Work permit for Mexico resident card

Not every temporary resident status in Mexico provides a work permit. In particular, you could obtain a residence permit in Mexico for settlement, for study, for family reunification or on the basis of financial solvency. However, such grounds do not automatically give you the prospect of legally working in Mexico or conducting any gainful/commercial activities. But this state of affairs is easy to change. To obtain a work permit, a temporary resident does not need to leave the country.

Permanent resident status in Mexico provides unconditional permission to work and engage in commercial activities, and the work authorization is automatic. This does not cancel the resident’s obligation to notify the migration service of the entry or each change of work or of registration with the Tax Administration Service as an individual entrepreneur.

To obtain a work permit, you first need:

• find a Mexican employer and get a job offer from him OR
• justify the need and register with the Tax Administration Service (SAT) as a self-employed entrepreneur to conduct commercial activities.

There are a few things to understand here. First, even if you have resident status in Mexico, you remain a foreign citizen, and Mexican law imposes special requirements for hiring foreign workers. Secondly, when obtaining a residence permit, you justified your financial chances of living in Mexico through savings or sponsorship, rather than work. And thirdly, even if you open your own company, you will not be able to find a job in it without a work permit.

From experience, we can say that temporary residence is the easiest way for students to obtain a work permit in Mexico. But other temporary residents of Mexico are rarely denied work permits. For permanent residents, a work permit, as we said, is not necessary.

Procedure and papers

You must submit an application for a work permit to the National Institute of Migration (INM). You can do this only after receiving a Mexican resident card, that is, after completely completing the process of obtaining a residence permit. You must submit your application to the same INM office where you were issued your Mexican resident card.

Papers required to obtain a work permit:

• StandardBidfor consideration of your case. Select «Obtener permiso para trabajar», and then one of two options: you have an employer or you will work for yourself. The completed application must be printed and signed,
• Original and copy of passport,
• Mexico Resident Card,
• Original receipt of payment for issuing a work permit.

In addition, you should offer documents from the Mexicanemployerinviting you to work:

• The original official invitation to work from the employer, indicating the occupation code according to the National Classification of Occupations (Sistema Nacional de Clasificación de Ocupaciones), developed by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the term of work or duration of the contract, the address of the workplace, wages and amounts withheld from it.
• The following documents about the employer are most likely already in the migration service database (the employer provided them when he received permission to hire foreigners), and it is not necessary to provide them again:
  • Extract from the register of employers of Mexico (Constancia de Inscripción de Empleador).
  • A copy of the employer representative's identification card if the representative is Mexican, or a resident card if the representative is a foreign citizen.
  • Company tax report (for the last reporting period and for the year).

The employer must have permission to employ foreigners and be registered with such permission in the INM. The immigration authority may conduct a verification visit to confirm the job offer and the existence of the employer.

We wrote about the requirements for Mexican employers when hiring foreign workers in one of the previousarticles.

We offersupport in obtaining a work permitbased on authorization from a Mexican employer, as well as renewal of a temporary resident card with a work permit. Our employers are located in Cancun and Mexico City. We prepare a package of papers, get a queue at the migration service, help pay the state fee and accompany you to submit documents to the migration service office.

If you are going to drive in Mexicoentrepreneurial activity, you are required to offer the INM a copy of your Registry of Taxpayer Registration (RFC), proof of tax treatment (in other words, everything you get on the SAT) and an explanation of what type of activity you will be doing and where you will be doing it. A sample letter to the migration service is presented below. Most often, a simple justification is enough.

How to enroll in SAT, obtain RFC and confirmation of tax status, you can find out from thispublications. To purchase, you must have a Mexican Resident Identification Number (CURP). Registration with SAT has the potential to be relevant for employees as well. Previously, the employer did this for them, now the employer asks when hiring to give him an RFC and confirmation of tax status.

After registering for SAT you will receive:

• confirmation of registration in the RFC,
• tax identification card with taxpayer code,
• guidance on obligations and payments,
• electronic certificates and access keys on a flash drive,
• a two-dimensional QR code that can be used for Internet and mobile payments to your address.

For students,Those who have received temporary resident status in Mexico for study must provide a letter from the university about the status of the educational process. The student has the opportunity to apply for hired work, but not for individual entrepreneurial activity.

In some cases, INM has the option to require proof of residential address. Usually it is enough to show a utility bill (electricity, water).

PricePurchasing a work permit for temporary residents of Mexico changes annually. You can check the current prices herepage.

After receiving the documentation at INM you will receive confirmation of the opening stages. This is a document with a unique number (NUT — Número Único de Trámite), according to whichtracking pageYou are allowed to track the status of your work permit application. In addition, you have the opportunity to check the status of your application directly at the INM office.

Once you receive your NUT, you can consider yourself authorized to work in Mexico. But according to the regulations, INM he should formalize the procedure, in other words, ensure confirmation of the work permit, during the period20 working days.

Obtaining a work permit involves re-issuing your resident card, not just adding additional information to your migration account. The work permit is validuntil the expiration date of the resident card, and if you renew your resident card (issue a new one), you will have to once again submit papers to the migration service to obtain the right to work.

Sample letter for obtaining a work permit for self-employed/freelancers