Now it’s easier for U.S educated students to enter Mexico schools

Mexico on Monday enacted a measure meant to help hundreds of thousands of young migrants who have returned from the United States, dropping a requirement that they provide government-certified, translated copies of foreign school records in order to study in Mexico.

Mexico had required records be certified with a seal known as an apostille and be translated by a certified translator in Mexico.

The costly and cumbersome process had discouraged hundreds of thousands of returning migrant children from going to school in Mexico, or meant they could only audit courses without official recognition. Hundreds of thousands of children have returned to Mexico, mainly from the United States, after their parents were deported or chose to return.

The Education Department published changes to the rules on Monday, saying its goal was to make education more accessible. The department also dropped the certified-translation requirements.

“The main problem that migrants face when they try to get school services, is the lack of documents, and the requirement that they get the apostille,” the Education Department said in a press statement. The apostille is a seal issued by state or federal agencies to authenticate government documents, including school records.

The seal costs only about $8 per document, but getting schools to express-mail documents to apostille offices in the U.S., and then on to recipients in Mexico, from outside the country, and then getting them translated, can run into hundreds of dollars.

Berenice Valdez, the public policy coordinator for the non-government? Institute of Women in Migration, told of one returning migrant in the central state of Puebla who earns less than $100 per month and has three children who need to authenticate their U.S. school documents. The woman couldn’t even afford to travel to the state capital to start the process.

“It is a very big problem that prevents access to education for many children,” Valdez said. The institute estimates that about 307,000 foreign-born children were studying in Mexican schools, almost 290,000 of whom were born in the United States.

The number of Mexican-born returning migrant children may be as large or larger.

Many times, returning migrant children are allowed into schools to audit classes, but can’t get official school certificates at the end of the year.

“Our task is to guarantee equal access to educational services … for migrants, who are an extremely vulnerable sector of the population,” said Assistant Education Secretary Javier Trevino. “Our goal is to make sure that access, retention and promotion in the educational system is based only on children’s academic performance.”

Beyond just academics, not being able to get into school makes life more difficult for children already struggling to adjust to a culture and language many of them know little about after years in the United States.

“It had a very strong emotional impact” on migrant children, Valdez noted, “because education is an important part of their integration.”

Why the rules weren’t changed earlier, despite years of pressure from migrant parents, isn’t clear.

“It was bureaucratic inertia,” said Valdez. “Nobody wanted to take the initiative.”

But it appears that other identity documents needed to get health care at public hospitals and clinics may still need to be translated and be certified with an apostille.

Mexico on Monday enacted a measure meant to help hundreds of thousands of young migrants who have returned from the United States, dropping a requirement . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • no-damage-jalisco-hurricane-flossieNo Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico's Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
Scroll to Top