Buen Trabajo en Buenos Aires: To Live and Work in Argentina

Since I’m here in Argentina, seemed like as good a time as any to write about what it actually takes to live and work in Argentina. Right now, the big trend among the American and European nouveau riche (and the wannabes) is to snag low-cost lofts and apartments in Buenos Aires as second homes. These folks don’t have to worry about earning a living to enjoy la vida fabulosa en Argentina, but you might. So, I thought I’d give you the specifics on what you’ll need in order to relocate to this South American paradise (Two summers, amazing amount of indigenous wildlife, Patagonia, the Pampas, easy access to comforts similar to those at home, relatively low cost of living, sexy nightlife, great food, fair amount of diversity and more).

Here goes. Here’s everything you need in order to find and land a job in Argentina.

First, you’ll need to find a job. Most of the major job boards have sites that focus on jobs abroad (Check out Monster). Staffing companies are also great resources because they offer more than just job listings; they often assist you with navigating the legal bits required when attempting to secure work in a foreign country. Manpower and Adecco are particularly reputable.

Jobs for foreigners are in short supply, so you’ll need to hedge your bets a bit: Fluent Spanish is required (Many people here speak English, but not well enough to navigate technical business conversations). International work experience in South America, or a Spanish-speaking country would be nice too. But, if all that would take too many years to amass, fluent Spanish and a willingness to work for free (as an intern) or for an Argentinian wage (nearly free) will do.

Internships and “Teach English” jobs abound. The miniscule wages (minimum wage is AR$350-AR$450/month; average wage is AR$539/month) are almost worth the opportunity to garner valuable in-country work experience, learn the language and navigate the red tape.

You can skip the red tape by getting a job with a U.S.-based company with an office in Argentina. Best case scenario, your current employer has or plans to open an office in Argentina and you lobby for the opportunity to work on a project there. Your employer will take care of the red tape. You arrive on Argentinian soil with a job, and likely, a pre-arranged and paid for living situation and a bigger paycheck than your Argentinian counterparts. This is the best of all worlds.

If your company does not have an international arm, research U.S.-based companies with Argentinian offices (Check out this list of U.S. companies). I’ve noted offices for Intel, DDB, DAS (an OmniCom company) and Google.

Once you’ve found a job and aced the interview, you’ll need a job offer. Sounds like a “duh!”, but you need a written job offer in order to secure your visa.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO SECURE A VISA

Labour contract with your new employer
Signed employment agreement (To be signed in front of consul)
Birth certificate translated into Spanish by a certified translator
Birth certificate for each of your children
Marital certificate, also translated (if you intend to bring your spouse)
Passport good for at least 18 months
Passports for all accompanying family members
Passports for other family members who will accompany you
Once in Argentina, you’ll need a National Identity Document (DNI) and a Unique Code for Work Identification (CUIL)

Other bits you need to know.

There are 3 types of visas:

(1) Article 29(e): Short-term work visa, good for up to 30 days

(2) Article 15(E) Labor Contract-Temporary Residence Visa: Longer-term visa for employees and interns, good for 6-12 months

(3) Article 15(E) Secondment-Temporary Residence Visa: Visa for employees working for foreign companies (i.e. U.S.-based companies), good for 6-12 months, no labor contract required

Working hours in Argentina: Legal maximum for working hours is 8 hours/day, 44 hours/week for regular work; 42 hours/week for night work; or 36 hours/week for hazardous work. No work is permitted on Saturday afternoon or on Sunday.
Pay: Average annual gross salary for Argentinian engineers is $10,500/year. The highest average wages are paid in the Ushuaia-Rio Grande region (AR$852.5/month). Employees are entitled to a yearly bonus equal to 1 month’s pay (half paid in June, half paid in December). Employees are entitled to OT pay equal to 50% of regular pay when they work more than 8 hours/day or 44 hours/week Monday-Saturday at 1pm and 100% of their regular pay thereafter and on public holidays.
Restrictions: Employers are restricted from employing women 45 days before and 45 days after childbirth.