New here.. looking to Move from Toronto to Mexico

Hi there, I am new here, just found this place... very nice, I am looking at making a move for myself and Family to Mexico but have really no idea where to start..I work in Telecom and have over 15 years of experience in IT and Mobile Wireless industry with 3G and 4G technologies. What are the options for employment, how do you start to look for employment?
I also have extensive experience in Off Roading businesses, been doing and running clubs for years, Mostly Hummer H1s, H2s, and H3s, could run or start an offroad experience business.

I have one issue, I do not speak Spanish, is this a show stopper? Also I have read about coming back to Canada every 6 months, what is this for? Health care or what? Would I still need to retain a residency here in Canada to remain a Canadian Citizen?

Any advice or suggestions would be great...

thanks

Hi and welcome to the forum. Lots of questions there and I hope you get some answers.

First off, I don't think you'll find decent work in Mexico in IT. Plenty of people here already in the field and earning a lot less than you would in Canada. Plus, without Spanish, you're just not going to be able to work in that field. Might be better to look at working for a Canadian or American company that will transfer you to Mexico perhaps within your field.

Opening a business in Mexico can be challenging as well. A lot of red tape and you are going to need a Spanish-speaking local lawyer to do it. Expect it to take a long time and cost a lot to set up/

Sorry I can't tell you that it's all sunshine and lollipops...if it were super easy we'd all live here in the sun.

anyone else able to answer the tax and residency questions?

You can stay in Mexico for up to 6 months on a tourist visa. If you have your FM2 or FM3 you can reside here for as long as you want.

Canada will not revoke your citizenship. If you are a Permanent Resident it is a different story. You have to reside in Canada on a permanent basis in order to obtain your citizenship (not sure for how long, I think it is 3 years but not sure).

Taxes - It is a complicated issue, you have a property in Canada that you plan on keeping? You might work in Canada for some portion of the taxation year...etc.

Lucian

I live in Mazatlán, Mexico. We moved here 4 years ago from the US. There's a lot to consider when moving from another country, more than you would think! I'd suggest that any people considering moving to Mexico read my blog post How to Be a Successful Expat (link below) and start checking out blogs in their target area to get a feel for the what life would be like. I've been blogging since before we even retired and knew where we wanted to move so you might want to go to the beginning of our blog and read your way forward. I also have a page of Mexico links that offer lots of general Mexico info.

By the way, there are lots of Canadians here in Mazatlan, both full time and six-month residents.

Saludos, Nancy

http://www.countdowntomexico.com/2011/0 ... ful-expat/