The 10 Best Cozumel Boat Tours & Water Sports - TripAdvisor
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a little off topic but thought id ask , Christi .....what is the penalty if you get working illegally in Cozumel as a scuba instructor ? I know a couple of people do it all winter and there seems to be no problem .....I have an offer to work there this winter with no paperwork and paying me here not in mexico
You are an invasive species. You will be speared like a lionfish and fed to the grouper.
I can't imagine Christi would help you to do something she's clearly condemning upthread.
sorry guess that came off wrong ......I just know at least 3 people here on scuba board doing it so I thought it was just a wink and nod thing .....guess its not
WetInPortland
Contributor
WetInPortland
Contributor
Short version - if you're lucky and avoid jail time, deportation and likely banned from ever entering Mexico again in the future. Also keep in mind that your dive instructor liability insurance probably has a clause requiring you to comply with all local laws, so if there's an accident, you're likely on your own.
As a tourist, the presumption is that you won't be performing work that could be done by someone legally allowed to do so, even if it's structured to look like you're doing it for free. And beyond that, if the authorities start looking into it, who's going to believe that you're giving away your service? The Mexican police/justice system can be slow (mostly because they're understaffed), but they aren't stupid.
For a longer discussion, take a look at this blog article: Why you can't just move to Mexico and get a job
WetinPortland - THANK YOU! Very well said.
@abnfrog: Aside from it just NOT being "cool", I echo every single word said above by wetinportland
I know some people get away with it from time to time and have been more prevalently over the past few years, but I will tell you that will be coming to an abrupt halt - this is imminent! There was already an immigration raid a month or so ago in Fonatur (the new marina) where officials were checking papers and at least 3 people were deported (ranging from 5 years to lifetime deportation) and heavily fined. Not only is the individual fined and deported (required to leave within 24 hours) the business is also fined heavily. More of this will be coming as well as penalties from other authorities for having "illegal" workers on board. Where you are paid is nothing but a facade of working illegally. The fact is that you would be taking work away from a local - not ok. No different than USA wanting only documented workers who pay taxes, no different here.
Finally, any operation that is a member of the newly established ANOAAT (watersports association) is prohibited from hiring undocumented workers - there are currently 32-35 operations who are members of ANOAAT.
@WetInPortland: The marine park is actually putting together a very tourist friendly website that will launch when the new permits for the next 2 years (we renew every 2 years) are issued November 1. This website will not only provide a list of authorized boats, but it will have pictures and links to each operation who is legally permitted. There will also be decals on permitted boats as well as special flags with permit numbers on them to prevent copying.
There are a lot of positive changes in the pipeline to maintain the safety, standards, procedures and integrity of the Cozumel dive industry.
@abnfrog: Aside from it just NOT being "cool", I echo every single word said above by wetinportland
I know some people get away with it from time to time and have been more prevalently over the past few years, but I will tell you that will be coming to an abrupt halt - this is imminent! There was already an immigration raid a month or so ago in Fonatur (the new marina) where officials were checking papers and at least 3 people were deported (ranging from 5 years to lifetime deportation) and heavily fined. Not only is the individual fined and deported (required to leave within 24 hours) the business is also fined heavily. More of this will be coming as well as penalties from other authorities for having "illegal" workers on board. Where you are paid is nothing but a facade of working illegally. The fact is that you would be taking work away from a local - not ok. No different than USA wanting only documented workers who pay taxes, no different here.
Finally, any operation that is a member of the newly established ANOAAT (watersports association) is prohibited from hiring undocumented workers - there are currently 32-35 operations who are members of ANOAAT.
@WetInPortland: The marine park is actually putting together a very tourist friendly website that will launch when the new permits for the next 2 years (we renew every 2 years) are issued November 1. This website will not only provide a list of authorized boats, but it will have pictures and links to each operation who is legally permitted. There will also be decals on permitted boats as well as special flags with permit numbers on them to prevent copying.
There are a lot of positive changes in the pipeline to maintain the safety, standards, procedures and integrity of the Cozumel dive industry.
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