Resources
Hiring in Latin America, from the law to the first payroll
What a US company needs to know before hiring in Latin America: hiring models, labor law country by country, contracts, total cost, payments and taxes. Every figure links to the statute, agency or study behind it.
Guides
Guides to hiring in Latin America
How US companies hire full-time talent in Latin America: hiring models, total cost, payments and taxes, from the first call to the first payroll.
- English proficiency in Latin America by country (2026): EF EPI scores and how to test candidates EF EPI 2025 scores, ranks and bands for 20 Latin American countries, what each band means at work, and how to test a candidate's English before you hire.
- How much does an employee cost in Argentina in 2026? Contributions, SAC and worked examples What an employee costs in Argentina in 2026: contributions, SAC, vacation pay, the FAL and RIFL, worked examples at four salaries, and a US comparison.
- How much does an employee cost in Brazil in 2026? INSS, FGTS, 13th salary and worked examples What an employee costs in Brazil in 2026: employer INSS, RAT, FGTS, 13th salary and vacation bonus, worked examples at four salaries, and a US comparison.
- How much does an employee cost in Colombia in 2026? Contributions, benefits and worked examples What an employee costs in Colombia in 2026: employer contributions, prima, cesantías, vacation, worked examples at four salaries, and a US comparison.
- How much does an employee cost in Mexico in 2026? IMSS, INFONAVIT, bonuses and worked examples What an employee costs in Mexico in 2026: IMSS, INFONAVIT, state payroll tax, aguinaldo and vacation premium, worked examples at four salaries, US comparison.
Countries
Hiring in Latin America, country by country
Labor law, employer costs, contracts, holidays and payments for each country, with the statute or agency behind every figure.
- How to hire in Argentina from the US (2026): contracts, costs and labor law Hiring in Argentina in 2026: the labor reform, probation, SAC, severance, employer costs, USD pay, FX rules, monotributo contractors and IP, with sources.
- How to hire in Brazil from the US (2026): contracts, costs and labor law Hiring in Brazil in 2026: the 40-hour amendment, CLT contracts, 13th salary, FGTS, employer costs, PJ contractors, LGPD and IP rules, with official sources.
- How to hire in Colombia from the US (2026): contracts, costs and labor law Hiring in Colombia in 2026: the 2025 labor reform, 42-hour week, minimum wage, prima, cesantías, employer costs, severance, contractors and IP, with sources.
- How to hire in Mexico from the US (2026): contracts, costs and labor law Hiring in Mexico in 2026: REPSE and subcontracting rules, contracts, the 40-hour week, IMSS costs, aguinaldo, PTU, severance, contractors and IP, with sources.
Compliance
Labor law and compliance for Latin American hires
Contracts, misclassification, IP ownership, termination and mandatory pay across Latin America, article by article.
- Argentina's 2026 labor reform (Ley 27.802): what changes for employers What Argentina's Ley 27.802 of 2026 changed for employers: pay in dollars, the new severance base, the FAL fund, the RIFL hiring incentive and the court case.
- Brazil's 40-hour workweek (Constitutional Amendment 141): what changes for employers Brazil's Constitutional Amendment 141 cuts the workweek from 44 to 40 hours and adds a second paid rest day. Dates, rules and what employers must change.
- Colombia's 2025 labor reform (Ley 2466): what changes for employers What Colombia's Ley 2466 de 2025 changed for employers: indefinite contracts, the 4-year cap, night work from 7 p.m., Sunday pay, agencies and new duties.
- Does Latin American labor law apply to a US company? Contractors, employees and the rules in four countries Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina apply their labor law to work done there, whatever the company's nationality. When a contractor is really an employee.
- Hiring PJ contractors in Brazil (2026): reclassification risk, taxes and invoices How to hire a PJ contractor in Brazil in 2026: when it becomes employment, STF Tema 1.389, MEI and Simples limits, export tax exemptions, NFS-e, the contract.
- Mexico's 40-hour workweek (2026–2030): the schedule, overtime and what employers must do Mexico cuts the workweek from 48 to 40 hours between 2026 and 2030: the yearly schedule, new overtime caps, electronic time records and what employers must do.
- Which US employment and payroll laws apply to workers in Latin America? FLSA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FICA, FUTA, Form I-9 and OSHA: which US laws reach a worker in Mexico, Colombia or Brazil, with the statute behind each answer.
Comparisons
Comparisons for hiring in Latin America
Side-by-side answers for the decisions before a hire: hiring models, regions and countries, with the same criteria in every row.
- Latin America vs the Philippines vs India for remote hiring (2026): time zones, English and cost Time-zone overlap, English scores, workforce and income levels for Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines and India, from official data.
- Mexico vs Colombia for US companies hiring in 2026: costs, labor law and talent Mexico or Colombia for your next hire? A 2026 side-by-side of employer costs, hours, bonuses, dismissal, agency rules, English, time zones and labor markets.
- Mexico vs Colombia vs Brazil vs Argentina for US companies hiring in 2026: costs, labor law and talent Mexico, Colombia, Brazil or Argentina for your next hire? A 2026 side-by-side of employer costs, dismissal, hours, bonuses, English, time zones and talent.
Manuals
Step-by-step manuals
The forms and official portals of a cross-border hire, step by step, with annotated screenshots.
- How to check a Latin American contractor against the OFAC sanctions list, step by step Step-by-step OFAC sanctions screening for Latin American contractors: search fields, name scores, false positives, Cuba and Venezuela rules, records to keep.
- How to check a provider's REPSE registration in Mexico, step by step Before you contract staff through a Mexican provider or employer of record, check its REPSE registration in the public registry. Step by step, with screenshots.
- How to fill out Form W-8BEN for a contractor in Latin America, line by line How a contractor in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil or Argentina fills out Form W-8BEN, and why a US company files no 1099 or 1042-S for work done abroad.
- How to fill out Form W-8BEN-E for a Latin American contractor's company, part by part When a contractor in Latin America invoices through a company: which parts of Form W-8BEN-E to fill in, the boxes on lines 4 and 5, and the tax ID for line 9b.
- How to verify a Mexican contractor's RFC with the SAT, step by step Check a Mexican contractor's RFC, name and postal code with the SAT's free validator, one by one or 5,000 at a time. Step by step, with screenshots.
Roles
Role hiring guides
What each role does, what it costs in Latin America with sourced pay data, how to interview for it and what it should deliver in 90 days.
