Info please

[mertharvey]

Hello All

Im new to the site what i want to do is move close to merida,progresso or some other little beach village!!! I want to be in a small but cute beach house!! Where is the best and more importantly cheapest beach area around the yutucan? I also want and NEED!!! To make a living some MONEY. I have heard about the schools for teaching english in mexico, does anyone on this site do that or know of someone who does? And can i get this kind of job with enough money to sustain me for a budget friendly life at least no longer than a 30 minute drive from my new beach home to my job? I know these are a lot of quesstions, but i would so appericate any help i could get i want to get on with getting on out of here!!!

mertharvey

[RVGRINGO]

Welcome. This subject has been discussed frequently on other threads, which you should review. Briefly; you can't just come to Mexico and "get a job". Foreigners aren't allowed to work in Mexico without permission from the government on your FM3 Visa. The visa itself requires that you show income/resources from outside Mexico of $1000 - $1300 USD per month per person and that you continue to prove that income at each annual renewal. In order to even attempt to apply for working permission, you will have to have a job commitment from an employer for a specific job at a certain location. That employer will have to assist you in the application process. You should also know that Mexican wages are very, very low; while beach property is high. You should be prepared to visit Mexico and support yourself for at least six months as a tourist before even thinking about anything permanent. The beach life is nice in the winter, but horribly hot and humid in the rest of the year; a fact sometimes missed by expats.

[Rodrigo84]

I hope that those north of the border understand that my country is not a place to run to when things get bad in your country, because chances are pretty high things down here are worse.

[Heather77]

Something that I found out while I was at bancomer the other day was when I asked if they knew the minimum wage per hour in certain parts of Mexico. The bank manager looked it up on the Internet & told me it was about 2-3(U.S.$) I said "per hour?" he said "no, per day"yikes, let's hope that work isn't too far of a drive as far as gas money is concerned. No wonder why we have thousands of people illegally crossing the border into the U.S. Every day.

[quinta]

The federal minimum wage in Mexico is determined by the area, there are 3 zones:
Area A= $54.80 Pesos in Distrito Federal, Baja California, Baja California Sur y algunos municipios de los estados de México, Chihuahua, Sonora, Tamaulipas y Veracruz, además del municipio de Acapulco, Guerrero.

Zone B, $53.26 pesos, in Jalisco, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas y Veracruz.

Zone C= $51.95 Pesos in Aguascalientes, Campeche, Colima, Coahuila, Chiapas, Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, Yucatán y Zacatecas. Some parts of México, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Guerrero, con excepción de Acapulco.

These are daily rates and were just increased as of Jan 1st, 2009. Most people do not make the minimum wage which is why many things are quoted as being "2 to 4 minimum wage pay, etc". In Merida, Yucatan, (I lived there for over 3 years) the "average" wage you find is about $600 to $900 Pesos a week for regular employees (48 hours a week is usual). A lot of jobs do not include federally mandated benefits either like social security, Infonavit, etc. and there are a lot of informal employees.

You can get an FM3 without having a job commitment from an employer simply by stating you intend to work independently (I've got many friends heading their own businesses and home based businesses are encouraged) and proof of income is mandatory. Also, most schools in the region expect a teaching certificate as well as experience, unless you want to work at one of the many language schools that will take native speakers but expect to get few hours and a flexible schedule.

While living in Mexico (if you live Mexican style that is) CAN be cheaper than living in the US, don't expect to find a job easily. Lots of unemployment and competition. There is sex and age discrimination here that you can't even imagine and want ads regularly state "good looking young woman, ages 18 to 23, with no obligations (meaning kids) and a flexible schedule...." or "licenciado con bicicleta" (person with bachelors and a bike to run errands). Lots of college graduates too. If you are over 35 years old, expect this to be a problem too. You must also be fluent in Spanish since many employers, forms and more don't speak English plus you are in Mexico after all.

"Living wage"? Very hard to find here, you'd have to have your own business and be lucky. BUT if you are a hard worker and can swing the requirements needed to live here permanently, a great adventure awaits. As far as a cheap area to live in Yucatan, there are lower priced rentals in Progreso (and the other small beach towns) on small apartments (not beachfront, but walking distance) but these are not advertised, you need to ask around ($200-$400 a month for a furnished 2 br). Food is cheaper if you stick to local foodstuffs and use public transport. It IS doable but you have to be "adventuresome and adaptable".

[Heather77]

Thank you quinta for all of the helpful advice! What do you think about some of tourist hotels? Would it help if someone has past years working in hospitality? Is it really that sexist that wearing a skirt to the interview, versus a business suit would be in your favor in MX? (& I have seen those signs before"pretty girl 18-25, needed for counter work" )

[RVGRINGO]

Heather,
Are you fluent in Spanish? Can you live on Mexican wages? Have you ever seen an American girl working in a Mexican tourist hotel? Do you have an FM3 and have you asked immigration these same questions?
Let's face it; you are welcome in Mexico as a tourist, retiree or investor, etc. but the system is designed to keep you from competing with Mexicans for scarce jobs. Just to stay more than 180 days, you need to prove income and/or resources from outside of Mexico.
With the economic crisis in the USA and elsewhere, there seem to be a lot of people hoping to just find a place with a lower cost of living and a wonderful climate. Central Mexico can be that place, but it won't provide you with an income, especially if you haven't got a good one from NoB (north of the border) or are retired with a reliable pension and/or investment income.
I really hate having to rain on so many dreams, but you need to know what you are getting into. If you can't support yourself in Mexico indefinitely, on outside resources, they really don't want you to stay.

[Rodrigo84]

Yes, discrimination can be bad.

A lot of businesses want young people (low wages). That's been the case for a lot of people I know and as they grow older, it becomes tougher and tougher to get more money not too mention just getting work. Yes, there are laws on the books, but be fortunate what you have regarding discrimination laws in the U.S., because they work 10x better than they do here, even if they are not perfect as I understand.

With sex discrimination. It does indeed exist here, often under the table, sometimes overtly and yes it is illegal and wrong and women face 99% of the problem. It is quite common for people to put a photo with their resume, especially women. Also, don't be surprised if you see a question on an employment questionnaire asking what religion you are (despite the fact that most of the country is Catholic).

When my American cousin worked down here, it shocked him a bit with regard to the severity of the problem but he worked in multinational corporation that had American-style rules/laws in place regarding discrimination and they were strictly enforced.

[quinta]

Guys, don't forget this is Mexico, you shouldn't expect to find NOB laws. This is a different country after all and whatever happens in the US doesn't need to exist here. Things are the way they are and if you can't adjust, well, stay home since things aren't about to change anytime soon.
Nationals (we have dual nationality), all believe that THIS is the land of the free because everything isn't regulated and you can do your own thing mostly. Live and let live. Unlike the US where everyone knows there are laws for everything. (Even expats mention they are sick of all the laws, I have friends who moved down because of this) so this can go both ways, for independent people this is ideal, but for those that can't live like this it can be scary and frustrating when they find they have no legal recourse. Which are you?
So you need to think hard about what you can and can't live with. Better yet do a trial run and come stay for the 180 days you're allowed to and test the waters, then maybe you can see if you will be able to live here and be happy. It works for a lot of us!
Also, don't forget that if you think just because you speak English you'll come down here and work.... it's not that easy and then YOU would be the illegal and be able to see what life under these terms is really like. You need documents to get almost everything, it would be too hard unless you live in the jungle, some small rural town or way in the boonies.....

[lynetteg]

Originally Posted by Rodrigo84

Yes, discrimination can be bad.

A lot of businesses want young people (low wages). That's been the case for a lot of people I know and as they grow older, it becomes tougher and tougher to get more money not too mention just getting work. Yes, there are laws on the books, but be fortunate what you have regarding discrimination laws in the U.S., because they work 10x better than they do here, even if they are not perfect as I understand.

With sex discrimination. It does indeed exist here, often under the table, sometimes overtly and yes it is illegal and wrong and women face 99% of the problem. It is quite common for people to put a photo with their resume, especially women. Also, don't be surprised if you see a question on an employment questionnaire asking what religion you are (despite the fact that most of the country is Catholic).

When my American cousin worked down here, it shocked him a bit with regard to the severity of the problem but he worked in multinational corporation that had American-style rules/laws in place regarding discrimination and they were strictly enforced.

I am mexican american who does not speak spanish fluently are there many possible jobs for me or do i fall in the same category