If you come to Mexico, in under a month you can have your resident visa, and a Mexican bank account.

The main requirement for a FM2 Rentista (person of independent means) resident visa is that you can prove that you've had $1200 monthly income for the past 3 months, or that you have $14,000. (these are estimates, and may be a bit high, it depends on the exchange rate) Also, you must show a bill with your name, and Mexican address on it. If the bill is in your landlord's name, you'll need a letter from him saying that he is renting to you.

My visa took about a month, but it could have been faster if I'd completed each step of the process on the first possible day. Total fees were under $400us

With your passport, FM2 visa, and the same bill that you used for your visa application, you can open a bank account.

Now, you'll have everything you need to prove to a poker site or ewallet that you live in Mexico. You can travel and play wherever you like (except the USA, of course)

Here's a blog post that goes into more detail: http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/livi...mm-fm2-or-fm3/

It would be tricky to pull this off while staying in a hotel, and could be a bit daunting if you don't speak any Spanish. But I suspect the road to legal residency is much easier in Mexico than most other countries.

note: Pokerstars asked me for my landline home phone number in Mexico. I don't know what happens if you don't have this. Have them ring you up in your favorite cantina?

Sounds like a good option for all the American guys here who are looking to move. Not many countries make it that easy to live there permanently.

yeah only problem is that it's gonna be a long drive...
northern part of mexico is very unsafe so you'd probably have to take a plane everytime you wanna play
sounds kind of complicated

Ummm


This would be move to Mexico, not cross the border just to play then cross back when the session is over.

Mexicans welcoming 2+2ers to their country:

Lmao

wouldnt u rather just go back to school and become a doctor or some ****, than move to mexico?

Why did you get the FM2 instead of FM3? I had read on some other forums that the FM3 was easier to get or is that just referring to the fact that you need to show more money in the bank? Also, would you recommend hiring someone to help with the process?

I got the FM2 because it is part of the path to citizenship, which I will likely apply for eventually, and the FM3 is not. For a poker player looking for a quick solution, the FM3 should be fine. However, I think the requirements are the same, and don't know what the advantages are of FM3 over FM2. I'm not an authority on the topic, just a guy who got his FM2.

If you speak some Spanish, or know a Spanish speaker who can help you, I would not recommend hiring someone to help. Its pretty straightforward. If you have no Spanish, hiring someone to help might be worthwhile.

How long is it going to take you to acquire citizenship?

thanks for the info. I'm probably doing this in August when my lease is up

I don't know how long it will take. I think its more than five years.

^ I read through the blog you posted. Really great info, thank you.

Is there any place to live in Mexico that is safe and has the comforts of a big American city? I've only been to the CA border towns but would not feel safe living in any of them...

Merida, Yucatan, where I live, is as safe as any city anywhere. Places on the Caribbean, like Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, see more transients, and more drug traffic, but they still feel safe enough to me. I don't have the firsthand experience to comment on mainland Mexico.

As far as the comforts of a big American city... I guess it depends on what makes you comfortable. In Merida, we have cable internet, a good city bus system, Walmart...

Are you able to open a Neteller account and deposit to poker sites in Mexico as a U.S. citizen?

Yes, with a resident visa, and utility bill, a US citizen can open a Neteller account. You can fund your account with cash at 7 Eleven.