Young Gringo wants to escape USA (expat)

[azoria]

@dothetwist I was hoping to send you a PM but I find your profile is closed. If I send you a friend request I believe that would allow me to PM. Ok with you?

[karstic]

Anything changes if you become a resident of other country while retaining US citizenship?

[Ruth4Truth]

The OP is only 28. He doesn't have a retirement account or major savings account to access from abroad. It's not clear how he intends to support himself, but if he were to find a job abroad, he could open a local bank account there, couldn't he?

OP, how do you plan to support yourself as an expat? You don't speak the language, so you're not very employable.

[dothetwist]

Originally Posted by karstic

Anything changes if you become a resident of other country while retaining US citizenship?

In Mexico, you can have a number of different visas, the most common are:
Tourist (Tourista).. you can stay up to 180 days a year. If you fly in, the visa is included in the cost of the ticket. If you drive, you must obtain at the border; not sure current price....when we used to drive 2008-2012, it was apprx. $33 USD per person. If you drive your US car (cannot be a rental, cannot have a lien on it without written permission from lender...which most banks, CU's will NOT sign), you need an Import Sticker for the car. Also good for 180 days and you cannot leave MX without your car. You cannot sell your car in MX, even to another expat. MX is very strict on cars and your paperwork better be right.

Temporary Resident (Residente Temporal)
Permanent Resident (Residente Permanente)
Both of the above require proof of income and/or assets before they can be issued. You must apply in the US in person, by appointment, at a MXN consulate. A TR can bring their US plated car, but only but only with an Import Sticker (see above).
RP's cannot own a US plated car in Mexico...they must buy a MXN plated car if they want to drive there.

Income required for Temporals is around $1300 USD a month; for Permanente, it's around 2,100 USD a month. The income requirement is per person, not per couple and each person must qualify on their own. I can't remember the asset amounts if you don't have income.

Some consulates will insist on your having "pension" income, others won't. Some consulates will give you 'credit' if you own a house in Mexico, most will not (these two areas of confusion go back to when there used to be different visas, one was for 'pensioners' and allowed credit for MXN home ownership.

There are a lot of other rules for moving to Mexico...I mention the above so that people understand it's not automatic. Take your time, do it right. There are severe consequences for not following immigration rules.

[Return2FL]

I lived in Latin America for several years when I was just a bit younger than the OP. If he can pull it off, he definitely should. Young and carefree is the way to do it, but don't fall into the trap that some Americans do down there. Without some planning, you can come home in your 40s or 50s, broke, with no job skills and no social security accumulated. I met a lot of Gringos like that down there, kind of rudderless folks.

[pink caddy]

Originally Posted by IJustLoveThis

-28 year old educated Gringo
-Hablo un pocito, and learning
-Love Latin culture, music, food, WOMEN, everything
-Wants to escape corporate America and live on the beach jajajaja

So I've done plenty of reading online about becoming an expat, but some more specific questions:

-How do Hispanic locals in your country treat Gringos (respectful and interested in your culture, etc)??

-How is dating, I know how Latinas in USA are because I have a fetish (what can i say?) but what do latinas in home countries think about Gringos?

-Any other things I could should be aware of that I wouldn't necessarily be able to read online?

As a gringo you will be treated by the gringas as someone with money. a meal ticket, a way to escape their country and poverty, ( BTW don't think the rich and smart ladies will have anything to do with you). The gringos will treat as a person that needs to have your pocket picked and your lunch eaten.


Those are a few of "the other things you should be made aware of". Take heed or you won't last the year, IMHO.
Good luck amigo.

[etek]

I suggest that you "escape" every year for a month or two to a country that strikes your fancy until you are sure there is a country where you really would like to live.