What is a regulated profession?
A regulated profession is an occupation that is regulated by a state or local regulatory council. In Colombia, just having a visa doesn’t necessarily mean that all migratory risk is averted, foreign employees exercising regulated professions must have a temporary professional permit enabling them to perform in local territory.
How do temporary professional permits work?
These licences are normally given for a span of one year. Even when each council has complete discretionary power to issue a permit for as long as they see fit, most permits are issued for one year and can be renewed for an additional year.
What happens if my assignment is longer than the time for which my permit is issued?
For assignments longer than two years, the assignee must initiate a degree validation process. Degree validation are processes that may take up to two years, it is therefore recommended to initiate with enough time to avoid last minute delays or incur penalizations from regulatory immigration authorities.
How do I know if my profession is regulated?
The National Accreditation Council (CNA) has a clear path that explains which professions are regulated. In their website you may find a list of regulated professions and the councils that monitor professionals.
What are the risks of exercising without a permit?
Exercising a profession that is regulated without the authorization to do so, may result in economic penalties and even deportation. This is a risk for the foreign employee and the employer as the hiring party may also be penalized and even be banned from becoming a sponsor to future foreign employees.
Processing times
Processing times for permits take up to three months. Hence making the selection process quite sensitive, it is recommended to start this process while the employee is in the hiring stage as documents need to be apostilled and may need to be translated
In CALEC Abogados we are able to process all kinds of professional permits and degree validations so that you are always in compliance with all necessities and avoid unnecessary penalties from authorities involved in these processes.