CDN retiring in MX: preparations?

[leegleze]

Hola Amigos! I'm an almost-60 year old female living in British Columbia. Having lived & worked in Mexico on an FM3 (now expired) for just under five years, I have decided to retire there, near Puerto Vallarta. Because all my friends down there are Americans, I need some help regarding Canadian regulations. My questions involve the steps in preparation for the move:

1. When should I apply for FM2 (I will eventually be buying property, so I understand an FM2 is required). Should I do it from the MX consulate in Vancouver, or once I get to MX?
2. When should I apply for a pension: Just before or after my 60th birthday in late September/08?
3. Should I tell gov't personnel that I plan on living there year round, or should I just keep mum? I hear that, unless I have a CDN address (my son's?), I will not get the GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement) I'm entitled to due to my low income, if I'm living in another country. Is this true?
4. Any other advice you may have? I appreciate every little tid-bit I can gather about gov't processes, etc.

Thank you so much for your help.

[sparks]

I don't know all the Canadian stuff ... but you don't need an FM2 to buy property. (the only exception to that has to do with Captial Gains tax when selling - just a rumor at this point). Also an expired FM3 is like you've never lived here and will have to start over.

Most Canadians I know can't be out of country over 6 months (or so) to keep a certain type of medical coverage. Other than that, no limits if it like SSI in the US.

[pedro]

you do not qualify for the supplement "legally" living out of country.might i suggest that including your son in a fraud is not a nice thing to do.
you do not have to even have an fmt to buy property in mexico.
contact the mexican consulate in vancouver to find out how you can qualify for an fm3 which is all you will need to live in mexico. contact cpp "before" your 60th birthday if you want to start collecting this earliest. do it by phone-they are very helpfull.
i am canadian and do everything legally.

[leegleze]

Okay, Pedro, I guess I've been told now, eh? For heaven's sake, please don't jump to conclusions. I had heard that you had to have a CDN address in order to collect GIS, but did not know that this is a fraudulent practise. I was simply inquiring as to whether my assumption was correct ... not in any way attempting to defraud the government. Of course, I want to do it legally ... that's why I'm asking the questions! I guess I'll ask them on another forum where the folks aren't quite so cranky.

And thank you, Sparks, for your reply. It was very helpful.

[RVGRINGO]

You need not apply for an FM3 (you can buy property with it) until you are in Mexico and have an address. The exception would be if you are going to ship household goods on a 'menaje de casa.' That would require getting an FM3 within 90 days of your entry into Mexico, registering it when you arrive at your destination and within 30 days of crossing the border.
You'll need a response from an experienced Canadian expat for the questions which relate to Canadian rules.
Be sure you want to live on the coast and experience the oppressive 'hot & humid' for much of the year before you decide to purchase property. Many northerners find that climate intolerable through the summer and fall and need to escape to higher ground and cooler climes in Central Mexico. Maintaining two seasonal homes can be both inconvenient and expensive. We find it better to live in 'perpetual springtime' and go to the beach at the appropriate season for a mini-vacation.

[synthia]

I'm not Canadian, but I've listened to a couple of people talk their way through this. There is a piece of the Canadian retirement income that you are not entitled to unless you are a Canadian resident, and you will lose your medical care if you are away for, I think, more than a year, and have to return to Canada and go through a waiting period to get them back. Check into all this carefully.

[leegleze]

Thank you so much, RVGringo and Synthia. I certainly heed your caution about the hot and humid summers. In fact, having lived there year-round for close to five years, I often tell tourists not to come at that time of year. I have a friend living in San Sebastian del Oeste whose villa I will share for the hottest months.

I'm also delighted to hear that I can wait to apply for the FM3, since mine expired 2 years ago, until I actually purchase property. I find it much easier to deal with the MX government while I'm right there and can see the whites of their eyes, so to speak.

RV, the menaje de casa does scare me a little, but as long as I can find a good translator, I'm told I should be okay, right? I was also told that every tiny little thing must be declared on the menaje, from large furniture right down to each item in my pencil box (eg. listed as: "6 ball-point pens, 2 staplers, 2 erasers, 1 ruler," etc.). Is THIS true, or can I just simply list the items as (for example): "1 brown pencil box and writing equipment"?

Fortunately, I will not be taking any large items like appliances or furniture, although I have a couple of paintings I would like to take with me. I do have a dog and cat which I have transported to and from MX on several occasions, so the paperwork there won't be a problem.

Thanks again for your kind assistance!

[RVGRINGO]

Originally Posted by leegleze

RV, the menaje de casa does scare me a little, but as long as I can find a good translator, I'm told I should be okay, right? I was also told that every tiny little thing must be declared on the menaje, from large furniture right down to each item in my pencil box (eg. listed as: "6 ball-point pens, 2 staplers, 2 erasers, 1 ruler," etc.). Is THIS true, or can I just simply list the items as (for example): "1 brown pencil box and writing equipment"?

Fortunately, I will not be taking any large items like appliances or furniture, although I have a couple of paintings I would like to take with me. I do have a dog and cat which I have transported to and from MX on several occasions, so the paperwork there won't be a problem.!

I wouldn't think that you would need to list every paper clip or pencil for items of that nature. However, any electronics will require specifics regarding age, serial number, etc.
If you are not bringing furniture and appliances, you may not need a 'menaje de casa.' Certainly not if you are bringing it down yourself in an SUV, for example. We did that, with a pod on top and a trailer as far as the border. We put the trailer load in a Laredo self storage unit, turned in the U-Haul and continued on. A few weeks later, we went back for the remainder; no problems at all and we were still in FMT status.
However, if you are shipping goods you will need a mover and/or customs broker and they will tell you exactly what you need to do. I have no personal experience using their services.

[pedro]

you can see the"whites of there eyes" right in the mexican consulate in vancouver. i had dealings with them and the sub consulate in calgary and they were both very helpful. we got our fm3's in calgary and registered them in guadalajara when we got here. you can get it done even quicker in vancouver than calgary.
you can go to the mexican embassy site in ottawa.
why are you so set against getting your information from the proper authorities?
they will tell you that you don't have to count every paper clip or fork in your menaje de casa among other things.
they will also tell you that you need a rental or owner[yours] address in mexico for them to even issue you one. a b&b or hotel address will not suffice[you have to show proof of address.
but go ahead and take advice from 2 americans on a chat board. although they both mean well,i'm sure neither of them have had dealings with the aformentioned consulates.
we managed to cross into mexico with a full pick-up truck and 10 foot trailer with paintings,some antique furniture, 2 dogs, electronics,a motorcycle, an entire wood working shop and a full mechanics tool box. the aduano simply asked to look in the trailer and the pick-up , said adios and away we went after getting our sticker for the vehicles.

[synthia]

OK, pedro, all I told her was to check things carefully. And RVGRINGO lives in Mexico and is very knowledgeable. Furthermore, he had just described the same experience of driving into Mexico as you did.

No one here is saying they are the final official word. What the OP is looking for is some background and other people's experiences. Frequently, the official position, which is what a consulate will give you, has very little to do with what really happens. For instance, the official rule in Panama is that I should have been given a 30-day renewable tourist card, but I was given one for 90 days. Total reliance on either kind of information is usuallly a mistake.