Visas and Work Permits

One major obstacle to working abroad is the law. All countries require special permission for foreigners to either work or reside for long periods of time. Whereas short-term tourists sometimes do not need a visa and student visas are granted relatively easily, work permit visas are normally available only through application by an employer who has offered you a job. The employer must show that you have unique skills and abilities not possessed by local citizens.

This is expensive and time-consuming to prove, so most employers, who are subject to heavy fines if they hire illegally, will not offer a job to a foreigner who does not possess a work permit. Work exchange programs are one of the few legal ways around this. Note: it is also possible to work illegally; i.e., without a work permit. Such jobs may turn up in restaurants and agriculture as well as in teaching English. We cannot recommend working illegally because it puts you at risk of immediate deportation, possible fines, lowest wages (or no wages at all), and lack of legal protection or insurance in case of injury or illness.