Mexico
Capital Mexico City
Ways in
Every mobility asset the live catalog holds for this country. Open one for the full requirement detail.
How much time you must spend on the ground
Derived from each program’s stated physical-presence requirement.
The pipeline to permanent residency
The staged journey for Temporary Resident Visa. Processing, permanent residence and citizenship times come from the Mobility Asset Database.
Consulate Approval
Apply at US consulate with financial docs
Enter Mexico
Fly in within 3 months of visa issuance
3 months · HARD DEADLINE
Canje Processing
Locked inGet physical resident card at INM office
Fixed window from entry · NO GRACE
Year 1 Card
Card valid 12 months. You can leave immediately after canje.
Renew → 3 Years
Return before expiry to renew. INM increasingly asking for financials.
Before expiry · NO GRACE
Convert → Permanent
Locked inMust be in Mexico. Two appointments. Apply shortly before expiry.
Shortly before expiry · ZERO GRACE
City archetypes
Landing-zone comparisons — cost bands, community, and who each city suits.
Mexico City
Most cosmopolitan, best food scene, most coworking, most expensive. Massive city with genuine neighborhoods.
- Direct US flights
- Best healthcare access
- Rent: $500–900 for 1BR
Mérida
Safe, affordable, colonial charm. Growing expat community. Hot climate. Strong sense of local identity.
- 30–40% cheaper than CDMX
- Very safe by Mexican standards
- Rich Yucatecan food culture
San Miguel de Allende
Established American community. Art, culture, walkable. Higher costs than most of Mexico but still far below US.
- Large English-speaking community
- Strong arts + gallery scene
- Walkable historic center
Several immigration fees and reference thresholds are expressed in UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización), which is updated once a year and published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación. Amounts denominated in UMA move when the UMA is revised. Verify the current fee schedule before budgeting an application.
Mexico's proof-of-income and savings thresholds for temporary and permanent residency are set as multiples of the national minimum wage, which is revised each year (effective in early January). When the base figure rises, the amounts an applicant must show at the consulate rise with it. Confirm the current consular figures before applying — the multiples, not a fixed peso amount, are what the rule fixes.
Could Mexico be your next move?
Open your personalized country view to review a city estimate and compare it with your saved monthly spending.
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