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Subject to Contract Visa

The Subject to Contract Visa (Visa Sujeta a Contrato) is the most common work visa. Most Chilean employers hire foreigners under contract. You must present a notarized copy of this contract to the Foreign Legalization Service (Departamento de Extrajería), along with 2 photocopies of your passport, 2 photocopies of you Tourist Card and two 3 x 2 cm photographs with your name and passport number. The cost of the visa varies according to nationality. British citizens pay US$74 and Canadians pay US$102, while for U.S. citizens the visa is free.

The employment contract must include a monthly base pay of at least 100,000 pesos (approximately US$160), a clause stating that you will not start working until the visa or a Special Work Card is issued, a clause stating that the employer will pay your return ticket when the contract ends and an agreement for the withholding of taxes.

A Subject to Contract Visa is valid for two years, but only as long as you hold a binding employment contract. When the work contract terminates, you have a 30 days before you are required to leave the country or to find new employment. In order to change employers, you must present a letter from your previous employer stating that the contract is invalid, a letter stating your reasons for changing employers and a new employment contract. If the job lasts longer than two years, the visa is renewable.

The Subject to Contract Visa application takes about two months to process, but you can apply for a Special Work Card to work in the mean time.

Your dependents are also permitted to stay in the country under the terms of the Subject to Contract Visa. Along with the photographs and passport and Tourist Card copies, to obtain a visa for your spouse you must present a marriage certificate and for your children include birth certificates. Dependents may not work unless they obtain a separate visa.

After you receive your visa, remember to apply for your Chilean Identification Card (See Registering Your Visa).

Addresses

• Departmento de Extranjería (Foreign Legalization Service)
  Teatinos 950
  Santiago Centro
  (2) 674-4000
  Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
  Metro Station Cal y Canto
• Montt, Iruarrizaga y Cía, Ltda
  Law firm that publishes "Working Visas and Authorizations for Foreigners in Chile."
  Avenida Los Conquistadores 1700, 11th floor
  Providencia
  233-8266
  Fax: 231-5495
  Metro Station Manuel Montt
  jmontt@ctc-mundo.net