georgep29
9/24/2012 17:41 EST
Hi, I am married to a lady from El Salvador and we are currently in London but thanks to the new immigration laws imposed by Teresa May my wife is not going to be allowed to remain in the UK beyond March of next year so in order to not be away from my wife we will be coming to El Salvador together and I will need to work. Can someone tell me what kind of work would be available to me, I am not fluent in Spanish and I have a history of working for the public services and self employment. Also what is the cost of starting up a business in El Salvador, for example I will use a pupusaria. Thank you for you time guys, feliz dia
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pato23
From: El Salvador
9/27/2012 02:59 EST
Best to come here first, get settled no one could tell you cost of starting business on line by guesswork!!! Show up. saludos.
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opulentinspirations
9/27/2012 09:35 EST
Hello George! So sorry to hear of the Immigration nightmare. I am originally from England but came from Canada to El Sal. We had an Immigration nightmare as well - interrupting our lives for two years to try to live in El Salvador. There are many call centres in San Salvador (SYKES is one that I can remember) that hire native english speakers. You do not need to be bilingual to work in the call centres. They are near Metro Centro (Shopping Centre). (Also the houses around there are very affordable - about $300.00 a month to rent. We lived there for a few months and found it to be very safe.) They offered me a position via email without even meeting me in person. I no longer have the email address but if you google call centres in El Salvador you should find some. They are always hiring. I believe for a good call centre position, they pay in the range of $500. to 600.00 per month. A supervisory position would pay about $1000.00 per month or above. I am not sure what is involved with getting a work permit. Working in a retail store is pathetic wages - about $150.00 a month. With opening a business - we opened one in El Tunco - there was quite a bit of paperwork to contend with - but the prices to rent spaces are very low. There are lots of food vendors all over El Salvador - they are propped up on the side of the roads all over the place. I don't know what their profit margins are like. There is a strong ex-pat community in San Salvador - you should network with them - I found them to be very helpful. If you look on Facebook, there is one there called "Expats in El Salvador". A business geared to where the money is (wealthy Salvadorans and Ex-Pats) is probably a better way to go - food vendors charge about $3.00 for a delicious steak, rice, salad dinner - I sometimes wonder how they survive - I would imagine they are just earning enough to get by. Good luck! You will soon learn that bribing is a big part of this community, from being pulled over by the police, to trying to operate a business. I speak from experience. It is not an easy go in El Salvador if you are landing with limited funds but if you have some "wiggle room" with your money and a good idea, I think that you can be very successful in El Salvador. ~Regards, Jane
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georgep29
9/27/2012 13:30 EST
Hi Jane, thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. I lived in Escalon for 5 months this year and from experiences I can completely agree with what you have said. I would like to remain in the UK but they have made it impossible to happen. El Salvador will I hope at lease give us a place to be together with no time limits on my stay. We are legally married in the eyes of the El Salvador government so if we can get time on our side for a change unlike Europe has allowed us to do (lived in 3 countries this year thanks to immigration rules) then we should be fine :) as long as I don't put myself on offer to the bad side of El Salvador I will be fine as a foreigner. I have sent my CV to one place in San Salvador and now I will contact Sykes so once again thank you for all the info and advice. God bless
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pato23
From: El Salvador
9/27/2012 20:11 EST
The Call Centers are not legally able to hire a foreigner full time, 44 hours a week, 30 days paid training then benefits of private local Health Insurance, deductions of Salvadoran income taxes, either residency or work permit is required as you as a tourist are taking away a job a Salvadoran citizen can perform in a bad economy (i.e. "The world does not owe you a living") You may go from Call Center to call center and discreetly ask for part time work, salary about $3 to $4 hour. If you are a certified Teacher from your home country or have good credentials and ability to teach contact the "British School" Escuela Britannica in Santa Tecla as well as the other International Schools here, English K to 12, or try the myriad English Academies who will hire you 'black' low pay and long hours. Othrwise start your own business, best a small bar restaurant in tourist area if you have start up money/Salvadoran wife, if you stay learn Spanish so you need not become dependent on English speaking persons. Join the Ex Pats in El Salvador group on FB for the best advice from ex pats and multilingual natives who live and work here, not other 'wanabee' ex pats who only complicate things in the long run!!! As a tourist you may stay 90 days, you may apply for 1 90 day extension a year from Immigration prorogga (extensions) office, staff is helpful but bureaucracy is overwhelming. Go with your wife. Avoid lawyers here unless necessary!!!! Do not attempt to ever 'bribe' police or Immigration officals!!!!!!! Bad advice!!!! You may wind up with a big fine yourself, do not drink and smoke and drive..against the law..many traffic checkpoints. Be patient. El Salvador does not 'owe' you a living!!!!! Earn it. Aprende espanol Keep a low profile, let your wife do a lot of the talking at first. All foreigners are nassumed to 'have money' so learn the verb 'aprovechar' fast and avoid overly friendly strangers, your business is yours.....saludos join https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/ExpatsInElSalvador/ and
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/discovercel Salvador.entralamerica/ covering Central America, based in
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georgep29
9/28/2012 05:39 EST
Thanks again Pato, I don't drink or smoke so I will be fine there :D I didn't realise that about Sykes so its good to know so that I didn't start getting my hopes up there. I will be trying to save us much money as possible before we arrive because in my mind and my wife's families mind a business is the only way to go.
During my previous stay in El Salvador I did see some expats walking around like they owned the country which was totally wrong. Whatever someone's wealth it doesn't make a person less of a man or woman if they are on a lower income. Shame it happens but they full on their bottom in the end!
I sent a request to the fb expat group over a week ago but haven't been added to it yet, when I have I will converse with some of those in the group.
Dios te bendiga mi amigo
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pato23
From: El Salvador
10/5/2012 06:28 EST
Those were not 'ex pats' you saw walking around, most are travelers and 'do gooders' temporary aid workers or volunteers with NGOs, I can tell when someone does not live here, they are self concious, go to Antigua in Guatemala high season, listen to the nonsense from the '90 day wonders' who have all the solutions to the regions problems. Ex pats here are mainly married to or dating locals and speak Spanish, and most drive. We have great monthly get togethers in San Salvador area join Internations.org/
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