Pro's & Con's living with just a tourista visa

[maesonna]

I can't think of any advantage of tying yourself down to the obligation of leaving the country every 180 days (and note that that's not every six months, it's a bit less). You may be young and strong now, but what if one of you breaks a leg or gets a violent stomach flu the day before you’re scheduled to leave, or finds themselves post-surgical and still in hospital when the deadline is about to run out? Or the global economy gets much worse over the next 10 years, and you have trouble financing the twice-yearly trips?

I'm not saying this from any fount of ancient wisdom—I'm the same age as you—but from experience of the curves that life can throw at us when we least expect it. To me the money and time spent on getting a resident visa would be well worth it. I suggest you stop being 180-day tourists and apply for an FM3—or whatever it's called by that time—at the point when you have decided in what city or town you’re going to settle down.

[sunnyvmx]

My neighbor and I are planning a run for the border for her 180 day permit. We will bus overnight to Chetumal and cross the border to bus to Belize City and take a water taxi to the town of Caye Caulker on an island. She has never snorkeled so she's in for a treat and I can't wait to eat lobster. We will test migration to see if she can pass the income requirement next year for her FM3, but for now, whoopeee.

[Longford]

Try this and report back:

Inform the INM supervisor at the border that you've been residing in Mexico with a FMM for 180 days and intend to live in Mexico indefinitely and, therefore you want a new FMM .. To allow you to remain in Mexico as a resident. Not as a tourist.

Thanks.

[stilltraveling]

Originally Posted by sunnyvmx

My neighbor and I are planning a run for the border for her 180 day permit. We will bus overnight to Chetumal and cross the border to bus to Belize City and take a water taxi to the town of Caye Caulker on an island. She has never snorkeled so she's in for a treat and I can't wait to eat lobster. We will test migration to see if she can pass the income requirement next year for her FM3, but for now, whoopeee.

That's a nice run, but I prefer San Pedro over Caye Caulker. I guess it depends on what you want to do.

I'm not sure where you're departing from, but Aeromexico and Interjet fly from the capital to Chetumal for only 400 pesos more than the bus ticket. That's 400 pesos to shave 18 hours off your trip (18 hours you would have spent riding on a bus all night).

Nothing feels longer than the bus from Chetumal to Mexico City after a relaxing week in Ambergris Caye.

[RVGRINGO]

The FMM is not a resident visa and cannot be used as such. Among other types, it is a tourist permit.
Resident visas are issued for five years and have annual renewals. The initial application requires that you meet financial and other requirements.

[tepetapan]

Try this: Get your 180 day permit, Enter Mexico and have some fun. Enjoy the beach, weather, food and great people for no less than 150 days. Then make a decision if you want to upgrade your status, make a 24 hour turnaround run or go back for a week or two. Do not let this 180 day thing dictate your life. If you can manage to put off making a decision until the 165 to 170 day mark you are definitely made for Mexico. Putting off making decisions until the last possible minute is a Mexican way of living.
The very LAST thing you want to do is talk to immigration about your plans, mainly because you really should not have any plans besides to enjoy yourself.

[kito1]

I plan on doing the tourist visa the first year because I am not sure that I will want to be there longer than that. If I decide that I love it, I will possibly do residency at that point, assuming I can at my age..... (what is the age btw?) As for the income requirements, I have the passive income from 2 different angles both of which are greater than $1200/month, but from what I have been reading here, even someone who didn't can easily bypass that detail by transferring money around to show that they do.

For years, no matter where I have traveled I still come back to the US ever 2 or 3 months to visit family and that will probably continue. I can't imagine not wanting to go back to the USA for a few days ever so often so I can't see that this is a bad thing having to leave every 6 months. For several years I have averaged 100K miles a year on a plane and can't imagine that this will change anytime soon! I love to travel and see new places. Having said this, if I find I really love Mexico and want to stay there for years, I am sure that there are benefits to getting residency also.

[Isla Verde]

Originally Posted by kito1

I plan on doing the tourist visa the first year because I am not sure that I will want to be there longer than that. If I decide that I love it, I will possibly do residency at that point, assuming I can at my age..... (what is the age btw?)

There are no age requirements for a residence visa.

[edgeee]

Originally Posted by kito1

I plan on doing the tourist visa the first year because I am not sure that I will want to be there longer than that. If I decide that I love it, I will possibly do residency at that point, assuming I can at my age..... (what is the age btw?) As for the income requirements, I have the passive income from 2 different angles both of which are greater than $1200/month, but from what I have been reading here, even someone who didn't can easily bypass that detail by transferring money around to show that they do.

For years, no matter where I have traveled I still come back to the US ever 2 or 3 months to visit family and that will probably continue. I can't imagine not wanting to go back to the USA for a few days ever so often so I can't see that this is a bad thing having to leave every 6 months. For several years I have averaged 100K miles a year on a plane and can't imagine that this will change anytime soon! I love to travel and see new places. Having said this, if I find I really love Mexico and want to stay there for years, I am sure that there are benefits to getting residency also.

I probably will never travel that much, (100k miles) since i hate being confined inside an airplane, but i share that desire to revisit the USA on a regular basis.

If nothing else, i would want at least 1-2 years of comparing my experiences in Mexico to what is available in the US.

I plan to eventually look forward to living in Mexico year-round, but i think it will take a while to adopt that attitude fully.

Meanwhile, i want to keep exploring my options.
And as i go, i salute those of you have found your dream.
It takes some big cajones to radically change your life, especially when your loved ones and friends think you are crazy.

Live long and prosper.

[vantexan]

Another reason to live on a tourist card is now it may be the only option for some.