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Employment in Venezuela
Work Visas for Venezuela
In Venezuela the main industries are oil, food processing, construction materials, textiles, mining, steel, and tourism. Any expats who are considering working in Venezuela will need to get a work permit. After securing a job in Venezuela, your employer should apply for your work permit. Whoever is employing a foreigner in Venezuela must apply to the Venezuelan Ministry of Labor for a work permit for that employee. Your work permit must be also be authorized by the Ministry of the Interior and Justice.
Once this has been taken care of, locate your nearest consulate and confirm with the embassy what documents you need to get.
Gather all required documentation, pay the required visa fee, and hand in your application and supporting documents– If everything is in order, the Consulate or Embassy of Venezuela will issue you with your Venezuelan visa.
Looking for Work in Venezuela
Many expats who work in Venezuela are doing so after being transferred from another office of the company they are already employed by. This makes the process of moving to a new location much easier, as they don’t have to start looking for work. For those who need to find employment in Venezuela there are several ways to do this.
Newspapers
There are many newspapers with jobs advertised in the classified section. El Universal, for instance, is one of the bigger newspapers in Venezuela.
Online
There is a wide choice of websites where you can register your personal details, CV, and salary requirements. Paid by employers to find them the very best candidates for the positions they have to fill, recruitment agencies are actively looking at CV’s they have each day. By registering with lots of the online agencies you shouldn’t have any problem finding work as they will be contacting you with positions. You can of course also start looking for posted job ads yourself on such sites as Bumeran and OpcionEmpleo (both websites in Spanish) and apply directly. Many expats in Venezuela end up working in the oil and gas sector and connected industries. Open positions in these fields are advertised on websites such as Rigzone.
Applying Directly
If you already have a potential employer in mind, it’s always a good idea to check their website for current vacancies. Even if they are not openly advertising a suitable position at the time, it may still be worth your while to apply directly. Many companies like this approach as it shows a certain level of confidence from a potential employee. So even if they do not have a suitable position open for you at the time, they may well keep your application on file if they liked what they read.
English Teachers in Venezuela
English teachers are in high demand abroad in many countries, and Venezuela is no exception. Once again, you can begin looking for open positions online, e.g. at Bridge TEFL Jobs.
We would recommend that any expats who do move to Venezuela because they have secured a job there check out the area the company is based in. Just like in any other country, Venezuela has some areas that are not safe for foreigners. Do not assume that just because you’ve been offered a position with a great company the location will be right. Do your homework before you say yes.