1 year to permanently relocate to Mexico - how do I do this?

Mikestar

Mikestar

Kingfisher
After 2 years of pondering upon this idea I have decided I want to move to Mexico permanently, one way ticket. I need a rough idea of how I am going to do this successfully, as I am young and know that this plan is a risk even though it is one which I am prepared to take.

I am 20, have been living in the UK, and I graduate next year with my urban planning degree from a reputable university. I want to get out of the UK for 3 reasons:

- I want to get out of here, as many know, the UK drains you living there longer and longer, with the coldness of the people, terrible social cohesion, the list goes on and on.

- Whilst Mexico is not perfect and has problems, it has what I like in terms of weather, food, landscapes, people and potential to make money in different ways - e.g. a close family friend has been living there and making a great business for 10 years.

- I have a long term LTR with a Mexican girl (nearly 1 and a half years) and whilst she is not the main reason for this decision, I need to make a choice either to come to her or her to come to me, I think this is the right one. Worst case scenario if things end, I will have no problem as I will be in a country I love, with women which I enjoy.

How do I plan on doing this?

This is where I need the forums input a little bit but here are my 3 work related options:

1. Transfer the use of my degree and get an urban planning job over there (most security/money)

2. Transfer my sales job and work in sales in Spanish in a firm in one of the cities (my Spanish is intermediate - can be fluent in a year)

3. Create my own English classes to teach Mexicans English especially for call center training (this may be a viable option) and charge per hour, rent a classroom or do it in my own apartment.

3. Open a food truck/restaurant with the cuisine of my country of origin which is niche there (long term option)

I have one year to graduate, stack up cash, maximise my Spanish and I am also in the process of creating niche websites. What else can I do to make sure I can successfully do this? Any other ideas on hustles I can do now or later so I can have some passive/non-passive income?
 
W

worldwidetraveler

Hummingbird
Gold Member
What does one do with a urban planning degree?

I imagine you will need a work visa and a company to sponsor your work visa. Otherwise you may need to make money online somehow. Lots of threads about it on the forum.
 
F

flyinghorse

Woodpecker
I've got friends there who teach online making around 20 dollars an hour. The problem is they only get 3 hours a day because they are teaching Chinese kids after school. You can make 300-400 a week doing this and that's enough to live just fine in mexico (especially if you avoid the capital and tourist towns).
 
RedKurrant

RedKurrant

Sparrow
worldwidetraveler said:
What does one do with a urban planning degree?

I imagine you will need a work visa and a company to sponsor your work visa. Otherwise you may need to make money online somehow. Lots of threads about it on the forum.
Click to expand...

I work in urban planning in the UK. Mikestar's UK options directly related to the degree are either working in private practice for a developer/land promoter/planning consultancy or for a District/City Council in the public sector.

The issue with transferring to Mexico, however, is that planning in the UK is extremely insular. There are very few companies in the UK that have an international reach in the urban planning sector; the vast, vast majority of planning work is UK-based. The only companies that I can think of with an international reach (which may or may not include Mexico) and which have a planning division would be BNP Paribas, ARUP and Savills.

There is also the issue of the Mexican planning system - do they even have one? I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of development is approved via sending bunds to local politicians.

Additionally, there is the problem of graduating, getting a job, and then transferring in under a year; something which I unfortunately feel isn't realistic.

In light of the above I would advise that OP focuses on online endeavours given his timeframe. That being said, Mike, if you want to work in this sector internationally it may be worth pivoting to a developer role i.e. surveyor, as there are more options globally. In the meantime, if you're looking to get your foot in the door somewhere in the UK then you're more than welcome to send me a PM.
 
S

Swordfish1010

 
If you cross the land border from America into Mexico, you pretty much don’t have to worry about visas or anything. Just stay. They aren’t deporting white people out of Mexico anytime soon. Mexico is an amazing country and I’ll probably partially retire there.
 
Cortés

Cortés

Woodpecker
Gold Member
Your best bet would be to either make $2000 location independent per month, Get a temporary residency for a few years and then get permanent residency, or marry her and get residency that way. Unfortunately, unless you start your own urban planning company, you won't be making shit. I would be surprised if you could get more than $1000 per month in Mexico unless you have an advanced science degree.

https://www.mexperience.com/financial-criteria-for-residency-in-mexico/

https://www.mexperience.com/lifestyle/living-in-mexico/visas-and-immigration/#3

Another possibility would be to immigrate to Panama. With their Friendly Nations investor Visa, you put a couple of thousand dollars down and get residency, and can get a job there. You can make some good money there, it is a growing city. At the very least you would be much closer to her, and you could have her visit you once a month until you can marry her and bring her there. She wouldn't be more than a 2 hour flight from home, and you could make decent money.
 
D

Dilated

Robin
I have heard that it can be difficult now to transition from temporary residency (can renew annually for 4 years) to permanent residency if you don’t have defined retirement income (pension, social security, etc.).

Can anyone confirm? I would be doing the rentista visa and living off of investment income. Mexico is on my short list.
 
Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner

Hummingbird
Gold Member
Dilated said:
I have heard that it can be difficult now to transition from temporary residency (can renew annually for 4 years) to permanent residency if you don’t have defined retirement income (pension, social security, etc.).

Can anyone confirm? I would be doing the rentista visa and living off of investment income. Mexico is on my short list.
Click to expand...

Here is the process:

Mexico’s Permanent Resident Immigrant Visas

Permanent Resident Visas are issued to foreign nationals who have the intention of living in Mexico for long periods of time (over six months) AND who intend to settle permanently (indefinitely) in Mexico.

Visa de Residente Permanente – Permanent Resident Visa

The Permanent Resident Visa is intended for people seeking permanent residency status in Mexico, and/or those who may seek eventual Mexican Citizenship. You do not need to be a Temporary Resident first to become a Permanent Resident later, provided that you fulfill one of the other requirements needed for permanent residency.

To apply for and be granted a permanent resident visa, the applicants must:

have certain close family connections in Mexico, or

apply for retirement status and prove they have sufficient monthly income (or substantial assets) to support themselves, or

have 4 consecutive years of regular status as Temporary Resident, or

have 2 consecutive years of regular status as Temporary Resident where that Temporary Visa was issued through marriage to a Mexican National or a foreign permanent resident, or

meet a minimum score under the Points System*, or

be granted residency on humanitarian grounds or through political asylum.

If your goal is to seek long-term residency in Mexico, or to become a Mexican Citizen, you should apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Upon receiving immigrated status, you will receive a plastic card that looks like a driver’s license. This card enables you to pass through Mexico’s borders as if you were a Mexican national.
Click to expand...

https://www.mexperience.com/lifestyle/living-in-mexico/visas-and-immigration/


Here is a free 80-page "Mexico Immigration Guide" for 2019:

https://www.mexperience.com/ebook/mexico-immigration-guide/
 
Mountaineer

Mountaineer

Pelican
Gold Member
I'm considering spending the next 6 months in Mexico to stay away from EU and sit out the second wave somewhere less controlled.

Is there anyone on the forum currently residing in Mexico that could give me a hand?
 
Coja Petrus Uscan

Coja Petrus Uscan

Hummingbird
Gold Member
Mountaineer said:
I'm considering spending the next 6 months in Mexico to stay away from EU and sit out the second wave somewhere less controlled.
Click to expand...

Is there anything notable about Mexico in relation to the virus?

If that's your plan an option is Belarus, which has done nothing about the plandemic. You can go anywhere without a mask. Serbia also has no restrictions and few rules, which are barely followed.
 
911

911

Peacock
Gold Member
Mikestar said:
After 2 years of pondering upon this idea I have decided I want to move to Mexico permanently, one way ticket. I need a rough idea of how I am going to do this successfully, as I am young and know that this plan is a risk even though it is one which I am prepared to take.

I am 20, have been living in the UK, and I graduate next year with my urban planning degree from a reputable university. I want to get out of the UK for 3 reasons:

- I want to get out of here, as many know, the UK drains you living there longer and longer, with the coldness of the people, terrible social cohesion, the list goes on and on.

- Whilst Mexico is not perfect and has problems, it has what I like in terms of weather, food, landscapes, people and potential to make money in different ways - e.g. a close family friend has been living there and making a great business for 10 years.

- I have a long term LTR with a Mexican girl (nearly 1 and a half years) and whilst she is not the main reason for this decision, I need to make a choice either to come to her or her to come to me, I think this is the right one. Worst case scenario if things end, I will have no problem as I will be in a country I love, with women which I enjoy.

How do I plan on doing this?

This is where I need the forums input a little bit but here are my 3 work related options:

1. Transfer the use of my degree and get an urban planning job over there (most security/money)

2. Transfer my sales job and work in sales in Spanish in a firm in one of the cities (my Spanish is intermediate - can be fluent in a year)

3. Create my own English classes to teach Mexicans English especially for call center training (this may be a viable option) and charge per hour, rent a classroom or do it in my own apartment.

3. Open a food truck/restaurant with the cuisine of my country of origin which is niche there (long term option)

I have one year to graduate, stack up cash, maximise my Spanish and I am also in the process of creating niche websites. What else can I do to make sure I can successfully do this? Any other ideas on hustles I can do now or later so I can have some passive/non-passive income?
Click to expand...

The British restaurant option sounds like a bad one, prices are low in Mexico and the hours are excruciatingly long. Maybe a British pub could work better, margins are higher for beer and there could be some interest for this product from expats and locals alike. One issue with such a business in Mexico might be the mafia/cartels, find out about this before you sink a lot of pesos into it..
 
N

Nate_Drake

Pigeon
66Scorpio said:
First order of business is to have a location independent job, or a gig lined up.
Click to expand...

This^^

Do not even think about jumping without a parachute. Get that online remote cash flow going first or you're gonna be in for a bad trip. No sustainable cash flow will impact your decision making capacity--it's physics.

You can still plan on advance and even visit to scout things out.
 
E

Elmore

Kingfisher
Dunno if OP is still posting here, but he doesnt say where in Mexico.

I wouldn't want to settle anywhere but Merida longterm, as thats the only city with any kind of low crime rate.

Honestly having lived there, Mexico is not a good country IMHO, not for a lifetime relocation.

The people are ok by and large, but the crime rate is off the scale in parts. There is a lack of any real culture, great huge supermarkets stacked high with monsanto products and out of town soulless constructions are all over.


The people are often an obese cattle class, even more so than USA. It can seem a real low iq, bad food, gluttenous culture. You see a lot of kids, like 6 year olds, that look like the Michelin Man level of fat. That stuff just depresses me.

On a personal level the environment & nature didnt resonate at all for me. I missed the northern European countryside and green forests & mountains.

Cant really trust the police out there either.

Honestly, there has to be better options in the Spanish speaking world. I'd suggest Uruguay or Argentina or Chile.
 
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