Job Discussion Forums

ChitownBadger · Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Madison, WI

Sorry if this question either has been answered, or seems dumb to people. I didn't see it in any of the recent posts I've read. It appears to me that the FM3 visa and work permit work differently in Mexico than in the U.S. I'm going to post my understanding, and ask that if it's wrong, people please correct any misconceptions that I have.

It seems to me that the right to work in Mexico is tied to a specific job, not to a person. So, even if you are legally able to live and work in Mexico, you can only work at a specific job. Does that mean that if you want to take on a second job, you need to apply for a new work permit? What if you switch your primary job? Do you need to reapply for each job you work? Also, what about teaching private lessons on the side? If your full time job is legal, is it illegal to teach private English lessons on the side? If people could let me know, that would be great. Thanks!

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

travisncali · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Federal Distrito

To help you with the private lessons. I assume that you mean English lessons. It is illegal, but everyone does it. If you are welling to claim the money, so the Mexican government can take their 20%, etc, then it would be legal. I would charge anywhere from 200 to 500 pesos per hour, but I am in a nice part of DF. Smile

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

travisncali · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Federal Distrito

Besides me of course!!!!!!! Smiles. To be honest, my privates are through my foundation; the tax is a pain in the ass.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Can't...stop...hahaha...laughing...

ChitownBadger · Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Madison, WI

Thanks everyone for the responses. I had one more question... is it required to have a TEFL certification to get a visa? My friend says that where I'm planning on going (he's there now), it's easy to get a job wtihout a certification, but he doesn't have a visa, so I'm not sure if it's required. I will have a bachelor's degree before I go down there, and I know that's required. I'm not sure how long (a year, two years, 10 years, 30 years, whatever) I'm going to be teaching English overseas, so I'm not sure if it's worth $2500 to get a certification I may only use for a year. It is, however, important to me to get a visa, since I eventually want to work for the U.S. State Department, and I get the feeling that a few years of working in Mexico illegally, or even possibly a deportation from Mexico, will help getting into that line of work. I need to register for the five week class by the 18th, so if anyone knows if it's a requirement for an FM3 work visa, please let me know. Thanks again!

Dragonlady · Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:25 am Post subject:

deleted

out of date

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

ChitownBadger · Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Madison, WI

Is anyone on here from Wisconsin? I can't seem to find anything cheaper in, or anywhere near, Madison. Also, I meant to say that it wouldn't help to have imigration problems in Mexico, not that it would, in terms of the State Department. Thanks again for everyone's input.

Also, do the schools in Mexico really know the reputations of various TEFL/TESOL schools in the U.S.? The place that is charging $2500 says that their name is known worldwide, however, for a school in a small-medium sized city, I find that kind of a hard claim to believe.

MELEE · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:27 pm Post subject:

ChitownBadger · Joined: 25 Nov 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Madison, WI

Yes, they have a good program, but, unfortunately, I didn't realize that until the semester had already started. I'm graduating next semester, so there's no way to get the 21 credits the program requires, plus the 6 I need for my major, in one semester.

Is TEFL Institute a pretty good program? They have a weekend program that is supposedly 150 hours, over three weekends, in Chicago. And you do the non-classroom work online. My family's from Chicago, so this is easy enough for me to do. And it's almost a grand cheaper than the other (non-UW) program here in Madison.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject:

I am here in DF. Immigration here seems to be a little more relaxed than in other areas. This could be due to the huge amount of people that I always see at the INM office. I have a FM-3 and I only gave them a copy of my TEFL cert. I am working for a language school part-time and I have a offer to teach in a middle school, so I just did the paperwork to add an employer to my FM-3. It cost me 1,638 pesos and it will take about 30 days, or so. There does not seem to be a problem getting a FM-3 as long as you have a TEFL or a degree or whatever. At Wall Street Institute they hire people without a degree or a TEFL and after about a week of training they send you with their lawyer to do the all the FM-3 paperwork, and they pay for it. Since they issue a certificate for the training, there is no problem with INM. I thought it was a little funny in a previous thread about work visas that there were comments about how INM and the FM-3 are a tool to milk "rich gringos". The vast majority of people that I see at INM doing paperwork are from other Latin countries and they pay the same amount to process their FM-3/FM-2 paperwork as us "rich" gringos.