Open Thread: Work Visas for the Traveling Freelancer?
by John Cottone
Filed under Freelance Advice
The allure of freedom and adventure is often an element that attracts folks to the world of freelancing. For some people, myself included, the flexibility to work in different spots around the neighborhood is a great draw. For the more adventurous, an extended version of the “working vacation” (mentioned in our previous article about Alternative Work Spaces) might be more suitable. I’ve asked myself lately, why not experience a new land for a new challenge and change of pace? How might this process work?
The timing might be good – the slide into recession for certain countries is making people think about moving abroad in an attempt to escape. Also, you can emigrate to countries perceived as offering a better quality of life and lower cost of living.
After scouring the web for more advice on working visas, I found quite a few services that assist independent workers in navigating the complexities of immigration and visa law. Global Visas is one firm, and they offer services for both private individuals and corporate organizations to acquire Canadian visa, UK or US visas. From their site, it looks like they’ve had some good press mentions, and they offer some free guidance on their site about qualifying for various country visas.
Feel free to comment below on your experiences with these companies, or offer any advice you may have for taking the leap into a foreign land.
There’s a nice little emigration guide here that outlines some pointers on what to prepare for:
http://www.emigrate2.co.uk/how_to_emigrate.htm
Do your homework on what city you choose!! Nothing worse than landing in a place and not really enjoying it. Social media can make it easier to find a contact in the area that may be willing to give you some advice
This is actually a topic I’ve been thinking about quite a bit: because most work visas assume that you’re looking for a job within the country you’re visiting (or immigrating to), it can be hard to get a work visa for most countries. There are also rules about paying taxes in the country you’re visiting if you’re on a work visa that can effectively lead to freelancers being taxed twice.
More than a few freelancers travel on tourist visas instead, although it isn’t an approach that is entirely on the up and up.
Personally, I think that the growing numbers of freelancers and location-independent workers need a new kind of visa entirely. That said, here’s a more in-depth run down of the issues currently associated with a freelancer getting a work visa: http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2009/08/a-customs-question/
I recommend to research a lot before moving to a new country, even if you are doing it temporally. One of the major problems is culture differences. If you are a Spanish speaker moving around Spanish speaking countries or English speaker moving around English speaking countries, you won’t have much problems to get a professional job (depending on your profession). If you are changing to a different culture, be aware that it is not always easy. It doesn’t matter the field that you are expert on.
I emigrated to New Zealand almost 6 years ago, leaving a well paid job as software developer in Argentina. It took me 5 years to get back to a similar position in New Zealand.
If you want to know more about my experience as IT pro in New Zealand, feel free to visit this post: http://www.codespanish.com/lang_entips-for-it-professionals-intending-to-emigrate-to-new-zealandlang_enlang_esconsejos-para-profesionales-en-ti-tratando-de-emigrar-a-nueva-zelandalang_es/
For a list of websites to find jobs in New Zealand and Australia: http://www.codespanish.com/lang_enwebsites-to-find-it-jobs-in-new-zealandlang_enlang_essitios-web-para-encontrar-trabajos-en-informatica-en-nueva-zelandalang_es/
Thanks to Thursday and Pablo for their great insights!
Hi, my name is Tim. Just wanted to say hi to the forum, I been creeping around here for a while now, but tend to participate more. Looking forward to make some new friends. Ciao!
Tim
NY, NY
I am trying to put together a weekly magazine for Sr.Citizens in the Las Vegas area. I am retired now, and don’t have the resources to bring on a writer for any extended period of time, but was hoping someone could direct me to a good place to find a temporary and reliable labor source? Any help you can provide is really appreciated…
Hey Stiniaallorie, I’ve heard good things about Guru.com – you can post a part-time or contract project there, and freelance writers will be able to bid on that project. The great part is that you can view each freelancer’s profile, which includes portfolio and ratings they received from past projects. Good luck in your search!
I’ve been working freelance in Mexico for some years now, still on a tourist visa. Since I plan on staying semi-permanently, I come across a lot of hassles for not having the right documents. As an example, I’m still using a crappy pay-as-you-go phone plan, since none of the major cellular providers will allow me to sign a contract without a residency visa. Renting an apartment has presented a few issues, since many landlords require a credit check and a cosigner. Any purchase that requires credit (a new car, a home, etc.) is pretty much out of the question for me. Likewise, I’ve been unable to open a bank account here in my own name, presenting its own set of unique problems.
I’ve been relying on friends to put my car in their name, sign for my apartment, things like that, but it’s risky and problematic for a lot of reasons. Of course, to get a residency visa, I would need a Mexican employer to sponsor me, and to go through a lot of expensive paperwork. Not practical for me at the moment, but I fear eventually it will be necessary. Hopefully there will be changes in immigration law in many countries that encourage freelancers to relocate. I’m a one-man economic stimulus in my city and neighborhood here. My income is earned abroad and spent here at restaurants, stores, bars, etc. What country wouldn’t like to take advantage of professional freelancers like myself, the money they bring, and not to mention their share of our taxable income?