Job Discussion Forums

[claradeinglaterra]

Hey,

Im currently teaching in Oaxaca city, I just wanted to share my experiences with other people who may be thinking of coming here, hopefully it will be helpful.

Well first of all, Oaxaca is beautiful, the people are friendly and the cost of living is reasonable. It is surrounded by beautiful countryside, It is really rich in indigenous culture and there is a lot to do and see. There are a lot of opportunitioes to get involved in the arts, music, dance etc. It is a small city and kind of stuck out on its own but for me it quickly became home.

So basically i would definitely recommend Oaxaca, however I have one huge piece of advice; find a job before you get here! I have no idea how it is in the rest of Mexico but immigration here make your life very very difficult. You need to find a job first because each school is only allowed to have 10% foreign staff (the rules changed recently). So if you just turn up, although there is a need for native English teachers they more than likely wont be allowed to employ you.

Luckily I did get a job before I arrived, but immigration has made my life hell. I have had to go back and forward with document after document and each time it wasnt good enough. When they finally let me submit my papers they still rejected me because of an administrative error. They explained that it wasnt because i wasnt a suitable candidate, the error got sorted and then they told me i would have to cross the border into Guatemala (a long way away) and then i could submit again. When i returned I had to pay again (762 pesos) and they wanted ALL my documents again (they are refusing to give the copies i gave them back).... and its still going on.

So my advice is to arrive very very prepared, have your certificates apostillised at home. Find a job via ther internet. Be prepared to go backwards and forwards a lot and you will definitely need ENDLESS amounts of patience.

This is just my experience, I hope it helps....

[Samantha]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. There are other locations in Mexico playing hardball as well and it's good for newcomers to be aware of it.

[ls650]

That sounds par for the course. When I taught in Oaxaca state, the local immigration office was very "by the book". Thankfully the school warned me ahead of time as to what documents I needed, so it was just more running around and hassle than anything else.

[Prof.Gringo]

This goes to show how things in Mexico vary widely. In Mexico City, the INM (immigration office) is much more relaxed. I have never heard of them (INM) doing spot checks in DF to see if people are working illegally, doing what they are authroized to do, live where they say they do etc.

In Mexico City the INM office is always crowded with people from all over the world. I got my first FM-3 with a certificate issued by the school just to show INM and I didn't even show them my TEFL (which I took in Mexico) and a letter of a job offer.


I didn't have to get anything apostilled, but I guess I got lucky.

[Samantha]

claradeinglaterra wrote: