Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 7/25/2009

Question
Hi,i'm hugo ,(age:21), I live in canada(montreal), i speak french ,english and i'm planning to learn portugese before i go to brazil.I work in construction, i have started myself a small company of house renovation here in canada and im saving my money.. i would want to know if it was possible for me to go work in brazil in construction? i dont mind working for sombody or starting my small company there like a did in canada ... is it difficult ? what paperwork would i need? and how this whole thing work?

Also is it possible for me to start a small house renovation company in brazil ? how? and is there a middle class that wants to renovate there houses so i can work on my own ? i would want to establish myself in rio or sao but i think of moving with at least 60 000 $ in my pocket so im not poor when i get there pls help me on how i could make a move there .

Answer
Yes, extremely. Especially if you are not a Brazilian legal resident.

Why? Because nearly all of the good paying construction jobs are run by the government and no way are they going to hire a contractor that employees someone who is not Brazilian and does not have a working permit.

Secondly, the odd jobs construction that exists in the US is mostly served by the very low income (not the poor) in Brazil. That said, if you want to make peanuts, work in construction .

NOw, if you wanted to come here and set up your own place, you will need to come here on a business visa. Have you ever even been to Brazil? IF I were you, I would come to Brazil first to see what you think about it. Youre going to want to live in areas that are growing: sao Paulo and Rio for example. And pick your client base. If you want very rich people (better) move to neighborhoods or near neighborhoods that serve them. For your purposes, just go there and see what they do.

It has been my experience that middle class and rich Brazilians do VERY little home improvement. It is NOTHING llike the US wher you say, Oh, Im sick of this kitchen, lets put in a new one, or, I, lets put in a jacuzzi and expand the bathroom. Capital costs are just way too high. Most people in Brazil dont even own their own home, and that is especially the case for the middle class, who mostly rent and will not be doing anything heavy except for maybe painting and minor repairs (fixing a window, putting in new doors, fixing a parquet floor, wiring...)

>>Also is it possible for me to start a small house renovation company in brazil ? <<

Yes, but only if you are here legally first. You cannot do that on a tourist visa.  That is visa fraud.

>>i think of moving with at least 60 000 $ in my pocket so im not poor <<

60k is good, but you cannot bring that kind of money into Brazil. You can bring in 10k. If you are bringing in more, and I never have, you will have to declare it. I dont know what will happen beyond that. You should ask your local Brazilian consulate in Toronto or Montreal.

You are really starting from zero. Not even immigrants who came to the US in the 1700s did that, Hugo. They all came here with family and friends, especially if they ddint speak the language. Those who came alone were Irish or Scottish prisoners, and to this day, their offspring live in the US slums or the US Appalachian mountains in homes that are falling apart. I know...I lived there and built homes for them.

If you KNOW someone here in this business, that speaks your language, better.

If you LOVE construction and think working for a major home construction company is a good idea, then I would start out working for them FIRST. Then go into business for yourself. Otherwise, you are better off taking that 60k and putting it in a bank CD. It will be much much safer there.

Think about it.