Job Discussion Forums

srp · Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 30 Location: Buenos Aires

I'm getting ready to graduate college (in the US) this May, and I'm planning on teaching english in a spanish speaking country so I can improve my spanish (my spanish is already decent, but I have some work to do to get fluent). I'm finding tons of info online, but I'm having trouble sorting it all out.

Do I get certified in America before I leave or do I do it once I get to the other country (right now I'm looking mainly at Argentina and Chile)?

How do I get a work visa? Is this taken care of before I leave or once I'm there?

Do I need a work visa? I've been reading that a lot of people just keep renewing the traveller visa by leaving the country every 3 months - what would be the advantage to this?

Thanks for any info anyone could give me.

ps - i put the same question in the general discussion forum, but i realized this is probably a better place for it

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

The answers to your questions vary from country to country...

My suggestion would be to get your certificate before leaving the USA so that you have something useful on your resume to show to potential employers.

BUT... There are schools all over the world. If you were set on, say, Mexico, you could attend a reputable training school there - and the schools often have placement programs.

Work visas are USUALLY obtained in the country - but this depends on the country.

Some people work illegally on a visitors visa because the process to get a work visa is difficult or expensive. Again, this depends on the country.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Many, many people work on solely their toursit visas, and yes, cross the border every 90 or 180 days for a three day weekend and returning. While this is not the most advisable option, it is available.

Chile can be very strict on work visas. The supposed rouine involves not only regular paperwork (transcripts, apostille, degree, etc) but also requires that you obtain a letter from the police chief of the city you live in clearing you as a 'decent citizen'. I've never seen anyone actually go to that length though.

In Argentina, it's most coomon to take trips every 90 days like you say, to Uruguay.

In any case, as posted earlier, it is more common AND far easier to obtain working papers from within a country, rather than go through the embassy in your own country. Some kind of Murphy's Law in Latin America.

Phil_b · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 239 Location: Back in London

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

That's why I referred to it as Murphy's Law. Every Latin American country has an 'official' policy that you get at their embassies abroad. Truth on the ground in Latin America is almost always different. I gather that this is to keep some kind of control on the information. Obviosly, the governments would like as much info as they can get on who's traveling about, so the embassy gathers as much as they can. But at the same time, it's easy to arrive as a tourist and start the process from within.

Of course, this doesn't apply to every nationality. Canadians, Americans, the Irish, Brits, Aussies and Kiwis get an easy ride. Most others do not. I just went through a devli of a time working out how to get a Russian woman into Mexico via Canada...there's also a man from Ivory Coast here in Mexico who is getting a difficult time getting the paperwork done from Mexico City.

I don't advise or condone entering countries illegally. I'm only saying that the embassy gives you one story. Often, there are other methods.

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

You were lucky in that a school did most of the work for you. That makes it easier. Not everyone gets that chance.

I didn't know about the HIV test...I wonder if they still require that?

Marcethebest · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 60 Location: Argentina

Hello!!

I don�t think you would be required an HIV test before your trip, but if you can have it , bring it just in case. If I were you, I would also take a birth certificate and a police record from the place where I live, everything with the so called "Apostille" from La Haya. But if you have any doubt, you should consult the embassy and they will tell you all the requirements. I live in Argentina and my husband is american, he didn�t have a working visa, but he got a permanent residence because he married me and we , then, got a baby Very Happy

Good luck and let us know how you got everything ! Wink

And, if you happened to decide to come to Argentina, then... WELCOME! Wink

You�ll see argentines are very nice and friendly people, and it�s said that we have very beautiful women also Shocked

Good trip and enjoy your stay wherever you decide to go! Wink

anospi · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 4:52 am Post subject:

What about working visas in South East Asia? I'm planning on finding work in Cambodia, Laos or Thailand, and am still a little confused as to what I should do. Some people tell me that you cannot get a working visa without a letter from an employer. They go on to say it's impossible to change a tourist visa to a working visa once you're in the particular country, so once you're offered a job, you have to leave the country and apply for a working visa! That sounds a little strange!

Then again, well for Cambodia anyway, I'm told you can get a Business visa at the border (not sure about the embassy) simply by paying a little more!

What do I do! I fly to Bangkok tomorrow! Do I approach one of the travel agents down Khao San, fork out extra and go to the Cambodian embassy, or simply try my luck at the border?!