Alex: You've heard the stories of foreigners living for
decades in Mexico on just the tourist visa. So as you prepare for your own move to Mexico,
you want to know, is applying for temporary residency in Mexico
even worth it? After this video, you'll know the benefits of getting temporary residency in Mexico
plus tips to make the process stress-free. For the best advice about moving to Mexico, subscribe to
my channel and hit the bell to be notified when I upload a new episode every Thursday. If you're
new to my channel, welcome, and if you've been here before, welcome back. My name is Alex and
I moved to Mexico from the US in 2017. I've called Queretaro home ever since. The first few years I
lived in Mexico, I did so on the tourist visa. What makes Mexico's tourist visa really unique
is that when your six months are up and you exit the country, it immediately resets and you
can reenter Mexico for another 180 days. Lots of foreigners take advantage of this. And as I said,
that's more or less what I did for my first two years of living in Mexico. While that worked for
a while, the pandemic opened my eyes to the fact that what I was doing, how I was living, might
not be sustainable. And in July 2020, I decided to apply for temporary residency. If you've watched
my temporary residency series, then you know I had a heck of a time getting it due to some abnormal
circumstances. And I didn't actually have my card in hand until December 2020, four
and a half months after I applied for my temporary resident visa at the Mexican Consulate in Detroit.
While my particular situation was definitely extreme, I'd be lying if I didn't say
that headaches, stress, and even the occasional tear of frustration are extremely common when
you are applying for residency in Mexico. That is especially true if you are trying to navigate the
process on your own. Before you subject yourself to all of that, you want to know, is applying for
temporary residency in Mexico even worth it? Let's kick things off with the benefits
of temporary residency in Mexico. Even though Mexico's tourist visa is very generous, there's
still a lot you can't do with it. Here are the benefits of temporary residency in Mexico. Stay in
Mexico for longer than 180 days, open a Mexican bank account, get a Mexican driver's license,
register a vehicle in your name, temporarily bring a US-plated car into Mexico, buy a house
and or land, register to the public health option, obtain permanent residency after four years. Once
you're eligible for permanent residency, or if you meet the financial requirements right off the bat,
here are the benefits. Have all the rights of Mexican citizens, minus voting, no need to renew
residency, it's a permanent status, maintain legal employment, or self-employment in Mexico
without applying for a work visa. Maybe at this point, you're thinking, "Okay, temporary
residency in Mexico sounds pretty good. I'll do what you did Alex. And I'll move to Mexico, live
there for a couple of years, and then apply for residency if I can see myself staying long-term."
To be honest, I really, really regret not applying for temporary residency sooner.
When I moved to Mexico back in 2017, I thought I'd only be here for a couple of years and it didn't
seem worth it to me to apply for residency, even though I met the economic solvency requirements.
But look at me now, I ended up falling in love with Mexico and establishing a pretty good life
for myself here. If I would have applied for temporary residency sooner, then I would be
really close to being eligible for permanent residency now. The longer you wait to apply
for residency in Mexico, the more complicated and difficult the process could potentially become.
Both the consulate and INM will look at your travel history. And if you've ever been denied
entry, overstayed your visa, or been deported, that could affect your residency application.
Even with those consequences in mind, many people will put off applying for residency because they
don't know where to start, are worried their Spanish will hold them back, or don't think that
they can afford professional help. Last month, I sat down with Ivonne from Host Relocation
to chat all things residency in Mexico. An expat advisor with 15 years of immigration experience,
she wants you to know that there has never been a better time to apply for
residency in Mexico. Ivonne Pavaan:
Hi, I am Ivonne Pavaan from Host Relocation. I am the co-founder and the general manager of Host
Relocation, and I'm an immigration specialist, and I have a bachelor degree in business management,
with 15 years of experience in relocation matters.
Speaker 3: Host Relocation understands
that moving to another country is difficult. Rather than you stressing over every detail,
the staff at Host Relocation wants to make life easier so your only job is enjoying your new
home in Mexico. Their services include car rental, executive drivers, translations and interpreters,
language classes, cultural excursions, house hunting, and the subject of today's video,
immigration assistance. Alex:
I met Ivonne in December 2020 when I contacted Host Relocation about securing
a [foreign language 00:06:10], permission to leave and come back while my temporary residency
application was pending. Ivonne ended up getting to the bottom of what the heck was taking so long
with my temporary residency card, and I had it in my hand to fly back to the United States
later that month. Ivonne Pavaan:
So, with Host Relocation, we help you from the beginning of the process since you are planning to
move to Mexico. We can help you with immigration matters in the [inaudible 00:06:40] area and also
from 2021 in La Paz Baja California. The requirements can vary from one consulate to
another. So we can get you the right information, even get you some tips for the interview, help you
get the right documents you need to prepare. Trust that our 15 years of experience will help you out
on getting everything smooth, easy, without any stress, and get your card in your hands.
As of 2021, our fees can start from 7,000 pesos. We don't have the fees that the lawyers can have.
So, we have the 15 years of experience doing every day all the procedures, we are
updated with the process in Mexico so the process can be finished very smooth and very
simple for you. Alex:
I really appreciate how open and upfront Ivonne is about her fees. She won't expect you to pay her
in full until your residency card is in your hand. If you're interested in hiring Ivonne to help with
the residency process, or would like to learn more about one of Host Relocation's other services,
you can contact her via phone or email. Let her know you found Host Relocation from this video,
and with the code ALEX5, you can get a special subscriber discount. If you're not in Queretaro
or La Paz, or you're just a hardcore DIYer craving the rush of getting your Mexico residency on
your own, then you're going to want to get your hands on the Mexico Residency Roadmap. This new
product created by yours truly is the resource I wish I would have had when I was applying for
residency in Mexico. When you purchase the Mexico Residency Roadmap, you'll get a 10 point checklist
so you never have to wonder, "What do I do next?" 15 pages of in-depth description, covering
every step of the process and complete with clickable links for everything you need,
plus a translated version of the [foreign language 00:08:53] which you can't find anywhere else.
As an added bonus, you'll get the answers to the 12 most frequently asked questions about
residency in Mexico. The Residency Phrasebook, which tells you exactly what to say in Spanish,
and who to say it to for various situations such as traveling to Mexico with your residency visa,
paying for your [foreign language 00:09:17] at a bank in Mexico,
and showing up at INM if you need to check on the status of your residency card. You'll also
get access to an audio file so you can hear the Spanish phrases from the Residency Phrasebook
and practise them before you need to use them. Because you're watching this video,
you can get a special discount on the Mexico Residency Roadmap using the discount code,
YOUTUBE10. I haven't decided yet how long I'm going to leave that discount code valid.
So if you want the discount, I suggest snagging your copy of the Mexico Residency Roadmap
sooner rather than later. Head to the link in the description for more information. Wrapping up this
video, is temporary residency in Mexico worth it? Yes. Does getting temporary residency have to be
stressful and time-consuming? No. Whether you go with Ivonne from Host Relocation or snag your copy
of the Mexico Residency Roadmap, there's no reason to put off getting your residency in Mexico.
Did you find this video helpful? Then be sure to give it a thumbs up
because that really helps to support my channel. And if you have any questions
about getting residency in Mexico, leave those in the comments below and
I'll be sure to get back to them. I'm Alex from backpackingbrunette.com. Thanks for watching.