Job Discussion Forums

[roadwalker]

I am seriously considering Chile to teach English, but I have a few questions, mainly about the nuts and bolts of getting legal status to teach. I also have some general questions. If those of you who have some experience in Chile could let me know whether I have it about right regarding the following, I would greatly appreciate it:

1. As a US citizen, I don't need a visa to arrive in Chile, but if I fly to Chile (most likely scenario) I will be required to pay a reciprocity fee equal to a US tourist visa price, currently 130 USD.

2. The best way to find a job in most cases is to just show up, but December to February is extremely slow.

3. A work visa can be had based on a contract with a Chilean school.

4. Here's where I have some questions:

a. Who decides if the qualifications are sufficient: the government or the school?

b. Are there minimum requirements for teaching English by law?

c. Does Chile require apostilled (Hague Convention thingy) for any documents in support of the visa?

5. I should bring the Originals for my degree and Tefl certificate.

6. As I have a passport, there is no need for a birth certificate.

7. Upon finding a job and signing a contract, my priorities should be obtaining a tax number (RUT) and obtaining a visa based on contract. (Is it a visa or a residence permit or do I need both?)

8. It seems simple in terms of requirements to work in Chile: am I missing something?

9. Since I won't be able to arrive until August, or just before, it would be best to find work as soon as possible to get some income and make contacts, and then travel in the gap time approx Dec to Feb.

10. Santiago would be the easiest place to find work quickly if arriving mid year as in 9. above.

Thanks for any help.

[Dia]

Some thoughts I had while reading your post. It seems in general pretty right on but I don't know for sure all the answers

1. The fee is a little over $130 (not a big deal but just in case anybody reading this is packing cash)

2., 3., 5., 6., 8., 9. 10.... Yes., exactly

a. the school obviously decides if your qualifications are sufficient for the job, and the government decides whether you qualify for the visa. the only exception is that its possible a school would be looking to hire you without sponsoring the visa (you shouldn't be allowed to work then if thats your first job, or that would be OK if you already obtained the visa through another school)

b. minimum requirements... no idea. but i've never heard of any or been denied a job for that reason

c. I've never heard anything about that.

7. yes... upon finding the job, you'll first want to go apply for the visa. you can ask for a work permit in the meantime, to start your job. with the visa you will go apply for your Carnet (chilean ID). then (in that order, specifically) you can get set up with your taxes stuff. You need your ID number that is being used for your carnet in order to do the taxes, thats why it must be last, you will come into problems later if you try to go to impuestos internos first because they may try to assign you a different RUT for tax purposes but it needs to be the same.

[roadwalker]

Thanks Dia,

That helps a lot.

[sharkeyv]

Hi roadwalker,

In response to point no. 3, the only visa you qualify for initially to work legally in the country is a 'subject to contract visa'. A decent school will do the paperwork for you and cover most, if not all of the costs.

To reiterate, the work visa MUST be based on a contract with a Chilean school.

The chain of events should run as follows:

Enter country on tourist visa.

Get job in a school.

Sign contract.

Get STC Visa.

Register with International Police.

Apply for ID card.

Good luck.

[Dia]

I don't think that's true: "the only visa you qualify for initially to work legally in the country is a 'subject to contract visa."

Perhaps I missed a detail in his original request but otherwise, even assuming he has no previous ties (ancestors, spouse, etc)... a teacher arriving in Chile can initially get the subject to contract visa OR the temporary visa.

http://www.extranjeria.gov.cl/ingles/

I wont claim to be some sort of visa expert, but thought I'd pull that into question because there might be a reason he might want to look into the temporary visa instead (possibility for permanent residency after 1 year instead of 2 with the subject to contract visa, ability to hold multiple jobs at a time, quit your job without affecting the visa, etc....). Which visa you get may depend on your employer or their contract, however.

[mike30]

You can definitely get a Visa Temporaria without ever having had a visa subject to contract. However, you generally need some sort of business lined up in order to apply for that visa, but it is possible to contract your services to companies as opposed to "working for" a school. A Visa Temporaria costs more than a visa subject to contract, but it leaves you free to work for whomever you wish and to charge whatever you want for your classes (up to what someone will pay you of course.) Once you have a couple decent clients you can make at least triple working independently as opposed to working for a school.

Your best bet, however, is to start working for a language institute, but not to sign any sort of long-term contract. Then you can make contacts and be able to change to a Visa Temporaria in say 5-6 months and then work independently and quit the school. This is the only way to make a non-poverty level salary in Chile. Work for a school and you'll have to work your butt off to make even 600,000 pesos in a month, which isn't enough to REALLY live on.

[sharkeyv]

[roadwalker]

Thanks again Dia and thanks sharkeyv and mike30. That website was really helpful. Chile seems very straight forward. Yeah, I have considered the idea of permanent residence, so a temporary visa would seem better in that regard. On the other hand, I haven't even been south of Mexico before, so satisfaction/suitability is not guaranteed. I'll take the situation as it comes. Again thanks all three for explaining the nuts and bolts of the process. I'm sure I could still screw it up, but it's nice to have an idea of how it is supposed to go.

[Dia]

I'm still not sure what your'e talking about with some of that. I realize process are very "depends on the person/day" though.

Personally, I went in and asked extranjeria what they'd like me to bring and I got my temp visa before my TEFL certificate and Diploma even arrived in the mail in Chile. I've never had either legalized. I imagine they probably have asked other people for the diploma and I just got off easy (as it is listed as a requirement). I did, however, have a notarized contract stating a company would like to contract my services if if I were to receive the visa.

I also have never heard (from anyone ever) about going to Registro civil for an "antecedentes" paper. I definitely didn't do that either.

haha, Mike, I should be so lucky....
but agreed that one of the best ways to make things work is to work independently... which is exactly why it might be advantageous to have that ability, legally.

also... "A Visa Temporaria costs more than a visa subject to contract" I've heard rumors they've raised the price but only heard from people applying in the us, not chile. Mine was free, and the government website still claims its free.
http://www.extranjeria.gov.cl/ingles/filesapp/FEE_CHART.pdf

(however, I would totally understand if they were just slow in updating the site!)

OH, and roadwalker... just expect that things might not go "as they're supposed to"...as you may note from even the 3 of us, nothing is set in stone. Try, go with the flow. I think you'll enjoy it here. Regardless, the visa process requires jumping through a few loops but nothing impossible to perform.

[ghostdog]

Go for a visa temporaria if you possibly can. It's the difference between being a free person or an indentured servant, tied to one of the language schools, who will own you body and soul.

The process is not difficult -- it's mostly a matter of gathering documents and posting them, then waiting for a reply (or checking the migra website). The most difficult thing to get is a contract -- most schools push the STC visa specifically because it ties you to them, but not them to you. But if you can get some part-time hours with someone, try to talk them into giving you a contract and allowing you to apply for a visa temporaria on your own. Also, whether or not Migra accept your papers is something of a lucky dip. I would simply have your uni degree and teaching cert notarized locally and not bother with the whole authentication process -- it worked for me.

Visa costs depend (or used to, anyway) on the passport you hold. The migra website, as noted above, has a chart showing fees. The visa temporaria is more expensive than the STC visa, unless you have a passport from a country which has a free trade agreement with Chile (like the US), in which case there may be no fee in either case.

[mike30]