DM jobs in Playa del Carmen - or Mexico in General?

[Honeybuck]

Anybody know anything about the possibilities of finding a job as a Divemaster in Playa Del Carmen or in Mexico in general?

Yours sincerely
Bucket of honey

 

[Christi]

Anybody know anything about the possibilities of finding a job as a Divemaster in Playa Del Carmen or in Mexico in general?

Yours sincerely
Bucket of honey

Don't get your hopes up:

1. Immigration doesn't issue FM3's (work VISA) for foreign DM's - and rarely for instructors anymore
2. In order to be a dive guide here, you must have marine park credentials by taking a course with the marine park - this requires a legal work VISA as a DM/Instructor
3. Cozumel has an abundance of qualified Mexican Nationals with years of experience diving these reefs, so reputable and law abiding operators are not going to hire a foreigner with no experience here or legal working papers and risk being fined by immigration
4. If you ARE able to find a shop to sponsor you (sponsor required), they must have a ratio of 10 MX Nationals to every foreigner...there aren't many dive shops that have enough employees to justify even one foreigner

Sorry, don't mean to rain on your parade...but if it was easy for a foreigner to get a job as a DM here, everyone would be doing it. This is just the reality and I actually applaud the MX Government for protecting their own in this regard.

And honestly, these reasons are only scratching the surface of why it is so difficult/unlikely for a foreigner to obtain work in the diving industry here....I could write a whole page or two of all of the requirements/obstacles etc.

 

[BrewingDiver]

We dove in La Paz last year, and there seemed to be many foreigners serving as DMs. I wondered how that could be. We had an American and Dutch for sure, plus there was at least one Japanese.

 

[Christi]

We dove in La Paz last year, and there seemed to be many foreigners serving as DMs. I wondered how that could be. We had an American and Dutch for sure, plus there was at least one Japanese.

I can't speak for La Paz...but it is probably a combination of a lax immigration office there, lack of qualified MX National DM's, and La Paz isn't as popular of a destination as Cozumel...and not as competitive a market. The immigration office here is really focused on making sure that only foreigners who are willing to make a long-term commitment and contributing back to the culture financially and legally are granted legal working status.

 

[BrewingDiver]

I can't speak for La Paz...but it is probably a combination of a lax immigration office there, lack of qualified MX National DM's, and La Paz isn't as popular of a destination as Cozumel...and not as competitive a market. The immigration office here is really focused on making sure that only foreigners who are willing to make a long-term commitment and contributing back to the culture financially and legally are granted legal working status.

That was my impression, too. Basically, it sounded like there just were not enough Mexican National DMs to fill the needs. BTW, I, too, agree with the government for protecting the citizens in this way, given the unemployment rate.

 

[Honeybuck]

All right, thanks for the advice. And you don't rain on any parades, don't worry. I am merely narrowing down where to go for the winter. I thought something like this would be the case of Mexico though... Anyway I saw pictures of the diving there and it's definetely staying on my To Dive list for sure

And yea yea the MX government are in reality sweet guys protecting the people and all.

Yours sincerely
Bucket of H

 

[river_sand_bar]

The immigration office here is really focused on making sure that only foreigners who are willing to make a long-term commitment and contributing back to the culture financially and legally are granted legal working status.

I hate to say this... But I sure wish the US Governement was the same way about jobs here.