Job Discussion Forums

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

He did the address change with immigration first (while still sponsored by his out-of state employer), registered with SAT as a persona fisica, then obtained independent status, in that exact order, and all in the space of one week.

Tretyakovskii · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 462 Location: Cancun, Mexico

notamiss · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:23 pm Post subject:

I don’t think it can work that way, because an application sponsored by an employer isn’t an application for independent status.
An application for independent status is only “sponsored” by oneself (the applicant) – by definition.

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

Tretyakovskii · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 462 Location: Cancun, Mexico

Right, notamiss, that's why I was puzzled, and asked for clarification of Guy's "(while he was still sponsored by his out of state employer)" comment.

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

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 12:41 am Post subject:

Interesting update:

Was told this week by a tramitador (or whatever the people who help you process your visas for a fee are called in Mexico) that an option to the independiente visa is to find a company called a "pagador" and have them sponsor you as an employee. You pay them a percentage of your income (6% in this case) and any people who need to pay you, pay the company directly, which passes on the funds to you as salary. They handle registering you for IMSS, etc. Your visa is a regular visa temporaria or permanente, just as if you were working for a school. There are lots of pagadores that do this for Mexicans, but not all of them are set up to employ foreigners.

Sounds a bit dodgy - I'm not surprised they are there, just that I hadn't thought about it! I haven't signed up Smile

Experience/thoughts?

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

These agencies are quite common and operate as an outsourced payroll department. This is the first I've heard of it used to also extend to visa sponsorship, but it's not surprising at all that some would move into this area given the size of the market for it. I approached one such agency with the idea for sponsoring foreign teachers last year though nothing came of it. Maybe my idea caught on.

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 5:07 am Post subject:

Great to hear you've heard of it before. Definitely a good niche to fill. We'll see how it shakes out - much easier to go through that trying to qualify for independiente from the sounds of it.

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

In the end, it' sounds like a great way to get your foot in the door and obtain the first visa for work. The moment you have it in hand, there's nothing stopping you from leaving the pagador and setting up as an independent or working for someone else with a regular payroll system.

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:01 pm Post subject:

My issue is that I already have the initial one year temporaria but am leaving at the end of this year to do consulting, and need to renew to the three-year visa. Sounds like a good solution. It would be great for those wanting to come, if they only knew of the option.

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

Why don't you just go independent?

When you say you are leaving do you mean leaving the country?

Off-topic...I just picked up our papers for the sociedad civil we created. Next step is to register with SAT for billing and taxes then on to immigration to see about being able to sponsor foreigners for visas.

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:28 pm Post subject:

No, we're staying in the country. My wife is also a teacher and enjoys where we are working. I was offered the English Coordinator position, but the pay is so low in this region, and workload so high in this case, that it would just not be worth it, since my school doesn't pay for our visas and I have 3 children (who do get free tuition, but we're talking about in excess of 40000 pesos next year to renew visas). We really like being here, though, and I have already had some consulting work, so it made sense to take the step. I'm open to travel, as well, so we'll see how that shakes out. Some of my former colleagues in the Middle East are consulting now, and have their eye out for me. BUT, need to be legal while I'm here. Not my first time to strike out on my own, so I'm ok with it, and enjoy the freedom.

As for independiente, the way it was explained to me, was that IF I got approved, I'd still have to go through an accountant every month and who knows what else. Seemed like a big hassle, especially when presented with the pagador option, who would handle everything. The result is the same - work for myself - with the only difference being whose name is on the factura.

Can you think of any benefit to going independiente versus pagador?

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:34 pm Post subject:

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

If you go independent, you need to take care of your own taxes of courses, as a persona fisica. The accounting and taxes carry costs of course...I suppose it'\s up to you to decide if the 6% the pagador takes covers the hassle of doing things yourself.

However, given what you've written about kids, I think you'd make out quite well doing your own taxes as you'll have all kinds of expenses to declare, effectively bringing your tax rate down to under 10%. I'd run all this by an accountant.