My Journey from hopping-border visa to work visa in Peru.

To all the owner of the hopping-border visa status .

As it seems to be THE question lately on for hop-border community, lately - I wanted to share my personal experience so take a proper seat and enjoy the ride.

Like many of you here, I had an hopping border status during the last 4 years in Peru, everything was going pretty well till last last February. I came back for my trimestrial trip from chile - when a charming lady at the border explain me, I have to change my official status (yes hoping border is not a recognised status in Peru ), then I have been flagged on their system as “going to change his status”. No need to say they gave me 2 months visa as they assumed all the papers work will be done within 2 months.

So I came back in Peru and start to look and think about what option I had, as you can imagine I read 100's of post/blog/forum online, I spoke with all my friends with current legal status, went to immigration and spoke with different lawyers (Spend few soles here and here with some of them for their “consultation time” :
Here the option which I finally came out with :

- Get married (less than 2 months to find the woman of my life was a bit short notice)
- Check if I don't have any Peruvian kids somewhere (you never know or very far and lost Peruvian relative)
- Find an official Job (that mean I will need to find a company ready to take me on board + have a REAL contract all within 2 months :roll:
- Open my own business and employ myself (seems interesting - but that means I will have to understand company law, taxes, etc…)
- Be realisitic and Leave Peru  :cry: Like any other country in the world, they have immigration law, Lucky for me I am in Peru, I still have a chance to look for option, that not the same story in US or Europe...

As you can imagine, I concentrate on 2 options as they seems by far the most doable one to achieve in 2 months and I had 7 weeks left :

- Find an official Job
- Create a business in peru.


For the official work with a company I checked Monsterjob, Olx, Jobsinlima and even Craiglist Peru, one thing I notice pretty quickly is all the “suitable for me” offer were based in Lima - and 50% of them ask you to already have your CE in order to apply. I am not even getting in details about the salary you get for 7-8h a day Monday to Friday. As I am not based in Lima, that was even more complicated, and the fact they post their 3 months in advance or not properly update was definitely a no go.

Then I concentrate on my other choice :
Creating a company in Peru that has been a lot more “fun” as I never have the same advice/pricing, time frame. So I visit migraciones, Sunat and Degemin site but as you probably and already know their websites are really complicated and if even with a good level Spanish skill it's never clear. I looked to how create my company and then employed myself (say like that it seems so easy !!!!) - And the only part where everyone agreed is as a foreigner you need a legal representative here in Peru or a Huge Capital. That why all the lawyer I spoke before charge an arm and eye without giving you any help for some of them You have to pay one of them to be a your legal representative.

For the one of you who want to take same road as me (finding the woman of my life seems more achievable at this point) here the FULL process simplified they are not in order from the top of my head :

- Define your company capital minimum of 500 soles and or 500 dollars
- Write the company profile (in Spanish) and the minute of the company (validated via notarial)
- Find a legal representative (he will have 1% of the company and you the 99% left of the share you can always get it back once you are setup)
- Apply to get to get your Company validated with Sunarp
- Apply to get a RUC number for your company
- Open a bank account for the company.


Once the company is created and and you have your RUC number : you finally start your visa process :

- Create your work contract, you have to define your salary (first time in my life I looked for the cheaper option) and make sure is 12 months periods.
- Get your contract validated by the misterio del trabajo
- Go to interpol to make sure your are not RED flagged in your home country or any other placed you lived before.
- Get a meeting to migrationes to apply for your visa.

You wait and “voila” you are officially living in Peru as Worker.

- You just need now to make sure to get your salary every month, to pay your tax and contributions as employe, and on the company part you need to make sure you paid and update your Taxes as company.
Very Important : Every times you will need to leave Peru you will be asked for a paper at the border which say you have paid all your taxes, this paper is done by your company and your legal representative. (pre-made form don't remember where...)
I am using a accountant for this part, but I know a lot of expat doing it alone.

That all the different steps you will have to do in order to get your visa as a worker, please keep in mind, a lot of the paper need to go through notarial - you will need to find a lawyer to create you paper work (contract, minute…), and a legal representative.

In my case after I have done the math, look at my personal capacity as contract writer in Spanish, I finally decide to go through an English speaking company in Lima managed by a foreigner which provide all the service as a bundle - hand free process. The reason is as I am not based in Lima, all the papers were done without me (notary, bank, institution) All have been managed by them (god bless the carta De poder), I just came in Lima for the step which need me physically (immigration and notarial at the beginning (same day), interpol 1day, and then to get my CE). Everything has been done by the company so I didn't need to queue, wait or run anywhere.
I wasn't keen to use company where I live for mainly 2 reason - the barrier language (I wanted to make sure I understand all the process and the action/time frame) so I opted for English and Spanish speaker, the other reason like a lot of us was the money part - I did find other cheaper company but when adding all the cost it was the more expensive than the full included services with the hassle to do the queuing myself (bank, notarial etc…) and using my own time, Yes I am not the queuing guy type and I really enjoy having time for other thing than papers.

If done properly you should then be able to get all your papers ready within 2 months, I will just clarify something as for me my 2 months were coming to the end, the paper were done and reviewed 1 week before the end of my visa, as long as you visa is still valid you can apply for your visa and you will not need (you are not allowed anyway) to leave the country without a permission from immigration.

That was my Journey - and to be fair it's more worries than it seems first, the process is maybe complicated and the some administration are not really helpful (tell me in which country they really are...) but if you do your homework properly and find a good services company you should be fine. (Other point - don't forget we are in Peru Expensive does not Equal quality)
As the post is not to promote any company but to help my hopping-border ex-follow, just do your homework - always check if they have a real office, meet "their team", ask question and don't be shy, if they don't answer all your question look for a company who will. Don't paid before you have agree or sign an agreement.

I hope that will help you, if you have any question please let me know, I will help if I can, I am not really a forum guy type so leave me a private message if you want a quicker answer. You can't imagine how much I learned with forum like Expat just want to give a little back now to everyone, and good luck with your journey.

Jamie

PS : sorry for my grammar mistake, English is not my first language !!!!
PS2 : This post will be on other forum where I found help - Thanks all