Story at a glance
- A new report from the Mexican federal government shows more than 8,000 Americans were granted temporary resident visas in the first nine months of 2022.
- That number represents an 85 percent jump from 2019 numbers.
- Many of the newcomers are remote workers who are able to get more for the U.S. dollar abroad.
The number of Americans living in Mexico is booming.
A total of 8,412 temporary resident visas have been issued to Americans in the first nine months of this year, according to data released by Mexico’s Interior Ministry.
That number represents a nearly 85 percent increase from 2019 numbers and marks the highest migration figure since Mexico began tracking the statistics in 2010, according to Mexico News Daily.
In the year before COVID-19 reached the United States, the Mexican government gave 4,550 temporary resident visas to Americans between January and September.
Fewer of those visas were issued in 2020 given the due to COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions.
But the next year was marked by a boost in Americans going south of the border with a total of 6,838 temporary resident visas issued, or a 50 percent increase from 2019.
Data show that a large portion of Americans traveling south are making their way to the capital of Mexico City.
The number of Americans receiving permanent residencies in Mexico has also gone up this year, according to a report from the Interior Ministry, with more than 5,400 permanent residencies have been granted. This is a 48 percent increase from 2019.
Many of the newcomers from the U.S. to Mexico are remote workers who have been granted a new freedom to choose where the live.
For U.S. workers living in Mexico has its perks, but many locals are worried that the influx of foreigners will exacerbate inflation and deepen the divide between how the rich and poor live.
The number of Americans living in Mexico is most likely higher since many enter the country as tourists but end up living in the country.
Typically, Americans visiting the country can get a tourist visa, which allows them to stay in the country for six consecutive months and will extend the visa by going back to the U.S for a few days then returning to Mexico on a new tourist visa.
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