Working In It In Buenos Aires (Programming) And Visa

[happy21]

Does anyone know if these jobs are hard to find? like working front -end (css,html,javascript) and or working backend with PHP.
Would it be easy for me to get a job?( i do mainly freelance work, so i have a wide portfolio) my spanish is not that great but english is my first language.

Also what is the aprox salary for these kinds of jobs in peso?

If i come i could spend at least couple of months looking for a position( i plan to move indefinitely).Is it possible to get a work visa within the country?
I have been there before and i like arg alot.
Also i see many immigrants there working on the streets(not from latin countries) . How do they get in? and obtain visas?

 

[pitipur]

There are lots of IT companies here from what Ive gathered (I'm here working for one, but I worked for the same company already in the US). I dont know how easy it would be for one of them to hire you, especially if your spanish isn't that great, and you will need a company to sponsor you in order to get a work visa.

Another option is to take some classes and get a student visa while you are looking for work.

 

[thorsten]

Look for freelance jobs online where you earn US$ >>> getting a job here with more hours and less money

 

[MDZ]

Look for freelance jobs online where you earn US$ >>> getting a job here with more hours and less money

Just out of curiosity ... I always wondered how much do they pay for a job in IT here? Any position is fine ... just for comparison.

 

[happy21]

There are lots of IT companies here from what Ive gathered (I'm here working for one, but I worked for the same company already in the US). I dont know how easy it would be for one of them to hire you, especially if your spanish isn't that great, and you will need a company to sponsor you in order to get a work visa.

Another option is to take some classes and get a student visa while you are looking for work.

How is the tech startup scene in BA?. Who are the major players? and who are the upcoming tech startups?

 

[wongjoh]

Does anyone know if these jobs are hard to find? like working front -end (css,html,javascript) and or working backend with PHP.
Would it be easy for me to get a job?( i do mainly freelance work, so i have a wide portfolio) my spanish is not that great but english is my first language.

Also what is the aprox salary for these kinds of jobs in peso?

If i come i could spend at least couple of months looking for a position( i plan to move indefinitely).Is it possible to get a work visa within the country?
I have been there before and i like arg alot.
Also i see many immigrants there working on the streets(not from latin countries) . How do they get in? and obtain visas?

The market for tech talent is generally good with more positions than people available. Not sure about front-end or PHP specifically, but for Java, MercadoLibre is hiring and for the right seniority, there is sponsorship. It is actually a good tech company with modern technologies (I work there). http://linkd.in/1s0an7m. </Shameless plug over>.

Most of local work is in Spanish, but the IT workforce (especially those catering international clients) tends to have decent English. Local salaries vary with experience and can vary a lot -- from ARS low 10Ks to high 30Ks/month gross. There are obvious outliers if you have a special skill, or specialize in a very hot area (e.g., mobile or big data). In general, I can't understand the discrepancy between salaries (of any industry here) and cost of living, but that's another topic for conversation.

Re: visas, I suppose you could come as a tourist first, but be prepared that the work visa/residency process can take some time for those outside of Mercosur (if you have US passport, that's outside Mercosur). For those with a passport from a Mercosur country, you can start work in <3 days if the immigration lawyers have their stuff together.

There are a few good startups, but I'd recommend starting with a stable company (e.g., MercadoLibre) until you get your footing in the country and know the scenery well. Moving to Argentina is already a big adjustment and to add working for a startup sounds like a big too much, too soon.

 

[Montauk_Project]

My advice for any job searching in BsAs: even if the job itself is 100% in English (creating websites in English, for example) and everyone in the office speaks English, they are going to hire people who speak Spanish at least at the intermediate level, so you are involved in office culture and can get around the city, etc.

 

[joemama]

If you are a good developer then you should have no problem finding a job, regardless of your spanish skills. Like the US there is a shortage of good tech talent compared to the job market.

Personally I would recommend NOT worrying about a work visa NOR worrying too hard about your Spanish skills. There are multiple shops here that are English language based. In general if a developer does not speak English he's probably not that good of a developer.

While I understand that you are planning on staying here indefinitely, the very real possibility is that you will go somewhere else in under 2 years. A vast majority of expats do not stick it out for 5+ years. As such I'd say come down, find some dollar-based freelancing work and then try to get a job here that will pay you in cash with no visa. If you really like it here and want stability then you can start the visa process while your spanish improves. Applying for a big firm like MercadoLibre with no visa and intro spanish skills just does not seem like a good idea to me.

The big caveat is the first clause in this post. If you are a good developer then you'll have no problem.

 

[MDZ]

Are there any other cities with a tech startup scene or is everything tech happending in BsAs?

 

[joemama]

Santiago has a big tech scene thanks to Startup Chile. In Argentina most of the work is in BA but Cordoba has a small tech scene as well.