Money, Jobs and Technology

Jobs and Working in Argentina

Sam Ginsburg

By | July 26, 2010

jobs and visas in Buenos Aires

Finding a job in Buenos Aires. Where to look, what to expect, work visas and more. What’s the deal with work in the white and in the black?

Work Visa? What’s That?

Is Buenos Aires, Argentina, a good place to go abroad and find work? If I show up with nothing more than a passport and a prayer, will I be able to find a job?

Updated: September 2016

The short answer is: yes. The long answer is a bit more complicated. With relative ease, anyone can get under-the-table work in Buenos Aires. The trick is knowing where to find it. First of all, it helps to be able to stay in the country for some time. The Argentine government and their lax tourist visa policies make this very easy. It is common practice amongst expats to extend the free, 90-day tourist visas multiple times, either by going to the immigrations office or by leaving the country and coming back (thanks, Uruguay). This policy allows most anyone to stay in Buenos Aires for many months, or even years, and leaves plenty of time to search for work.

There are two types of work in Argentina, “in the white” (en blanco) and “in the black” (en negro). “White” work is legitimate, on the books, and often requires proper documentation. Foreigners with extended tourist visas, however, will be looking for jobs and work of the “black” variety. These types of jobs function without contracts or records. As a worker in black you do still have legal rights. A company paying in black also greatly fears AFIP (the Argentine tax man) and the Ministro de Trabajo.

What kinds of jobs are available to foreigners without work visas?

The most popular choice is teaching your native language (usually, and most effectively, English, though Portuguese and French are also decent options) in either private lessons or through language institutes. Though the demand for teachers isn’t as high as it was a few years ago, there’s still plenty of work to go around. While teaching certificates are nice to have on your résumé, many times, the only real qualification you need is the ability to speak the language fluently. Like most freelance work, it can often be difficult at first to pick up enough hours to live off of. The key to teaching English in Buenos Aires is continuity: the longer you are in Buenos Aires, the more people you know; the more people you know, the more referrals you get; the more experience you have, the more likely language schools and other institutions are to give you classes or for people to request or recommend your private classes. For this reason, teaching is often a good idea or most rewarding financially for people planning to stay in the city for an extended period of time.

Language institutes may become your best friends or worst enemies. A positive aspect is that they can get you classes at businesses that wouldn’t have otherwise let you past security. A negative one is that you must live with the fact that the institutes will pay you significantly less than what you would get for teaching private lessons or having a direct connection. Furthermore, it is often necessary to work for many institutes at the same time, which can make putting together a schedule and getting to each class difficult, though not impossible.

To find a listing of institutes in the city, go to ESl Base. Private lessons are clearly more profitable for the teacher, though these gigs are also a lot more difficult to find, especially when starting out. Either way, teaching is a very good way to meet new people, start the wheel turning and is among the easier jobs to find in Buenos Aires.

Another industry that commonly seeks for English speakers and foreigners is tourism; tour companies, hotels, hostels, bars, restaurants and the sort. Lots of gringos come to visit the Buenos Aires each year, so tourism companies need English speakers to speak gringo to them, making the travelers feel more comfortable. This work can be as simple as proofreading brochures and websites, but can also include customer service, leading tours, tending bar and sales.

One job opportunity that always seem to be available is telemarketing. It’s cheaper for American and European companies to export these jobs overseas, and they need fluent English speakers to speak with their clients. Of course, the companies don’t tell their clients that they are taking advantage of cheaper overseas labor. So you could end up in an awkward situation, like being from Arkansas, sitting in Buenos Aires and telling people that you are calling from Las Vegas. One drawback of telemarketing work is that while your bosses make dollars or euros, you still earn pesos. But nobody said that life, abroad jobs, or working in “black” in Argentina, was fair.

Best paying jobs

Often, the best pay comes with online correspondence jobs with companies in the US or Europe. These jobs allow for flexible hours, and since they pay in Dollars/Euros/Pounds, these correspondence jobs come with the added benefit of the international exchange rate. Those seeking these jobs only need an internet connection and a dream. This is often the path of journalists, graphic designers, proofreaders and other professional writers. However, like teaching, it will take tenacity and determination to scrape up enough work to stay afloat or land that one good gig.

Over the past 5 years a lot of foreign owned companies have opened up shop here because the owners/entrepreneurs want to live in a unique city. Website development, financial services, tour companies, human resources (headhunters)- lots of options with foreign entrepreneurs seeking out other foreigners to compliment their business. The pay will likely be superior to most jobs you find here, but expectations for results will be higher as well.

Where to search for jobs in Argentina

The foreign job-seeker in Buenos Aires needs a bit of creativity in order to find work en negro in Buenos Aires. Be prepared to take on a mix of many different jobs, or changes. Good places to look are Facebook groups like BA Expat Jobs and GlassDoor, though it is also very important to constantly be checking travel and expat forums for new opportunities. Remember to keep your ears open for any type of visa-free work, and don’t be afraid to try out industries you never thought you’d work in before as the low man on the totem pole.

Working off the books is possible in Buenos Aires, Argentina, if you are willing to do your part. There aren’t any bailouts when it comes to illegal job-hunting, but if you stay focused and keep on your toes, you probably won’t need one.

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