bank account here is always tough. I am not sure right now if you can do it with a temporary. Maybe someone else here has the correct information.
I would suggest keeping your bank account in the U.S. and just take money out as you need it or try getting paid through PayPal or some other way. In Canada we can transfer money online from person to person with only an email address. Does something like that exist in the U.S.?


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## ty_cin (Oct 23, 2017)

rmajijic said:


> Well, I am pretty sure the part about having a vistor's visa for a total of 5 years and then becoming a permanent resident is wrong. You need to apply for a temporary visa which if you hold and renew for 4 years you are then grandfathered in and can get a permanent visa. Your other option is just to stay on a visitor visa and travel back to the border every 6 months for renewal. Some people do.
> Getting a bank account here is always tough. I am not sure right now if you can do it with a temporary. Maybe someone else here has the correct information.
> I would suggest keeping your bank account in the U.S. and just take money out as you need it or try getting paid through PayPal or some other way. In Canada we can transfer money online from person to person with only an email address. Does something like that exist in the U.S.?


Yes I can transfer money thru paypal to an address in cash form which seems like a good option. Staying on the visitor visa and renewing every 6 months sounds appealing too. Is there a list of locations where I can renew?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

rmajijic said:


> Getting a bank account here is always tough. I am not sure right now if you can do it with a temporary. Maybe someone else here has the correct information.


As long as you a temporary or permanent resident, opening a bank account here is easy. If you live here on a 6-month tourist card, it may not be possible.


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## rmajijic (Jul 15, 2017)

Isla Verde is correct. I just wasn't sure about opening an account with a temporary.
You need to travel to one of the border crossings and it can be re-newed in 'no mans land' at the border crossing. I know a fellow who has been doing this for many years by bus. Not convenient for sure but possible if your temporary visa is denied.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

You can work online for a non-Mexican business on a tourist visa. For any other kind of work in Mexico, you would need a temporary resident visa with work permission, or a permanent resident visa.

For either of the resident visas you will need to apply at a Mexican Consulate in the US- you can't get one at the border or within Mexico. You do the pre-approval up north, then complete the process at a Mexican immigration office in Mexico. There are financial requirements for both resident visas. Different consulates seem to require different amounts. Suggest you check with your nearest consulate, and take it from there. You will have to go to the consulate- most don't answer the phone. Or see if you can make an appt. online.

Best is to come down initially on a 180 day tourist visa, see if you like living here, and where you might want to live, then you can apply for resident visa in the future if you decide to stay.


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

A lot of good advice given here; just kind of summing things up and adding some things from my own experience. You can work on-line for a non-Mexican company, working for non-Mexican clients, on any visa or even on a tourist permit. A tourist permit is good for 180 days, meaning you need to leave Mexico before the 180th day. But, you can turn around and come right back on another 180 day permit. 

You may or may not be able to open a bank account in Mexico if you are on a tourist permit. But every bank and even different branches of the same bank, are different. So you could do some "shopping around" and see what is available. However, it probably makes more sense in your situation to keep your U.S. bank account. I have an account with a U.S. bank that allows me to make withdrawals at virtually any ATM in Mexico, does not charge me a fee for doing so and even reimburses me any fees charged by the Mexican ATM. However, I have lately had trouble using this card at BBVA ATM's (that's a different story). But, if you choose the right bank in the U.S., you should be able to access your money here in Mexico using an ATM.

If you decide to pursue a visa, you would need to start that process at a Mexican Consulate near you in the U.S. Here is a site that lists the location of various Mexican Consulates in the U.S. https://embassy-finder.com/mexico_in_usa

Do make a few exploratory trips to Mexico. Pick a few places where you think you might like to live and spend at least a few weeks there. It will help you get a feel for the area and determine if it is a place you would like to live long term. It would be a good idea to try several different places in Mexico. You will find a lot of variation in climate and in cost of living. 

Buena suerte!


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## ty_cin (Oct 23, 2017)

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate the help. I think my plan will be to visit Mexico this fall with an open mind on a tourist visa and check out different cities and towns. During the visit I can continue working online in Mexico. 180 days on tourist visa is plenty to get a feel of different cities/towns and how my online tutoring work can afford life in Mexico.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

ty_cin said:


> Yes I can transfer money thru paypal to an address in cash form which seems like a good option. Staying on the visitor visa and renewing every 6 months sounds appealing too. Is there a list of locations where I can renew?


You have to cross the border to renew again, leave and come back. You can't just walk out and walk back in on the same crossing. I'd drive then cross at another bridge depending on where you are. Yucatan residents go to Belize for a night or two.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

IF you plan on driving down, you will need to get a temporary import permit (TIP) good for the same 180 days. Cost about $45 and you will have to put up a refundable deposit around $400, cash or credit card.... you get it back when you leave/check out. You will also need to have Mexican car insurance, available either online or at the border... better online.


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## mattoleriver (Oct 21, 2011)

Have Tourist Cards changed? They used to be valid for _up to_ 180 days but it seems to be common opinion now that they are _all_ valid for 180 days. Which is it?

Is it possible that one could get pretty well settled into Mexico and, leaving behind a nice little Mexican household, make a quick dash to the border only to find that the 180 day Tourist Card won't be issued this time? ---maybe less than 180 days, maybe none at all.:doh:


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

If you are worried about that you can go through the process of getting an RT card, but I wouldn't bother just because of that worry - there are lots of people in Mexico getting 180 days over and over again and the only report I've read of any push back was a single case where a single border agent once suggested to one person that they really ought to get a RT since they'd been living in mexico for years.

In my view, there are three pluses to getting an RT vs living on repeated 180 tourist permits:

- if you have a US car in Mexico on a TIP, you can fly back to the US and leave your car behind without creating a problem. On a tourist card you must always drive out if you drive in on a TIP or else you will void your TIP (and your insurance coverage). If you're going to live somewhere 30 hours drive from the border this would be kind of a big deal.
- you can open a Mexican bank account if you really want. 
- when you get an RT you have started the path toward a Residente Permanente card. 

Depending on your car situation, you might not really want to get an RP until your car is worn out.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

ty_cin said:


> Hi
> 
> I am currently living in USA. I work as an online tutor for a private company making up to $280 per week. I can essentially work anywhere not in an embargo with the USA as long as a reliable wifi is available.


I'm sure you already know $280 per week is a modest amount. And you even used the words, "up to."

Some of the larger cities and tourist heavy towns in Mexico are likely to be beyond your reach financially, unless you are happy to live in the most basic of places, eg. a very spartan small studio similar to a bargain motel room in the usa ... or a rented room in someone's home sharing the kitchen and living areas, and maybe even the bathroom. This assumes you want your monthly rent+util to be comfortably under half your income.

A website called numbeo.com can give you some indications as to costs. It's not pinpoint accurate, but its something.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Our total expenses average $1,200.00 USD per month and that is going on a mini vacation to the beach with a hotel, eating out a lot and consuming mass quantities of rum, beer and other things. Some months more when we travel a lot, some months less when we don't, traveling is the key. But our house and truck are new and paid for, we have no debt. 

The cost of living varies a lot in Mexico and housing will be your biggest expense. Our electric bill is our largest bill at $39.55 USD last month.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Your monthly outlay should show folks that one can exist nicely somewhere in Mexico on "Social Security" income and be happy. Of course that is without house rental expenses so one would have to add that back in. Living at that level would also be harder to accomplish in a ****** hangout like Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

RickS said:


> Your monthly outlay should show folks that one can exist nicely somewhere in Mexico on "Social Security" income and be happy. Of course that is without house rental expenses so one would have to add that back in. Living at that level would also be harder to accomplish in a ****** hangout like Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende.


What about if they bought or built a home like we did? Is the average *cost of living* there minus rent that high? Some have a 401 k and SS, we built our home from my 401k.

We lived in an expat community in the Yucatan and are a lot happier here in the mountains than we were in a "****** hangout", To each his own. 

Again, live in a location for a year or so before you put down roots, houses sell very slowly in places, our place on the Caribbean sold in a week.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

mattoleriver said:


> Have Tourist Cards changed? They used to be valid for _up to_ 180 days but it seems to be common opinion now that they are _all_ valid for 180 days. Which is it?


Some people have reported experiences that contradict that common opinion. What happened to some groups was that on a border run, officials recognized them on their way back in to Mexico, and gave them minimum time instead of 180 days, telling them it was obvious they were de facto residents and thus had to apply for residency. This seems to happen mostly on the Belize border, and is a sign either of immigration authorities tightening up and discouraging long-term residency on tourist permits, or else a bid for a bribe.
Some people reported that in some of these cases, officials searched their possessions and devices for signs of Mexican income (even house-sitting or property management, even if paid outside of Mexico from a foreign landlord). So in those cases, it is a sign that immigration is tightening up on what they consider "working in Mexico”.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Zorro2017 said:


> Our total expenses average $1,200.00 USD per month and that is going on a mini vacation to the beach with a hotel, eating out a lot and consuming mass quantities of rum, beer and other things. Some months more when we travel a lot, some months less when we don't, traveling is the key. But our house and truck are new and paid for, we have no debt.
> 
> The cost of living varies a lot in Mexico and housing will be your biggest expense. Our electric bill is our largest bill at $39.55 USD last month.


Zorro, you were fortunate to have had enough money in the bank to pay cash for your house - many of us are not financially able to do so. The cost of housing needs to be included in an estimate of the cost of living to give prospective expats a realistic idea of what they will need to have a comfortable life in Mexico.


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## robbiethinking (Nov 23, 2017)

rmajijic said:


> Isla Verde is correct. I just wasn't sure about opening an account with a temporary.
> You need to travel to one of the border crossings and it can be re-newed in 'no mans land' at the border crossing. I know a fellow who has been doing this for many years by bus. Not convenient for sure but possible if your temporary visa is denied.


Hopefully not off topic . . . but more a matter of perspective . . .
as a new member to this group, I'm living in Thailand and now wanting to move to a more benign regime.

This is my 21st year in Thailand - a nation which inherently dislikes foreigners. I'm working officially with a permit and pay taxes. And yet, every 90 days for the last 20 years, I have been compelled by law to leave the country, turn around, and come back in again. (Not to mention having to leave the country for a new work visa every year.)

So the thought of having to pop out of Mexico every 180 days (without the additional need of paying the equiv of $450 US every year for a new visa) fills me with delight - it's not a hassle at all! :clap2:


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde pointed out that you can't exclude housing costs in figuring your monthly expenses if you have a paid-for house. What would your house rent for? What kind of income would you be receiving if you still had the money invested? You also need to prorate the yearly cost of maintenance for your house and include that. Since my casa is ancient, that's substantial. Seems like something is always leaking, cracking or falling apart.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

robbiethinking said:


> This is my 21st year in Thailand - a nation which inherently dislikes foreigners. I'm working officially with a permit and pay taxes. And yet, every 90 days for the last 20 years, I have been compelled by law to leave the country, turn around, and come back in again. (Not to mention having to leave the country for a new work visa every year.)
> 
> So the thought of having to pop out of Mexico every 180 days (without the additional need of paying the equiv of $450 US every year for a new visa) fills me with delight - it's not a hassle at all! :clap2:


Couple of points. I have heard things, but I do not know exactly the situation in Thailand re: foreigners being inherently disliked. I'm not pollyanna, and I find Mexican people to be overwhelmingly kind and welcoming. But if you talk to long-time residents, some of them are quite negative about Mexican people ... they say things like, oh the Mexicans only tell us what we want to hear, they are nice to foreigners only when it is advantageous for them. Maybe this is just what happens to some foreigners who stay in a specific country for a long time? 

Second, depending where you are in Mx, the journey to the border can be long and not cheap. Mexico is huge.


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## robbiethinking (Nov 23, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> Couple of points. I have heard things, but I do not know exactly the situation in Thailand re: foreigners being inherently disliked. I'm not pollyanna, and I find Mexican people to be overwhelmingly kind and welcoming. But if you talk to long-time residents, some of them are quite negative about Mexican people ... they say things like, oh the Mexicans only tell us what we want to hear, they are nice to foreigners only when it is advantageous for them. Maybe this is just what happens to some foreigners who stay in a specific country for a long time?
> 
> Second, depending where you are in Mx, the journey to the border can be long and not cheap. Mexico is huge.


I was talking "like" more on a basic nuts and bolts level . . . 

foreigners cannot, for example: 

•	own freehold land or property
•	own a Thai-registered company
•	reside in Thailand without permanently depositing as guarantee $25,000 in a Thai Bank (unless 
officially working)
•	remain in the nation beyond 3 months without exiting and returning (with some exceptions, ie a Thai wife).
•	take part in any of the 37 professions or occupations that foreigners are 
prohibited from doing in Thailand (foreigners are highly-skilled at many of these 
occupations and would undermine the Thai economy if uncontrolled, and also cause
substantial loss of face!)

See what I mean?

Not to mention the fees - it costs me $1,370 a year in overall visa and work permit costs. (As a tourist I could only come to Thailand 6 months in any one year.)

The Thai people are generally delightful. They like to interact with foreigners. The government, however, has a different attitude. 

Plus the border that I have to go to is a 12-hour trip every 90 days plus 2 night's stay - it's all relative!


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> But if you talk to long-time residents, some of them are quite negative about Mexican people ... they say things like, oh the Mexicans only tell us what we want to hear, they are nice to foreigners only when it is advantageous for them. Maybe this is just what happens to some foreigners who stay in a specific country for a long time?


Some "long time residents" are quite negative about a lot of things. I'll bet these same people are disgruntled about life in general. Why anyone would be a long time resident if they dislike Mexicans is beyond me other than the low cost of living. But I have known a few people here that are just like that, unhappy about their life in general but they would find something to complain about no matter where they lived. Getting older doesn't help.

Most people start out like Meathead and wind up being Archie Bunker when they get old.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> Second, depending where you are in Mx, the journey to the border can be long and not cheap. Mexico is huge.


And not a pleasant journey by car, 180 days zips by before you know it.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

well if you can live without a car , there are cheap flights to cuidad Juarez or Tijuana...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

It appears she can not even meet the financial requirements for becoming a Temporary or Permanent Resident so 180 day tourist permit is about she can do...

$1,400 USD monthly income OR
$200K property OR
$100K in investments


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> It appears she can not even meet the financial requirements for becoming a Temporary or Permanent Resident so 180 day tourist permit is about she can do...
> 
> $1,400 USD monthly income OR
> $200K property OR
> $100K in investments


https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/lasvegas/images/stories/PDF/2017-Temporary-Resident

Investment account per person for a 12 month minumum balance went down to under $25,000 USD about 4 years ago at a Mx. Consulate for Residente Temporal.

$2,804,000 peso property value or about $152,000 USD at $18.5 to 1.

A bit easier to qualify now.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I still stand by my previous statement:
It appears she can not even meet the financial requirements for becoming a Temporary or Permanent Resident so 180 day tourist permit is about she can do...

If she makes 280 a week that would be no where near the minimum required by Immigration.........


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Zorro2017 said:


> Some "long time residents" are quite negative about a lot of things. I'll bet these same people are disgruntled about life in general. Why anyone would be a long time resident if they dislike Mexicans is beyond me other than the low cost of living. But I have known a few people here that are just like that, unhappy about their life in general but they would find something to complain about no matter where they lived. Getting older doesn't help.
> 
> Most people start out like Meathead and wind up being Archie Bunker when they get old.


—Most— I don't know about that. It does happen, but not all. Is that —most— or —some—?


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