Mobility, visas & relocation, all of Latin America
Move People Into and Across Latin America, Legally
Mobility is where regional plans stall: the hire is agreed, the role is funded, and then nobody can sponsor the permit. We sponsor through our own in-country entities, so the visa does not wait on your incorporation.
What is work visas and global mobility in Latin America?
Global mobility in Latin America covers the work visas, residence permits, relocation logistics and tax-residency planning needed to place a person legally in another country. Most LATAM markets require a local sponsoring entity, an approved contract and consular processing, with typical timelines of four to sixteen weeks depending on country and visa class.
What we run
- Work visa and residence permit filings, including dependants
- Local sponsorship through our own in-country entities where you have none
- Digital-nomad, technical-services and intra-company transfer routes where they fit
- Renewals, immigration compliance calendars and exit deregistration
- Tax residency and social-security coordination, including totalization where applicable
- Relocation logistics: housing search, banking, local ID, schooling and settling-in
- Equipment, connectivity and local transport for the first ninety days
The three mobility cases we see most
- Inbound expatriate: a US or European manager posted into a LATAM market to stand up an operation.
- Intra-regional move: an existing employee relocating between LATAM countries, a fresh permit, not a transfer.
- Regional talent, remote employer: a local hire who needs travel authorisation, per-diems and cross-border payroll clarity.
The mistakes that cost the most
Landing on a business visitor visa and working, paying a local worker from a foreign payroll to avoid registration, and ignoring the day-count that triggers tax residency. Each is cheap to prevent and expensive to unwind, immigration and labour authorities across the region increasingly cross-reference payroll and entry records.
Indicative work-authorisation timelines
| Market | Typical route | Indicative timeline | Local sponsor required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Temporary resident with work permission | 6–10 weeks | Yes |
| Brazil | VITEM V work visa via MTE authorisation | 8–16 weeks | Yes |
| Colombia | M-visa (worker) or V-visa (services) | 4–8 weeks | Usually |
| Chile | Temporary residence with work authorisation | 6–12 weeks | Yes |
| Costa Rica | Temporary residence, specialised worker | 8–16 weeks | Yes |
| Argentina | Transitory or temporary residence, work | 6–12 weeks | Yes |
Get the LATAM landed-cost benchmark
Employer burden, salary bands and total monthly cost across every market. One email, no call required.
Get a mobility and visa feasibility check
Tell us the situation and you get the recommended structure, the landed cost range and the realistic timeline, before anyone asks you to book a call.
- Entities we own across core LATAM markets
- Every lane under one agreement: recruit, employ, manage, deliver
- Backed by Gracemark, an operator across all of Latin America
Get my compliance and engagement quote
Tell us the worker type and country. You get the compliant engagement path (EOR, AOR or payroll) and a landed monthly cost.
No account, no obligation. You see the recommended model before we ask for an email.
Frequently asked questions
Country costs, timeline and the right hiring model, in one business day.