Job Discussion Forums

[nothing180]

ok, so here is my deal. my friends were able to get me a job at a small elementary school in DF. the pay is about 6000 pesos a month, my first question for those of u that live in DF is that good enough pay to have an apartment and live ok?

secondly, i have no certifcation, and no fm3. how do i get the fm3 and do i need it before i go there?

also, if i work at this school for about 6 months and want to change schools, would that experience alone be enough for me to get another job? or should i get the certificate first?

thanks

[Samantha]

I would suggest entering on an FM-T, the tourist permit, and asking the immigration officer for 180 days. Once you get a job offer, your employer will assist you with an FM-3 (if he is so inclined) A "permission to work" FM3 cannot be issued ahead of a job offer since paperwork from the employer is required for the process.

[aroha]

Hiya. I am earning the same as you, working part-time in a private high school. After taxes I receive 5600 pesos, and I am paying 5500 pesos for a one-bedroom apartment in a safe, good area. You will have to give private classes in the afternoon to pay your expenses, which depending on how wealthy your students are and your language teaching experience, i think you can charge between 150 to 250 pesos per hour - probably teaching in their home. I earn an additional 1500 pesos per week from the private lessons, and it allows me to pay the bills, occasionally go out, but I have no money left over at the end of the month.

I entered Mexico on a 180-day tourist visa. I found a job, and then my employer gave me the paperwork to confirm that they were offering me a teaching position. I had no assistance from my employer filling out the forms getting an FM-3 and my Spanish is so-so. The whole process took almost 3 months of going back and forth, and re-typing forms. When I asked for help at the school, they said they didn't know what to do either... Nearly everyone I saw at the migration offices had a legal representative or friend helping them. You said that you have no certification. Did you mean teaching certification? I took apostilled copies of my university undergraduate degrees, but not of my teaching diploma.

If you have any questions when you are going through the FM3 process, feel free to send me a PM.

[suee]

not a lot of people know that you can get a Freelance english teacher FM3 if you have some kind of english-teaching diploma or certificate. The advantage of the freelance FM3 is that you are not technically tied to one company (though everyone i know who has an FM3 tied to one company teaches at many others) and if you change companies the next year, you do not have to pay the additional change of company name fee which is considerable. Though you could do the paperwork yourself, it is easier, and you have a greater chance of being approved if you go through an immigration lawyer. If you're here for the long haul, it is worth it. I know a lawyer who charges $1500 pesos, which is cheap, cheers, sue