Understanding Professional Regulations in Puerto Rico

1) In 25+ years of work experience in PR, the only limitation concerning potentially "reserved" jobs is elected positions, and that's not even a regulation or law (aside from minimum residency time), it's just a "cultural thing". If anything, being an outsider can actually be an advantage as you are immediately perceived as being more experienced/more qualified. (Not sure why this is, but it happens too often to be accidental)

2) Requirements are often listed online for everything from medical/health care professions to vocational specialties. However, finding specific information may be a pain, and phone calls to organizational or agency offices often go unanswered. Best bet: ask someone already working in the sector/profession/industry and be prepared for red tape when to comes to procedural issues

3) I have found that the best sources of information within a sector/profession/industry are those working in it, especially if they have organized a lobbying group or union, or if they are politically active

4) Most local government agencies are quite helpful when it comes to supporting new people coming to the island. All government documentation has to be provided in English, so that is a benefit. There are strong immigrant (expat) communities in the Greater San Juan area, Palmas del Mar, and Aguadilla/Rincón/Cabo Rojo, and linking with them informally can help find a source of support

@GCSchmidt12

" If anything, being an outsider can be an advantage as you are immediately perceived as being more experienced/more qualified. (Not sure why this is, but it happens too often to be accidental." Typical misconception, I have been here for over 4 years and speak Spanish and this concept that you are perceived as being essentially more valuable is bull. You mistake politeness and non-confrontation behavior as believing that this is their attitude. They recognized a dunce when they see one. There is respect for those people that are knowledgeable and no more. Culturally the idea of frankness is considered impolite so yes you may not be challenged in what you say. Very similar to Japanese culture in some aspects by refraining from saying no. So ignorant people are not challenged due to cultural norms. When someone comes there is no preconceived notion that you are more valuable or knowledgeable. The conversation is about some amounts of people displaying impolite and grandiose behavior. In most cases thye are politiely ignored. However, they indeed do recognize and respect the knowledge of people.

Unfortunately, too many people come here with that attitude and Puerto Ricans recognize it. If you go on Spanish-speaking forums you would know this. Openness to new ideas and respect for people is not the same as implied here. The idea of submissiveness is too often the outsider's interpretation of the outsider. Although Puerto Ricans are very polite and not aggressive it does not mean they do not recognize incompetence or egotistical attitudes that border on cultural ignorance. Respect for a person is one thing thinking somehow and perceiving this as being more valuable is another thing.

Interesting. You take me for someone who is not born and bred in PR. Easy mistake to make given my appearance and name, but I'm 4th generation boricua. I made my observation based on over 30 years of dealing with business and government people in dozens of fields. My take is that the "more experienced/more qualified" aura happens, and I felt it would be cogent to make note of it within this topic. Here and now (unlike then), I can speculate that it might be a spillover from the many times "the big bosses" are from the U.S. I did not claim that they or others were better qualified or better prepared, only that the perception happens too often to be accidental. And I did not claim this means you or anyone else would have "an easy in": competence matters, always has, always will. Nor did i imply that Puerto Ricans would not reject what they find unpalatable. The "ugly American" and "gringo comemierda" concepts are alive and well for a reason. Your experiences differ from mine: that seems normal. But I would wager my lifetime boricua perceptions would be more nuanced than those of someone here for under 5 years. Not saying you're wrong, as some of your remarks I agree with 100%. But I will state that on this subject you have a more limited perspective than I and applied it to my remark by reading far more into them, for whatever reasons.