Hi Everyone, I'm planning on moving to Cancun at the end of December of this year and am really worried about finding work. I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Arts and Commerce. My spanish is pretty good (about 80%) and my french is functional-but i'm taking lessons so it should be also be at about 80% when I arrive. I'm looking to live there for a few months and would like to find some work in one the restaurants or bars. I have experience in both. I'm also good with numbers-I am book keeping on the side. I am a slim and attractive 24 year old female and am looking for any girls similar in age who are heading down there around the same time as possible roommates. I am easy going and friendly and definitely like to have a good time but I am a stickler for cleanliness! I've looked at a few places, my budget is less than 400$us a month. If anyone has any information or advice on working and living in cancun, please please let me know!
If you do a Search on the Archive of this forum you will find TONS of info about moving here. I can tell you right now you will not get permission from immigration to work in a bar or restaurant. You might find work in one if you work illegally, but I wouldn't wish an immigration raid on anyone. Search the archives and you'll find out a lot that you need to know before you move here.
hi, thanks a lot for the advice. I found some useful information going through the archive... I was reading on the cancunassist website that you need an FM3 before you can work but that takes months to get soo does this mean I might be out of work for months before I can actually get a the FM3? or will employers keep that in mind when hiring you?
There is probably a FAQ somewhere online which described the process of getting an FM3, but the short answer is the FM3 is employer-specific, so you have to have a job offer and sponsorship from an employer. And Mexican law states that an employer cannot hire a foreigner for a job that a Mexican can do, thus totally knocking ot restaurant and bar work as legal avenues of employment.
I've always thought the "You can't have a job a Mexican can do" law is just odd. Just think if the U.S. did something like that in the future. Can you image the up roar of protesting. Not too mention that pretty much any job down there a Mexican citizen can do. So its kind of a slap in the face of the Mexican citizens when anyone besides a Mexican does have a job in Mexico. Really wish they'd just do a way with that vague law. Nick and Renee
well thank you to everyone for you help!... hmm, this is a little discouraging but no matter, I did not expect it to be easy. I check the quintana roo novedades regularly but there's not really much info there I find... What about resort work? reception/front desk? entertainment staff/animator? I've checked out american based hotel chain websites but not much information there either... any hopeful suggestions/opportunities??
You won't find many "gringos" working front desk or reception, though I have heard that they hire a limited number for the animation teams (though you must speak Spanish). Most of the hotel jobs you'll find for foreigners are in time share. Work is pretty limited here, most foreigners I know teach English, sell time share or have their own internet businesses. As Gabatcha said, you have to have a job before you can apply for your FM3, so it's best to save up money, come down for a few months and just hit the streets looking for work.
I am hiring for a new call center downtown , if you are interested in phone sales , the hours are 10 am - 4pm and 4pm - 10pm MON-FRI excellent commission , you will need to get a FM-3, PM me if interested start saving as much money as you can. you will meet Americans and Canadians here , sometimes you can find rooms for rent that are clean and affordable , around US$200 - $300 , until you find a roommate
That's a strange comment. Foreigners cannot work in the US without a work visa and sponsorship from a company. I work in the US and have a work visa. In order to get this visa my company had to prove to the Department of Labor that there were no American citizens qualified to the job. On the other hand it was much easier for me to get a work visa in Mexico than it was in the US.
Good point, linottsman. I don't remember the specific name of the visa (I bet you do!), but the process for getting a work visa based on company sponsorship in the US is truly bizarre and circuitous. It involves (and I'm sure you can speak to this much better than I) the employer posting the job in the US for a reasonable amount of time (whatever that means) and then having to prove to the Dept of Labor that no qualified Americans applied for the job. There are several steps to the process and it can take years and a lot of commitment from the employer to actually be able to get the sponsorship. So, in fact, the US does indeed have a law very similar to Mexico's. But since the US has about a zillion visa categories, the work-based visas aren't quite at the forefront as they are for those wanting to work in Mexico.
