Visa Update

[Ajijic]

Today my wife's clients stated their preapproved visas were completed in 4 hours at a MX consulate in San Francisco. No criminal check; only passports, letter stating why they wanted it and prove income no matter the source and done.

For SMA this is new and as noted in many places INM is only giving initial temporary resident visas for one year and then in a year will give 3 more years. This makes us suspicious changes are coming in a few months.

[valbogyo]

Did they get three year temporary or permanent? Not sure by your post. What do you think will change? Making it easier?

[Ajijic]

So a new comer who gets a preapproved Temporary Resident visa stamped into their passport in their home country applying at their local INM office gets 1 year Temporary Resident visa and a year later, locally can get 3 more years.

As Spencer has previously noted we suspect changes. I believe the permanent Resident visa will be much harder to obtain. Some get it without ever having stepped foot in Mexico which then allows them to work. PR is akin to a "green" card. I know of no country in the world allowing such an easy way to be a permanent resident. It is almost like saying, prove income of only $2500 or some savings and you can buy yourself into the opportunity to work in Mexico.

[valbogyo]

I know. That's the reason I rushed to get mine. Not so I could work, but it was so easy and I was afraid it would change.

What we expats are not thinking about is the number of people, from all over the world, would kill for a chance to get out of what ever Country they are in. I mean, sell a house or borrow money for one year and you are in.

The increase in the number of Chinese citizens I see in Mexico City, and even on my flights to and from Guadalajara is hugely noticeable. I wish I knew the statistics. I worked with many mainland Chinese as did both of my parents. So many would be very interested in moving here. Interestingly, I just received email from a guy I used to work with. He and his Chinese wife are thinking of coming for a visit and looking at opportunities. I was really surprised.

[Ajijic]

In 2013 the Chinese are expected to equal the number of Canadians applying for visas this year. We see them at INM every week where as in the past hardly ever..

[Ezzie]

Not all that suprising. I don't have any facts to back this up but have heard many people surmise that Chinese are the second largest etnic group in Canada now and that shortly Mandarin will be the second largest "mother" tongue, surpassing French. Maybe they will have to change all the labelling on products sold in Canada to English/Chinese instead of English/French.

[valbogyo]

In 2013 the Chinese are expected to equal the number of Canadians applying for visas this year. We see them at INM every week where as in the past hardly ever..

Average age? I think this could be good or bad for the economy. It could be good for real estate, but poor for jobs. We had a huge wave of Chinese immigrants in BC. Changed the local economy to a huge degree in terms of retail. A problem, in BC, is that some of the big Chinese firms want to bring in Chinese workers. There have been some very big battles over this with some of the Unions complaining. Now, with this rule.... all a company has to do is lend 125K to a worker and they are in. Wow. Other nations where many people emigrate to find better opportunities are Russia and India.

More Liana: What are you seeing in the DF?

I guess Lake Chapala is not a destination. I will have to ask about Guadalajara.

[Ajijic]

In this area they are coming associated with the many car assembly and auto parts manufacturing plants. I suspect they are technical experts and senior management. This area is booming with existing and new car manufacturing and auto parts companies. The new Honda Fit will come from Celaya (nearby); VW in Leon, Mazda nearby, and on and on. Each assembly plant requires thousands of parts daily creating thousands and thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs. Many of the plants are Asian owned... Honda, Nissan, Mazda etc. Hence some expertise is brought here.

At least in this area what we see are not the Chinese the BC coast saw as they were wealthy Asians leaving China, Hong Kong etc and in some cases simply a better life for their children. Now that Hong Kong is booming and issues resolved with China I believe the number of Chinese to BC has slowed dramatically.

[careyeroslib]

Wealthy people and celebrities have always been able to buy their way into permanent residency in both the US and Canada. Also, as some of you remember, fairly recently Spain was offering permanent residency to anyone with adequate financial resources. It´s just a question of what constitutes adequate financial resources I think.

I also don´t really understand the argument that the right to work is necessarily a great prize. If immigrants are unskilledf, and even if they are, they usually have to start off working at every low level jobs with very low wages, just as they always have in Canada and the US. It can push the economy forward and challenge the existing workforce to work harder.

[AlanMexicali]

In this area they are coming associated with the many car assembly and auto parts manufacturing plants. I suspect they are technical experts and senior management. This area is booming with existing and new car manufacturing and auto parts companies. The new Honda Fit will come from Celaya (nearby); VW in Leon, Mazda nearby, and on and on. Each assembly plant requires thousands of parts daily creating thousands and thousands of skilled and semi-skilled jobs. Many of the plants are Asian owned... Honda, Nissan, Mazda etc. Hence some expertise is brought here.

At least in this area what we see are not the Chinese the BC coast saw as they were wealthy Asians leaving China, Hong Kong etc and in some cases simply a better life for their children. Now that Hong Kong is booming and issues resolved with China I believe the number of Chinese to BC has slowed dramatically.

I was chatting with my snowbird buddy last New Years in Puerto Vallarta and he is from Winnipeg and mentioned all the skilled trades people getting easy visas to work and live in Winnipeg from Great Britain to fill the skilled construction, mechanics, machinists, electricians, plumbers etc. that they lack now in Canada especially in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

[Ajijic]

I was chatting with my snowbird buddy last New Years in Puerto Vallarta and he is from Winnipeg and mentioned all the skilled trades people getting easy visas to work and live in Winnipeg from Great Britain to fill the skilled construction, mechanics, machinists, electricians, plumbers etc. that they lack now in Canada especially in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Alan, agreed. Alberta and Saskatchewan are almost begging for employees with the highest need being the trades as you noted but even Tim Hortons. McDonald's etc. Whereas the typical Chinese emigrant in BC is wealthy and not needing to work.

Meanwhile, one certainly would not get Canadian permanent residency based on $2500 / month of pension income. Heck, even for a Mexican to change planes in the US enroute say to Canada the process is harder than an American applying at the San Francisco Mexican consulate to live full time in Mexico.

Carey, I did not say for everyone but for some it is a prize as they have relatively low income and while not making as much their cost of living is much less and most avoid taxation. Meanwhile, to the Mexican who has no or little work, seeing an expat working is a rub point.

In SMA, a Chinese company is investing $2,000,000 in a bio-tech center.

[More Liana]

More Liana: What are you seeing in the DF?

I guess Lake Chapala is not a destination. I will have to ask about Guadalajara.

Last week, the president of China made a state visit to Mexico. He spent most of his time with President Peña Nieto, who has actively and persistently courted a much-expanded Chinese business presence in Mexico. For example: the proposed DragonMart in Cancún: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/30/3208629/huge-chinese-expo-center-planned.html

In addition, national SECTUR (Secretary of Tourism) is expecting a 35% increase in Chinese tourism in Mexico during Peña Nieto's term of office. http://www.sectur.gob.mx/es/sectur/B115

We here in the heart of Mexico City have not been impacted by the arrival of Chinese. We're out of the work loop, though, and a person who works every day either in downtown Mexico City or in Santa Fe might have a different take on things. Our neighbor is a Mexican diplomat (working for SRE). Next time I see him, I'll ask him what he thinks.

[bmh]

Chinese and Eastern Europeans especilly Russians are very noticeables on planes coming in from EUrope and other parts now when they were none a few years ago.

[valbogyo]

Chinese and Eastern Europeans especilly Russians are very noticeables on planes coming in from EUrope and other parts now when they were none a few years ago.

Yes. Exactly. There is a new, middle class and upper middle class with the desire to buy real estate in other countries and provide options for their Children.

There is a strong entrepreneurial spirit with a lot of immigrants. Importing and selling Chinese products is very attractive here. Not sure about Russians. I went to a festival, in Joco, earlier in the year. Their was a booth with Chinise decorative items. The Cat holding up his paw, plastic fans, lanterns..... It was very busy with curious Mexicans. There were a lot of really pretty things that were cheap and different than the other stuff. I think that is what you are going to see. A lot more Chinese moving and starting businesses.

[valbogyo]

At least in this area what we see are not the Chinese the BC coast saw as they were wealthy Asians leaving China, Hong Kong etc and in some cases simply a better life for their children. Now that Hong Kong is booming and issues resolved with China I believe the number of Chinese to BC has slowed dramatically.

The most recent wave of Chinese home buyers in BC were not from Hong Kong. They were from Mainland China. Very different demographic. Some people speculated that the Chinese government was behind quite a few of the purchases. Not sure if that is true or not.

Yes, Canada does have a shortage of skiller tradespeople and technical workers. However, there is no shortage of miners or mill workers and that is where the Chinese companies were brining in their own workers. Read More Liana's link about the trade center that is proposed for Cancun. They even want to bring in Chinese workers for construction.

[privado]

Not all that suprising. I don't have any facts to back this up but have heard many people surmise that Chinese are the second largest etnic group in Canada now and that shortly Mandarin will be the second largest "mother" tongue, surpassing French. Maybe they will have to change all the labelling on products sold in Canada to English/Chinese instead of English/French.

The last 2 Canadian Counsel Generals assigned to Guadalajara were Chinese- the new Counsel arriving is Filipino

I'm not Canadian but lived next door to the previous one and she was an immigrant to Canada

[privado]

Chinese and Eastern Europeans especilly Russians are very noticeables on planes coming in from EUrope and other parts now when they were none a few years ago.

When I was in No Calif last Nov. was sitting in a large mall people watching waiting for my daughter- heard many Russian speakers passing by- Dressed very well, more European looking than natives-In fact new next door neighbors in her gated townhouse community were Ukrainian My son in law is Director for a large company told me he has employees from the Ukraine doing tech jobs- and they were his best workers,

Years ago in SFO Bay Area worked with several woman from the Ukraine - they told me that most immigrants coming from the old Russian states- were Ukrainian Jewish- they were entering under a special Visa Category related to their religion. One who worked with me- she, her husband , parents, children etc were sponsored by a local Christian church even tho Jewish and, given an apartment, used cars clothes etc until they could find employment- Her husband was a computer Guru and they soon were living in a very expensive country club home.

[El Saltos]

The last 2 Canadian Counsel Generals assigned to Guadalajara were Chinese- the new Counsel arriving is Filipino

I'm not Canadian but lived next door to the previous one and she was an immigrant to Canada

They are "Consul" not counsel, and they're not generals. The Current Canadian Consul, Yvonne Chin, is a Canadian who was born in Toronto. The new Consul is Canadian.

[valbogyo]

Yes. Canada is a multi-cultural Country and the children and grandchildren of immigrants are often very successful. All of my Grandparents were immigrants to Canada. All of my friends Grandparents were immigrants. We were the second generation.

I am talking about the impact, culturally, when a wave of immigration results in a new ethnic group introduced to an area. It is fascinating to watch. The dramatic change in the products and foods available and the new businesses that spring up.

With the very low amount of money needed to immigrate to Mexico, this is a huge opportunity for individuals and foreign corporations. Absolutely no problem to create a technical park and staff it with people from wherever, rather than Mexico. All they have to show is aprox 125K in an investment account for a year. If you are familiar with what is happening in China and India, you will know that is not out of reach for a lot of engineers and high level government workers.

I love the way More Liana described her wife's experience at the INM office at the DF. People from all over the world lined up to process their applications. Makes me realize how insignificant we are in the big picture, though important to the local economy.

[valbogyo]

When I was in No Calif last Nov. was sitting in a large mall people watching waiting for my daughter- heard many Russian speakers passing by- Dressed very well, more European looking than natives-In fact new next door neighbors in her gated townhouse community were Ukrainian My son in law is Director for a large company told me he has employees from the Ukraine doing tech jobs- and they were his best workers,

Years ago in SFO Bay Area worked with several woman from the Ukraine - they told me that most immigrants coming from the old Russian states- were Ukrainian Jewish- they were entering under a special Visa Category related to their religion. One who worked with me- she, her husband , parents, children etc were sponsored by a local Christian church even tho Jewish and, given an apartment, used cars clothes etc until they could find employment- Her husband was a computer Guru and they soon were living in a very expensive country club home.

I am pretty sure there is not a visa category related to religion. There is a refugee status and that could include people who are persecuted for political or religious reasons. Perhaps that is what was happening. However, if a person has an advanced degree in most Sciences... from a recognized University..... they often can come into Canada or the US if sponsored by an employer. I worked for two companies that hired quite a few under these conditions.

Mexico will begin using a point system, similar, soon. That will be interesting to see.

[Ajijic]

I am not so sure about a point system as when we called INM in DF in December they promised it in January. I suspect changes to the whole process before / if we see a point system.

[privado]

I am pretty sure there is not a visa category related to religion. There is a refugee status and that could include people who are persecuted for political or religious reasons. Perhaps that is what was happening. However, if a person has an advanced degree in most Sciences... from a recognized University..... they often can come into Canada or the US if sponsored by an employer. I worked for two companies that hired quite a few under these conditions.

Mexico will begin using a point system, similar, soon. That will be interesting to see.

The Ukrainians did have some kind of visa and Green cards

The other category for Engineers etc is H21B -at one time in Calif Silicon valley there were10's of thousands of people employed in IT mainly from India and other Asian countries when the max number of H1 visas in the total US was about 240,000- when the first monetary crisis hit- Congress reduced the H1 visas to only 60,000 nationwide -10's of thousands lost their jobs and were leaving their leased homes, driving their leased Mercedes, BMW's to the airport parking them and leaving the country-

My daughter works in the world headquarters of a Calif Co as Global Recruiter for IT, Engineering She is having a terrible time trying to fill jobs because of the US quota on H1 visas as are most tech companies in Silicon valley -employers cannot find qualified US citizens- Part of the new Immigration Bill waiting to go through congress will increase the H1 Visa category again-so that Foreign students getting an MA's or PHS's will be able to stay in the US and fill this shortage at companies looking for highly skilled workers and most of them are from Asia but there are objections from usual areas not to increase it to it's former high...