The number of U.S. citizens living in Mexico has soared — with more than 8,000 receiving temporary residency in just the first nine months of this year.

From January through September, a record 8,400 U.S. citizens were granted temporary residency in Mexico — the highest number for that time period since 2010, when Mexico began tracking those statistics

Numbers dipped in 2020, at the start of the pandemic, but have risen steadily since, likely due to an increasing number of people working remotely from Mexico.

Mexico City is the top destination, with more than 1,600 U.S. citizens receiving the temporary status in the capital city in the first nine months of this year, according to federal data. Followed by Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur. Neighboring Sonora issued the eighth highest number of such visas, at nearly 300.

The number of U.S. citizens who received permanent residency in Mexico was also up this year. More than 5,400 people from the U.S. were given permanent resident status.

The real number of U.S. citizens living in and working from Mexico, however, is likely much higher, as many enter the country on tourist visas.