Jobs and Employment for Expats
Things have certainly changed here in Costa
Rica since I came here 12 years ago!
I was 38 years young when I got here, and at that time I was
in a distinct minority, especially when longtime residents are considered! Most of the permanent, long time residents
were in the pensionado category, which meant they were either
on a pension or disability. Most were in
their 60’s at least, and many were older.
Then, of course, there were all of those “snowbirds” from Canada
and the northern US. They came down here
to Costa Rica
usually in January with the start of the dry season, and left in March, April,
or May.
So, most of the expats I had
acquaintance with were older and on a pension, and had a lot of time on their
hands to sit and drink coffee at their favorite coffee shop across from the
park in Heredia, which was a major “hang out,” or
elsewhere in an environment where they could sit and chat all day and watch the
beautiful Ticas walk by.
There were, of course, some younger guys or gals who were in
some kind of business for themselves as they had no pension to support them,
but even most of these were in their late 40’s to mid 50’s, meaning that once
again I was still one of the youngest ones in the crowd.
In the last 5 years or so, all of that has changed
dramatically! Now, we have much younger,
working age people coming down here, some of them still with kids in tow. And then there are also plenty of younger
ones still who are almost still kids themselves, in their 20’s who are really
looking for a job or something to do.
And, Costa Rica
right now needs LOTS of people who speak fluent English and can’t seem to find
enough. In fact, I read an article a
month or two ago that said that the call centers that have sprung up all over
the country all of a sudden will have a
deficit of about 7,000 fluent or native English speakers by the end of the
year!
WOW, how things have changed! When I got here there were no call centers,
no sportsbooks or anything of that sort. Now, they are all over the place and they
can’t get enough English speakers, which might actually put a break on the
whole shebang unless this country addresses this problem fairly soon. After all, these international call centers
have jobs to fill, and if they can’t fill them, they will have to ship those
jobs off to The Phillipines or India
or somewhere like that!
And, the problem really seems to be that there are not even
enough qualified English teachers to fill the void. This would seem to make for a lot of good job
possibilities, especially for the younger crowd who don’t mind the low pay.
Pay Scale Sticker Shock
What is really hilarious from time to time is the Gringo or Gringa who comes to Costa Rica thinking that they can make about
as much as they do back home working at a local job here.
WRONG!
The first surprise for the uninitiated is the low pay scale
of the local market.
To give you a perspective, PROFESSIONALS often make only
about $1,000.00/ month here, and lower level employees generally earn even
less! The lowest of the low, maids,
gardeners, and security guards, for example, will be lucky to make
$400.00/month – very lucky! Some will
subsist on about $2-300.00/month, and, frankly I have no idea how they “make ends
meet.” I guess they eat almost nothing
but rice and beans, especially considering that most of them have large
families to support.
But of course, you as the typical expat
won’t be applying for jobs like those, I would imagine. But still, you are going to have to lower
your expectations considerably, as well as your cost of living.
My suggestion if you are going to live off of local work,
you should try to live as close to the regular Tico
lifestyle as you can. Usually, an expat can live on about $800-1,000.00 per month if you
adjust your lifestyle and living location.
You aren’t going to get an Escazu mansion on
those salaries, that’s for sure. In
fact, you should consider the east side of town, except for most of San Pedro
or Curridabat, which can also be fairly
expensive. You will have to set your
digs somewhere else – or find roommates if you are single.
In fact, that’s what a lot of people do here who are single
and working – they share a house or apartment with other people and so can live
perhaps in a more expensive and upscale area than they could living by
themselves.
But what kind of JOBS can you expect to get?
Teaching English is one, but, despite the shortage of
teachers, the pay is still relatively low.
Expect about $800.00/ month tops, depending on your hours and payscale. I think
the reason the pay is still so low in teaching despite the shortage of teachers
is the fact that local students can only afford to pay so much, which puts a
ceiling on how much the teachers can get paid.
And even with tuition low by our standards, some students can barely
afford their lessons even then, so the chances of the teacher’s pay going up a
lot are pretty slim.
The other main profession that young expats
go to is call centers where they are in high demand. Sportsbooks used to
be the main employer of these people, but, since many of them have packed p and
left due to lack of support from this government, other call centers are
rapidly becoming the only choices.
And there are lots of those now, thanks to all of the
multinational corporations locating here for customer service and support
functions.
Procter and Gamble, HP, Fujitsu…. The list goes on and on,
and reads like a who’s who of major corporations. There are lots here and more coming everyday.
And then, there are the others. You know, the
companies that do telemarketing for all kinds
of things from pharmaceuticals to financial services to real estate. They are on the second rung and have to offer
more incentives to get people to work for them.
While some of the big boys in the last paragraph might only pay you
about $3.50/hr. plus bonuses for work that includes the weekends [I am not
joking, last year when I was looking at the local job market, that’s one of the
jobs that I found but did not take], the other companies, because they involve
sales, which most people hate to do, will pay you maybe $5.00/hr. plus
sometimes a nice commission so that maybe you will make between $1-2,000.00/
month for a 60 hour week. And THAT is a
very nice monthly paycheck in this country!
By the way, for the most part, FORGET about doing any
professional work here which requires a license, even if you manage to get
legal work permission! Each profession
has its own colegio, or professional association, which you
MUST be a certified member of to practice your profession.
I don’t care if you are a great doctor, lawyer, engineer,
accountant, etc., for the most part you will NOT be able to “transfer your
license” here because the regulations stipulate in most cases that you must
graduate from a local university. Of
course, if you are a really SPECIAL doctor and they really need you, they might
just make an exception – but then, you would have to deal with the local pay
scale, which even for doctors is peanuts compared to what you would be used to
making back home, unless you were in private practice, but then, they probably
wouldn’t give you the exception. They
would probably only give you such a waiver if you agreed to work for one of the
Caja, or state run hospitals for X number of
years, etc. Even then, I’m still not
sure if you could do it.
OK, I have painted a pretty broad picture here, now, we need
to talk about the legal issues, and some ways to get around them. It isn’t easy to legally work here, but there
are some ways.
Legal Issues
Now we come to the point where the rubber meets the
road. There are only a few ways for you
to legally work in this country, and most of them aren’t all that easy.
1. Permanent Residency
You have permanent residency without restrictions. This eliminates anyone in the pensionado or rentista classifications
automatically, as they specifically state that you may NOT work. That leaves permanent residents without
restrictions and investor class residencies.
It is beyond the scope of this section to go deeply into the
residency issues. For full details,
simply click on the link in the left hand column to our chapter on residency,
where all of this will be explained in gory detail.
And, by the way, you most definitely may not legally work on
a tourist visa.
2. Work Permit
You or your employer has applied for and received a work permit for you. In most job categories, this is almost
impossible. But, I have heard that
language schools are now having a great deal of luck doing this, although not
all. If you go the route of teaching
English, you might want to ask your future employer if they can get this for
you, as it will be a load off your mind to be working legally instead of
otherwise.
Years ago, this wasn’t the case, and almost ALL English
teachers were working here illegally as tourists. Which meant that if immigration had a raid on
the school, the gringos could be seen running out the back door real fast, and
I am not joking.
It also is possible to get work permission if you have some
technical skill this country really needs, or if you are a corporate executive
for one of the “big boys,” as they get a small “allowance” of people they can
hire in this way to help administer the company or do some other important
task.
3. Own Your Own Local Buisness This is the way most local expats “work” because you are allowed to be in business for
yourself, which is not technically considered working. You normally form a local corporation, and
you, as the owner and or president of the company, can legally draw dividends
from the profits the company makes. This
means you are NOT being paid a salary, you are working for “free” for your own
company and taking out dividends, which is legal.
If you want to set something like this up, I have extensive
legal contacts that can help you get this going fairly fast. Please contact us at our Customer Service
email address for more details by clicking here .
Please see our chapter on doing business in Costa
Rica for additional information.
4. Telecommuting This is a very popular option among many
of the middle aged expats coming here. Many had a good paying job back home, and got
their employer to agree to let them telecommute over the internet. This is an option here now, because in the
last 5 years, high speed internet has become easier and easier to get and
cheaper and cheaper. You can also do freelance work from home. There is a section below explaining how to
get started in this fun and exciting career choice. This is legal for you to do because you are
not working for a local company, and usually being paid either remotely or by
check. In any case, your income is coming
from outside the country, which makes it fine with no local tax consequences,
as all money earned from outside the country is tax free here. When you add to this your exemption for
living outside your home country for a certain period of time, you might be
able to have your cake and eat it too with this exciting choice! [Each country
has different rules. If in doubt, talk
to competent tax advice from your home country, as each country is radically
different.]
Working Illegally
For years, many of the especially younger or more broke of
the expats living here, primarily as perpetual
tourists [PT’s], have chosen to work illegally.
To this days, MANY of the call centers, especially sportsbooks and those in sales or other jobs difficult to
fill, have only been able to fill their positions by hiring illegal
aliens. I applied for a couple of such
jobs over a year ago now while I was testing the local job market, and at all
of these operations I would have been the ONLY legal gringo working there!
Since there is such a deficit of proficient English speakers
in this country, if you look you most certainly CAN find something – but there
are risks involved.
The biggest risk is that if you are caught working
illegally, you can be deported and not be allowed to return for up to 10
years. As mentioned above, English
teaching has been another big source of “underground jobs” for those who need
them.
But you will have none of the protections of the labor laws
here, have the constant risk of deportation, and other potential problems. So, the bottom line is that it is better to
work at something you can do LEGALLY rather than take the risk. This is much easier if you have a little bit
of cash, a computer, and a high speed internet connection so you can
telecommute, or maybe a little more
money and a good work ethic so that you can start your own business.
And, your business doesn’t have to be something big or
fancy. You can simply incorporate and
then offer whatever skills you have independently as your own business
person. So, for exmple,
instead of working as an English teacher for someone else, you could offer
private lessons through your own company to individuals or groups. The first would be illegal while the second
is perfectly legal.
For more details and ideas, feel free to email us at our
customer service address.
Innovative Ways to Work Legally
If you just use your imagination, you can probably come up
with some ideas yourself, but, below you will find some suggestions and
resources for getting yourself set up so you have enough money coming in to
live in paradise!
Freelance Work and
Telecommuting
More and more people are jumping ship on the corporate rat
race and working from home on their own computer! Some are working a job “telecommuting” for
one or maybe two employers. They log into
their work at the virtual office and do customer service, telemarketing,
and other tasks that can be done over the internet. With VOIP, this
makes it even easier, and most employers have their own system set up. For those who don’t, you may need to sign up
with Vonage, Skype or some other service where the
prices are low so that you can make and receive all the calls you need to.
The trick, of course, is to either find that job or start
getting those assignments. Below you
will find some sites and / or books that we recommend on this subject. Good luck, and remember, once you get set
up, you can work from ANYWHERE in the world!
This will give you the flexibility to live were
you want, and, often, set your own hours while you work from the comfort of
your own home.
Here are some resources for you:
Go Freelance
(formerly Freelance Work Exchange)
Instant Access to
Thousands of Work-at-Home Jobs
The Best Place to Find Freelance Jobs Online Today
Just imagine...working
from home, earning a high income, working around your personal schedule,
selecting only projects that interest you...doesn't the life of a freelancer
sound great? For many millions of people, this kind of lifestyle is already a
reality. Countless people have fired their boss, moved to where the quality of
life is better and started having fun through a work-at-home freelance career.
And the great news is, you can do the same - and you can start today. Whatever
your skills and expertise, you can be sure that there is a demand for them in
the freelance market. But where would you find the jobs and projects you need
to succeed? And where can you find the advice, information and support you need
to get started?
Recommended Site – Go Freelance
No problem. There are a number of web sites that specialize in helping
freelancers to find work and make money. We've reviewed the best of them, and
have no hesitation in recommending Go Freelance.
This site has been established for a number of years, and has a great record of
matching freelancers with projects. Wherever you are in the world, you can
apply for jobs and projects, most of which can be undertaken remotely from your
home location.
Thousands of Fresh Jobs and Projects
Just check out the jobs database, and you will find hundreds of fresh freelance
jobs to choose from, plus a wealth of advice and information.
All these jobs and many more are available for you to apply for right now.
Believe it or not, you can sign up for membership for just $2.95, and get
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Best of all, there are many new jobs and projects every day, so you need
never be short of freelance or work at home jobs again.
Earn $3000 per week, working from home. Get instant access
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start. 
New Age Work at Home
Plan
Here’s a freebie! Can’t beat that. Get
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Work from Home as a
Virtual Assistant
Use your secretarial and administrative skills to work from
home over the internet. This eye opening
ebook gives you all of the tips and tricks you need
to break into this lucrative work from home field.
Click here for
full details.
ESL Job Finder
Wouildn’t you like to know who to
contact at schools around the world?
Which schools might be best for you?
Did you know the best jobs usually are never posted to job boards? Now, you can find those good jobs in
countries around the world! Click here to find out
more.
Become an ESL Trainer
This guide will show you how to break into the field of
becoming a personal ESL Trainer or tutor.
You can use this guide to learn more about this great career
choice. Written by a well known
personality in the field, you will find out how you can start this new
career. Click here for more
information.
Teaching English
Abroad
This is a great guide from Amazon. Hover or click your mouse over the link for more
information. Teaching
English Abroad, 7th (Teaching English Abroad)
Writer’s Giveaway
Costa Rica
is one of the best places in the world to be a writer. You can live in the peace and harmony of
nature while you write that great novel, screenplay, website content,
or….. This site gives away over
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that some of these materials will be of value to you in your daily work. Check it out by clicking here!
Resume Edge
It’s a jungle out there, and a professionally written resume
will set you apart from the pack and get you that interview. This site is fantastic,
because it gives you free tips and tricks, and also has a section with common
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And finally, for the
young and adventurous…….
Cruise Ship Jobs
Have you ever thought of the fun and adventure of working on
a cruise ship? Going to exotic places,
meeting new friends, and making lots of tax free cash to boot? There is a trick to breaking into
this market. You also need the correct
contact information. This resource will
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out more.
Here is another resource where you can submit your resumes right
to cruise ship employers once you get their coaching on what you should apply
for, how to present yourself, etc. Click here for more info.
