So I went to the Consulate Mexico in Calgary and it was a very pleasant experience:
1. The Consulate is accessible: not like some other consulate, you can take the elevator to the 4th floor at 407 2 St SW #400 to the consulate office directly.
2. The young lady at the front desk is very friendly and speaks perfect English.
3. This is what I understood about visa requirements based on what she told me:
– Temp residence visa is needed only if you plan on spending more than 6 months a year in Mexico. Otherwise, your visa will not be renewed the following year.
– Perm residence visa: only if you are retired and plan on moving to Mexico; or if you have lived in Mexico for more than 6 months per year for more than 4 years.
– Business visa: You need to initiate the process in Mexico by getting a work permit from Mexico corporation. Then finish the paperwork for the visa in your home country, then go to Mexico to get the residence card.
She did mention that if you are not taking salary from the Mexico corporation, it’s ok for you to go their on tourist visa.
Hope this clarifies some of the confusion.
BTW, the lady at the consulate also said it usually only takes a day for them to process an application for temp visa. That’s a very good news.