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you will not be getting a job legally in belize

You can set u or buy a business within Belize with a little patience and a good bank account, but the hoops you would need to go through to get a work permit would be long and tedious and only then if you had skills not available within the Belize work force.

Please will you elaborate?

Are you saying its not possible at all to find a job in Belize for a South African?

Please advise.

HI There,

Belize is probably one of the few countries you can travel to without a visa on an SA passport. You may have to come in through Mexico as it easier for you to get a Mexican entry visa than as US entry visa.

Regards

Martin

Not saying impossible but difficult and time consuming. You need a work permit which is not even available for a many categories of jobs I.E. catering ,building, the sort of jobs that are easily filled by Local Belize workers. If you found something it can take months for a work permit to come through and fees are involved. Belize is a poor country and has a high unemployment level so the government protect jobs for their people. If you do have some unique skills and can get a job offer from a company within Belize then the employer would apply for he work permit for you.
Another warning the pay scales in Belize are much lower than any western country. The minimum wage for unskilled workers is $3  Belize per hour, a GOOD wage is $20 Belize an hour That is $1.50 US.and $10. US respecively sorry if this is not looking too easy.

MartyP wrote:

HI There,

Belize is probably one of the few countries you can travel to without a visa on an SA passport. You may have to come in through Mexico as it easier for you to get a Mexican entry visa than as US entry visa.

Regards

Martin

Thank you for you advise Martin, however. My aim is to enter Belize, are you saying I should enter Belize through Mexico or are you saying that If i want to enter the US I should enter through Mexico?

As I understand, as a South African Passport Holder, I can enter Belize without a visa and stay for up to 30 days, if longer you can apply there to prolong your stay.

Am I correct in that understanding?

Regards,

Chris

terrific wrote:

Not saying impossible but difficult and time consuming. You need a work permit which is not even available for a many categories of jobs I.E. catering ,building, the sort of jobs that are easily filled by Local Belize workers. If you found something it can take months for a work permit to come through and fees are involved. Belize is a poor country and has a high unemployment level so the government protect jobs for their people. If you do have some unique skills and can get a job offer from a company within Belize then the employer would apply for he work permit for you.
Another warning the pay scales in Belize are much lower than any western country. The minimum wage for unskilled workers is $3  Belize per hour, a GOOD wage is $20 Belize an hour That is $1.50 US.and $10. US respecively sorry if this is not looking too easy.

Thank you for your response Terrific.

As I do understand where you are coming from. I am not looking for easy. I am aware that i will have to work hard to get somewhere, and that I am willing and able to do. I just wanted to know if it will be legal and possible.

I am also aware that the wages is less than the other Western Countries, I am not looking for wealth, I want sustain myself.

Are you from Belize? If not, where are you from? If I may ask, And how did you get there?

Your response will be appreciated.

Chris2Swan
Sent PM, I'm  a Brit, have travelled to many countries but Belize is the one I want to retire in. Spend as much time as possible at the moment in Belize looking forward to being there all the time It is  different but a South African friend who came with us a few years ago loved it and thought there were a lot of similarities to the less populated parts of SA.

Very helpfull!! Thanks a million!

Sorry about the late reply, im saying to get to Belize its easier for you to travel via Mexico rather than the US as more difficult to get the US Visa. We were turned down initially for the US visa but Mexican visa was not problem. We have since obtained the US visa but not traveled via the US as of yet.

Regards

Martin

Also, I know several South Africans who are working legally running resorts in Belize.

It all depends on your nationality. Some nationals from certain countries cannot get easily a Mexican visa, even for a few days, if an USA visa was not in the passport.  Never blend, experiences because it might not work for another country national,  i have a vivid experience with a family member who is from Central America, not too far from Mexico.

You can reach Belize not only rom Mexico or USA but also from Guatemala and Honduras and so on with South America countries.  Cuba to Cancun  or to Merida Yucatan is also a solution.

Hiya, I thought the whole point of this was to blend experiences ! I am speaking from experience as my partner is from SA. Correct me if im wrong  but most flights from SA Belize hub into Europe. There are no direct flights to Belize or some of the countries to mentioned. Getting a USA visa was difficult initially, however, the Mexican visa was obtained in a day. It was just an option we used to fly directly to Cancun and then traveled down from there. Maybe it wont work for everyone or even be the way they want to do it. Just trying to pass on some information.

Regards

Martin

Traveling the world is not only, unfortunately, done with direct flights and if adding the visa situation, then the traveller should have an open mind

Hi Chris,

See you have a very varied response. I have just moved to Belize (6 weeks ago) from the UK, My wife is South African and I grew up in SA (38 years). I will try clear a few things up for you, you will enter (which ever way you come) on a 30 day visa, this is easily renewable, 30 days at a time, for the 1st 6 months it will cost you BZ$50 and for the next 6 months BZ$100 a month, after you have been in the country for a year you can start the application for a residence visa. A work visa is required if you intend to work, this process is not quite so easy, in my case however, I have purchased a property that has 3 house on it, the main house is the family home (myself, wife, 26yr old son and 24yr old daughter), the other 2 I will be renting out, and I am told by the local employment offices that I can get a work visa, as I am a self employed landlord, and then the wife will qualify for a dependents work visa. Your work visa is valid for a year, but once you have a work visa you do not need to renew your original visa you issued with on entry, work visa's vary in price depending on what you do. For my son and daughter the best root is to find a job, already we have a local 'builder' who will support my son's application, all a local company has to do is provide proof that they have advertised a vacancy and have not received suitable applications from locals, my son is a electrician which are in great shortage in Belize.
Have you thought about what area you intend to live in, prices and weather vary tremendously.

Good Luck
Peter

I think, recently, a new flight route from Uk to Belize direct

New flights from UK start November, not direct but only a 2 hour stopover in the states instead of current overnight

But non US citizens still need a visa or ESTA to 'transit' through the US. Even for two hours in the airport.

As of last year, yes, some nationalities need a vida to transit to a USA airport.
To go to Belize, you can take flight with transit in Canada, Cuba, UK.
Something new, there are now flights from UK to Belize

I thought the way it was advertised there was no transit in  US. So of course that does not that as good as profiled.
Well, unless the USA law changed, a transit evenof two hours requires some nationalities to have a visa.
I know it is nuts. It happened to one of my grand children wh never got the visa when the other member of the family could travel.

Hi Peter

I just saw your post from 2016. You seem to be the only person that knows what he is talking about.

My husband owns a decking company in South Africa and we are considering relocating to Belize. He has a British passport. He is a qualified carpenter and one of the few heritage restorers around. I've read that Belize is qualified as a historical site.

Would you say that there are any opportunities for starting a company there? Maybe as you suggested in your previous message, getting a job at one of the resorts owned by SA expats and go from there?

Looking forward to your reply

Best regards
Marietha

Marietha Dorfling wrote:

Hi Peter

I just saw your post from 2016. You seem to be the only person that knows what he is talking about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best regards
Marietha

Wow, nothing like starting off your relationship with Belize by  slamming all the other helpful people that contribute to this great website....

Well deciding the best info on this forum is from a person living here with 6 weeks experience   a year and a half ago, means one of two things A   you have not looked at the thousands of posts archived with much more solid and researched advice, or B   you found a post telling you what you wanted to read and stopped looking for more info.

Good luck with getting a job and work permit at any resort even owned by a SA expat,  not quite as simple as  stated that  an  employer just states he has advertized the position, prooving it as position NOT a SINGLE Belizean could do might be a hard job.

Work permits are rarely given to expats without the person  having a much needed talent not otherwise available in Belize. Tourist industry and woodworking businesses are not on any Belize list of looking for expat employees. If you wanted to start your own company  that is a different matter with its own different but equally onerous rules and regulations.

.

Hi Peter,

Would love to have an update on your journey since we are looking into moving to Belize from South-Africa.   

Hi,

Sorry just seen your post today. I see you have a wonderful response from some others out there, which will start to explain why I seldom visit the site.
It is true I have only been here a little over 2 years so do not the 'knowledge or experience' others have, but procedures and requirements change pretty quickly here in Belize and what someone may have experienced 15, 10 or even 5 years ago may have changed, in fact I have just purchased some more land in Belize and I can tell you the requirement's have changed in the last 2 years, in fact they have changed in the last 6 months.
Work permits ? The wife and I got self employed work permits shortly after arriving, But our kids 29 & 27rs were refused as they did not believe the business could support 4 of us - no check or questions on our actual income, but we had no problem in getting work permits for the kids to work for us, the process to get them work permits to work for us, from appointment at Labour Department to letter of approval was just over one week. We were told yesterday our permanent resident is approved.
Bribery and corruption ? Yes it is there if you chose to participate, they don't ask so it is there if you offer it, I have never participated but have friends who have, but they never had anything processed / approved any quicker than we have, it is simple listen to what they want, and supply what they want and be courteous and thank them for their help. I have met many people at immigration complaining they have been back and forward many times, one said 15 times ! but when you talk them you find they didn't do simple things like supply their birth certificate, or did not bring originals , mainly straight forward stuff listed on the application form, yes it is true at times they may add things to the form, we did not encounter this at all.

At the end of the day, when you look at a forum like this you have decide what is most likely correct as you will encounter many different views, opinions, hearsay etc  I currently have a couple staying with us who are visiting for a month, I asked if he had looked at any of the expat forums, yes he replied but only for 24 hours to many conflicting views. We have a couple from Durban coming in December on a 'fact finding' mission, which is probably the way to it, if fund permits

Welcome Amanda ! some helpful people here... enjoy.

Hi

I am a South African Male, mid forties, married and have a one child less than two. I am thinking of relocating to Belize, due to all the issues in SA (but I will not go there).

Are there any South Africans living there, for how long, and what are the challenges faced there?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Not a South African,  but your biggest challenge  in Belize for an expat of your age will always be how do you Make a living to provide for your family.  Employment is only possible with a Work permit. f you are in a position to start. or buy an existing business,  You would be better   able to settle here.
You need to do far more actual in depth research as to the viability of your move than all the helpful people on this forum can offer.
Think it through If you cut all your ties with your home country, and then Belize does not work out for your family for any reason  is there an exit strategy left.

Terrific is correct on all counts.
I  suggest anyone thinking of relocating make at least two trips in two different seasons to explore and get a basic feel for just how different Belize is. 

There is absolutely no substitute for your own Sandals in the Sand.   

Dear Treffic and will the old, thank you, appreciate the advice, was thinking of taking a visit before the December Vacation and to stay there after the vacation just to see how things are, facilities, people etc.

Thanks once again Guys.