Creative Client Solutions During COVID-19

Hello, my name is Leonor Echeverría and I am a Fragomen Partner with oversight over the Latin America and Caribbean region.

I want to share with you a couple of examples of how we have assisted our clients with creative solutions during this terrible pandemic. In Colombia, there was a total entry ban implacable to Colombians and foreign nationals. One of our clients needed to send hundreds of highly skilled technicians to work on a local energy plant.

Our strategy was to apply for courtesy visas and then obtain in-country technical visas for these hundreds of employees. We worked with the local authorities, with our client and were successful in this project that was key to the country because it provided energy to over half of the population.

Similarly, in Argentina, we were also able to bring hundreds of foreign nationals despite the total entry ban. As you may know, Argentina was one of the countries in the region that imposed the most severe measures, such as lock downs, quarantines, entry bans and not only were we able to obtain concessions and permits to enter, but also to move within Argentina and circulate which was not permitted.

On the other hand as an example in Costa Rica, where I am based, we were able to work with the immigration office while it was closed and there were many files and cases of our clients that were pending approval. In order to secure special processing and that they were issued working alongside the local investment board, called CINDE.

All of these examples show that we are committed with our clients, we are highly motivated when our clients accomplish their goals, and we believe that is what makes us successful and that is what makes us want to continue being the best immigration professionals.