Moving from Mexico to United States
Moving from Mexico to United States: Mexico passport holders get visa required for short stays and need a residence permit to settle. United States is about 114% pricier than Mexico, around $3,000/month for one person. Citizenship takes about 5 years of residence.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Visa & entry
Visa required for short visits. To settle you'll need a residence route:
- EB-5 / E-2 investor — EB-5 invests ~$800k for a green card; E-2 suits treaty-country entrepreneurs.
Documents & apostille
Single apostille each end. Both countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention — one apostille from Mexico makes your documents valid in United States.
Where in Mexico: for state documents the Secretaría de Gobierno of the issuing state; for federal documents the Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB / DICOPPU) — official source
↳ United States: Apostilles are issued per-state, not federally; many states require county clerk certification first, and federal/foreign-issued docs go to the US Dept of State
Check each document →Cost, tax & salary
United States is 114% more expensive than Mexico — around $3,000/mo vs $1,400/mo for one person.
Citizenship & residency
Green card is sponsorship-based (employment/family), not a fixed residence period; then 5 yrs as LPR to naturalise (English + civics test).
Your path to a passport →Arrival checklist
- Register your address: None — no residency registry; but non-citizens must report each address change to USCIS via Form AR-11 within 10 days of moving
- Get a tax number: SSN (if work-authorized) or ITIN (if not eligible for an SSN)
- Residence permit: Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) for immigrants; nonimmigrant skilled migrants hold a visa + Form I-94 admission record (and EAD if applicable)
- Healthcare: No universal enrollment — employer-sponsored plan, or buy coverage on the ACA Marketplace (healthcare.gov); Medicaid only if eligible
Status is granted before arrival (visa/I-94), so no address↔permit deadlock. Main sequence: enter → apply for SSN (needs work authorization; ~1-2 weeks) → SSN unlocks banking/credit; a lease/bank account usually accepts passport+visa in the interim.
Your move, step by step →Driving
Varies by state (no federal system). A few states exchange test-free with select countries only (e.g. Germany, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Canada); most states (e.g. NY, California) have no foreign reciprocity — all origins retest.
Rules are 100% state-level; most states require full retest for foreign drivers regardless of home country. Reciprocity exists only in specific states for specific countries. Check your destination state's DMV. Foreign licence valid only during short grace period after residency.
Exchange your licence →Pets
- Microchip: Dogs: required, ISO 11784/11785 (scannable universal); rabies vax must be after chip. Cats: not federally required.
- Rabies: Dogs from high-risk rabies countries: valid rabies vax required; if first dose, dog >=12 wks at vax and >=28 days before entry. Dogs from low-risk/free countries: no rabies vax required by CDC. Cats: not federally required (some states require).
- Quarantine: None if compliant; healthy animals admitted. High-risk-country dogs lacking valid titer may be sent to a CDC-registered facility for quarantine/revaccination at owner cost.
United States — quick facts
Start your move from Mexico to United States
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