Mexico Work Permit vs Vietnam

Mexico has no work visa you can get on your own. Every legal work route runs through a Mexican employer: the employer registers with the National Immigration Institute (INM), requests work authorisation, and only then does the worker apply at a Mexican consulate abroad. Arrive first and sort it out later is not an option — Mexico abolished in-country change of status from tourist to worker years ago.

Vietnam vs Mexico: the philosophy

Vietnam’s work-permit system (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, effective 7 August 2025) centres on the foreign worker’s qualifications — experts need a university degree plus at least 2 years of relevant experience — with the employer justifying its foreign-labour demand and filing at the provincial Department of Home Affairs, alongside a domestic recruitment notification. Mexico flips the emphasis to the employer’s sponsorship capacity: the company must hold a valid Constancia de Inscripcion de Empleador (employer registration), proving legal incorporation and tax/labour compliance, before it can sponsor anyone. The worker’s credentials matter at the consulate, but the gate is the employer’s file.

The five-step route

1. Employer registers with INM (Constancia de Inscripcion de Empleador) — typically 2–3 weeks. 2. Employer defines the role — job description, salary, justification for a foreign hire. 3. Employer files the work-authorisation request (solicitud de tramite) with INM. 4. INM approves and issues a NUT (Numero Unico de Tramite) — the unique processing number. 5. Worker applies at a Mexican consulate in their country of residence with passport, forms, photos, the NUT authorisation and fees — then, after entry, exchanges the visa for a Temporary Resident Card at INM within 30 days. The card carries both residence and work rights; it’s renewable up to four years, then permanent residence opens.

Practical guidance

Start 2–3 months before the intended start date — INM runs on its own clock. Short assignments under 180 days can use a visitor visa with permission for paid activities, but misclassification is a classic rejection trigger. An employer of record (EOR) can sponsor where it is the legal employer, within Mexico’s subcontracting limits. Never work on tourist status — fines and deportation follow.

Checklist

Confirm INM employer registration is current.
Prepare role justification and salary evidence.
File early — allow 2–3 months.
Use the NUT at the correct consulate.
Exchange the visa for the resident card within 30 days of entry.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert a tourist visa to a work visa inside Mexico?

No. Mexico eliminated in-country change of status — you must obtain the work visa at a consulate before entering.

What is the NUT?

The Numero Unico de Tramite: INM’s unique processing number issued on approval of the employer’s work-authorisation request, used for the consular visa application.

How long does the Temporary Resident Card last?

One year initially, renewable up to four years total; after four years, permanent residence becomes available.

Can an EOR sponsor work visas?

Often yes — the EOR is the legal employer in Mexico and can hold the INM registration, subject to subcontracting rules.

What about assignments under 180 days?

A visitor visa with permission to perform paid activities covers short stints, but the activity must genuinely fit — don’t use it to dodge the resident route.

Mexico’s gate is the employer’s file, not the worker’s CV. Contact FLAT Law Firm to open it.

This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council