I am wondering how hard it is to get papers(visa) to teach in Mexico.
I am interested in going to a small town called San Andres Tuxtla to study the traditional music there and am hoping to find a job as well teaching English. Is it ok to just go to Mexico and deal with the paperwork once you are there or should it be sorted beforehand? If so, any input into the process?

For now, it seems unclear as to whether you can process any such paperwork for work from within Mexico, though the consensus seems to lean on the side that you'd have to start the paperwork at a Mexican consulate or embassy nearest you, outside Mexico.

An acquantaince left Mexico last June. And just returned the last week in November. She was dismayed to learn that she would not be able to process a new visa from within Mexico. They gave her 60 days as a tourist.

An acquantaince left Mexico last June. And just returned the last week in November. She was dismayed to learn that she would not be able to process a new visa from within Mexico. They gave her 60 days as a tourist.

It looks like language schools in Mexico are going to have to think of new strategies for hiring foreign teachers legally. No more walk-in-off-the-street hires.

I haven't heard it had changed. I thought everyone was still getting 180 days.

Oh, surely not! At least i certainly hope not. I haven't heard of a change from the 180 days anywhere else. A change to 60 days would throw a monkey wrench into the works for a lot of people. Dare we hope that this friend's 60-day visa is because of some unusual circumstances?

I have been in contact with the person in question, and it seems that she was up front with immigration from the word go about her intentions and stated that she would be looking for work. Of course with the changes now in place this won’t be possible, so it could be that the immigration agent was suspicious and only gave her 60 days. Originally she was only going to get 30 days, but managed to persuade the agent to up it a little more.

I have been in contact with the person in question, and it seems that she was up front with immigration from the word go about her intentions and stated that she would be looking for work. Of course with the changes now in place this won’t be possible, so it could be that the immigration agent was suspicious and only gave her 60 days. Originally she was only going to get 30 days, but managed to persuade the agent to up it a little more.

The new policy is supposed to provide you a 30 day visa if you've already started the work visa paperwork before entering and declare that upon entry.

So getting 60 days without having started the process from outside Mexico seems to give her a bit of extra time to sort out affairs to leave...I'd be interested in knowing if she manages a way around this and processes the papers inside Mexico.

I have been in contact with the person in question, and it seems that she was up front with immigration from the word go about her intentions and stated that she would be looking for work. Of course with the changes now in place this won’t be possible, so it could be that the immigration agent was suspicious and only gave her 60 days. Originally she was only going to get 30 days, but managed to persuade the agent to up it a little more.

I, for one, would be very curious to know what was notated on her FMM regarding her intention to pursue employment in Mexico, after entering the country visa free. That part of your statement which I italicized represents an open question at this point, as I see it, and her history may help shed light on it: this is so because the new law does not specifically limit the scope of visa free entry, and may include entry to take a post (or, may not, as we shall see).

Those of you who read my comments in other threads about the possibility of INM allowing such visa free entry, upon declaration of intent to work, can understand the significance. The difference in this case, however, is she did not have a job offer in hand, whereas I was speculating about what might be done if you did have, at the time of entry.

Please try to get full details about what was notated on her FMM regarding intent and purpose of the visit.

If she was given permission to enter to seek work, she should try at all costs to get the application for temporary residency based on employment filed within 30 days of entry to stay within the letter of the law and improve chances of this approach being honored.

Last edited by Tretyakovskii on Sun Dec 16, 2012 12:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

An acquantaince left Mexico last June. And just returned the last week in November. She was dismayed to learn that she would not be able to process a new visa from within Mexico. They gave her 60 days as a tourist.

It looks like language schools in Mexico are going to have to think of new strategies for hiring foreign teachers legally. No more walk-in-off-the-street hires.

Or they will go back to the bad old days when everyone just worked illegally.