Job Discussion Forums

[PlayadelSoul]

If a school promises to help you with your FM3, ask to see if they have a current expediente basico. If they do, they are probably on the up and up. If they don't, ask to see an old one. It is not uncommon for the expediente to expire, as they are only good for six months. At least, you will know that they have gotten one, in the past. If they have no idea what you are talking about, run as fast as you can.

For those unfamiliar with the expediente basico, it is a document from Immigration that shows that the company has met the requirements it needs to meet, in order to sponsor someone for an FM. It does not guarantee that you will be approved, however. It just shows that they are a legitimate company, have paid their taxes, and have a list of employees registered in the offices.

[Phil_K]

It is best not to expect ANY company to help with an FM3/2, as, after all, it is the employee's duty to be legally in Mexico. It is also the companies duty to keep Migra informed about its foreign employees, but if it doesn't, thats ITS problem.

[Prof.Gringo]

[TheLongWayHome]

And when a school says they can 'help' you with your FM2/3, they're not talking about the financial side of it. They're talking about helping you fill in the forms and maybe holding your hand in migra, nothing more.

[Phil_K]

My first company in Mexico (yeah! the famous Georgal Idiomas!) actually paid and processed by first few renewals, but that is very rare these days.

[notamiss]

[Professor]

Get an independent work visa so you won't be tied to a school. That way you can leave the school if it doesn't work out and just go to another school. What happens if you have a school sponsored visa and they don't pay you on time or never???
See the point? I know that there were many students working for Wall Street Institute and many of them were sent back home. You know why?? Because WSI was supposed to get a visa for them but didn't. They weren't paying the teachers either.
Language schools for adults here in Mexico have a reputation for not paying teachers at all or late. Don't go down that road. Get an independent work visa. And stay away from WSI.

[Oreen Scott]

I'm not sure, but I think an Independent FM-3 is harder to get then one attached to a school or university. I'm working with a lawyer to renew my FM-3 Independent because I've heard so many stories I wanted professional advice/information.

First of all, an FM-3 is a national document, and the rules are the same throughout Mexico.

The bottom line is, there are many Mexicans who speak English and are trained teachers of English, and so one of the duties of migracion is to protect Mexican jobs, which is not unlike Canadian or American immigration offices.

Some of the Mexican migracion offices are more protective of Mexican teachers than are others. Migracion is looking for proof you have something to offer beyond what a Mexican teacher can offer. (Simply speaking English may not be enough - and really - should it be???)

Because I worked for a school which wasn't on the up and I will literally pay a price, the amount remains to be seen.

When all is said and done I'm going to be fined. Because I foolish accepted payment under the table, and never on time by the way. I have no paper trail for the money I received.

So, it's not enough to have an FM-3 Independent, it's very important to only work for a school that is honest.

If you suspect the school wanting to employ you is working outside the law - be smarter than I was - run out the door! Fast! Unless, of course, you want to work outside the boundaries of the law.

I was unaware of the expedient basico Thanks for the information.

[Phil_K]

[Oreen Scott]

I worked with lawyers and accountants in managerial positions at Deloitte.

All of the teachers at Thinking in English are/were native speakers. That's how the school got so many business accounts.

Until I came along the students at Deloitte weren't bothering to go to class, and the school was about to lose Deloitte as a client.

The owner/director of Thinking in English couldn't say enough bad things about the Deloitte students - basically calling them rich snobs.

But, they weren't rich snobs, they were really great people who knew that just because a person speaks English as a first language it doesn't make them a good teacher. They were very busy people who didn't have a lot of time to waste.

If I was an executive looking to improve my English I would welcome the opportunity to work with a well trained English as a first language teacher with business experience. Not any old some one who speaks English as a first language. And, I wouldn't consider myself a rich snob, I'd consider myself very particular.

[amaranto]

quote]My first company in Mexico (yeah! the famous Georgal Idiomas!) actually paid and processed by first few renewals, but that is very rare these days.[/quote]

I worked for Georgal for a few months when I first arrived in Mexico City. They delayed beginning my FM3 application process in D.F. for 5 months after I was hired. Finally, a friend of mine who is an immigration specialist in Cuernavaca offered to process my FM3, though Georgal refused to turn over the documentation she needed to begin. I understand their paranoia, but she is a certified immigration specialist who handles company documents on a regular basis, and they were dragging their feet quite a bit.

Georgal does not have a lawyer that handles this procedure. They use one of their runners. This might be why they have such a hard time. Also, their HR department is underqualified.

[Writer]

Can you get an FM3 Independent and list one school, also? I don't intend to teach private students at this time, but if the job doesn't last, then it'd be nice to be able to teach privates without paying to change my FM3. Also, if you don't earn any income in a particular month on an FM3 Independent, do you still have to file the monthly tax forms, or do you only file them when you earn money?

[Phil_K]

For a while I was authorized for a school and applied for independent as "additional activities". I later dropped the authorization for the school and went fully independent by default. Regarding the tax, it is supposed that you should file a declaration every month, including one "in zeros". Hacienda is not too strict on monthly declarations however - I sometimes go for months without filing, and then file them all together. As long as you pay what you owe in the annual, everything seems to be OK.

[TheLongWayHome]

[Prof.Gringo]