You may be blending two issues, here, T.J., one issue being scope of activities permitted, and the other being the hiring of a Mexican. There are no limitations on hiring Mexicans that I'm aware of: any of us could do that, even if we had no permission, ourselves, to work in the country, or to operate a business. Do your notes indicate that the status you spoke of goes in any way beyond the permission which INM can, and does, give to "work independently"? This was the first visa status I ever had, "visitante no inmigrante, lucrativo, profesional, con permiso para prestar sus servicios de manera independiente". This permission, according to the staff at INM, went beyond merely being able to offer my services on a contract basis, but included a right to work at any lawful employment within my field. When I took the job at the university, for example, I asked INM if I needed to get permission from them and they said, "No, the grant of permission we gave you is coequal to that of a Mexican Citizen to work: you need no additional permission and nothing need be done other than to inform us by letter." (This was in response to my letter, in which I posed the question: it was responded to by the local INM in house attorney, whose office is in the building adjacent to the building in which the public is served.) It has been that way ever since (except that I moved to inmigrante status the next year. Otherwise, I'm still in the same category as I was originally) ______________________________.
I think the OP has expressed interest in hearing the "down and dirty" of doing business here- something I have no first hand knowledge of, having experienced only the inconveniences, which all are subject to. Frankly, I think focusing on the problems is not the right way to approach business, anywhere, including here. There will no doubt be some, and they will require solution, but it's just not that hard to find foreigners who are successful in business in Cancun, some wildly so....
One of the main reasons people establish corporations when they wish to do business- here or elsewhere- is that of avoiding the loss of one's personal assets to the creditors of the corporation in the event things go south. Operating a business as a partnership, or sole proprietorship, does not give that protection, something that has to be considered, along with everything else. Those who might think that if they are successfully sued in Mexico their U.S. based assets are safe should consider that the law in most of the states in the United States recognize and enforce most foreign judgments. For anyone who is going to make commitments to leases, or in any other way create debts in the establishment or operation of their business should think twice about doing business as a partnership or sole proprietorship. __________________________
