Describe the actual paid activity

Chile's temporary residence subcategory for lawful paid activities covers specified employment and service arrangements. SERMIG's official page distinguishes applications supported by an employment contract, a services contract, and a formal employment offer. Begin with the arrangement you genuinely have. Identify who hires or contracts with you, what work will be done, how payment operates, and whether the relationship involves subordination and dependency. These facts matter more than the informal label freelancer or employee. Give the employer and adviser the same description so the immigration file, contract, and eventual working arrangement remain aligned. A route should be selected from accurate facts, not from whichever document is easiest to obtain.

Understand who is making the commitment

SERMIG's checklist differentiates between types of employers or contracting parties and asks for records relevant to their legal position and ability to meet commitments. Obtain the full legal name and identifying details of the party signing with you. If it is a company, confirm the signatory's authority and whether the business in the application is the same entity that will pay you. A brand or group name may not be the contracting entity. Ask the employer to nominate someone who can supply official records and answer follow up questions. This is especially important when recruitment, legal administration, and payroll are handled by different departments or countries.

Review the contract as an employment document

An immigration supporting contract is also a real agreement affecting pay, duties, location, working time, and other obligations. Read it fully and obtain an explanation of unfamiliar terms before signing. SERMIG states that employment contracts must comply with the applicable Labor Code requirements. A document should not be drafted solely to satisfy an upload field while contradicting the job you will perform. Check the proposed start date against the immigration sequence and confirm what happens if approval is delayed. Keep the executed version and any amendments. If the employer changes important terms during processing, assess whether the application evidence also needs to be updated.

Treat the formal offer route as a staged process

SERMIG's page describes a specific follow up requirement for permission based on a formal employment offer: after entry, the applicant has forty five calendar days to present the prescribed contract evidence, involving the same employer that made the offer. Read the current rule and required registration details carefully before choosing that route. Arrange in advance who will prepare, sign, notarize where required, and submit the contract after arrival. A staged process can fail if the employer treats the initial offer as its last responsibility. Put the postarrival tasks on a shared calendar and keep enough time to correct an administrative problem before the deadline.

Prepare evidence of the contracting party's capacity

The official paid activities guidance refers to the employer or contracting party's tax documentation or evidence of sufficient financial capacity, depending on the situation. Ask for the exact records required by the applicable checklist. Do not substitute a marketing deck, customer list, or informal bank screenshot simply because it makes the business look successful. The purpose is to document the relevant legal and economic position in the accepted form. If a young company has limited history, obtain advice on how the current rules apply rather than inventing evidence of activity. The worker should understand which parts of the application depend on company records they cannot produce themselves.

Keep personal documents synchronized with the job file

Alongside the employment evidence, prepare the passport, background records, photograph, and other personal documents required for the category. Check recency, authentication, translation, and file format requirements before submission. Names and passport details should match the contract and application. If a passport will be renewed before travel, determine the proper update sequence. Keep a copy of the complete filed set so that later questions can be answered from the actual record. The applicant remains responsible for truthful personal information even when the employer or representative does most of the administrative work. Review declarations carefully instead of signing a package without understanding its contents.

Plan lawful onboarding and practical support

Ask the employer to define when work can begin under the actual permission and which official documents it needs for onboarding. Do not turn a pending request or submission receipt into an unsupported assurance of work authorization. Plan accommodation, transport, banking, and any professional recognition requirements alongside the immigration steps. If family members accompany you, assess their status and budget separately. A delayed salary start can affect the entire household, so clarify relocation support and living expenses in writing. The employer's operational plan should accommodate the legal sequence rather than pressure the worker to begin duties before the relevant conditions are satisfied.

Monitor changes after arrival

Keep the residence decision, electronic stamp, contract, and subsequent records together. Track any postentry submission requirement and retain confirmation that it was completed. Before changing employers, moving into a different services arrangement, or ending the original activity, check the effect on the residence category and any required notification or new procedure. Preserve evidence of employment and lawful income for future applications. Use SERMIG's current category guidance as the official reference and obtain individual advice where the relationship is unusual. A sound work residence plan connects the agreement offered abroad to the work actually performed in Chile and to the evidence needed at the next immigration milestone.

Sources & further reading

Official sources checked Oct 4, 2026. Follow the current government instructions when applying.

  1. Chile SERMIG: Lawful paid activitiesserviciomigraciones.cl
  2. Chile SERMIG: Electronic residence stampserviciomigraciones.cl