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dc.titleRegulatory Frameworks for International Labor Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean
dc.contributor.authorHernández G., José Ignacio
dc.contributor.authorEnrico Headrington, Alessandra
dc.contributor.orgunitMigration Unit
dc.coverageLatin America
dc.coverageThe Caribbean
dc.date.available2025-09-19T00:09:00
dc.date.issue2025-09-19T00:09:00
dc.description.abstractThis study analyzes labor and migration regulations in the 26 borrowing member countries of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to identify the conditions under which foreign nationals with regular migration status can access labor markets (the right to work) and participate in them (rights at work) across Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on a review of 218 legal and regulatory sourcesincluding constitutions, laws, labor codes, regulations, treaties, and bilateral or regional agreementsthe report provides the first comprehensive comparison of the regions regulatory frameworks. The findings show progress toward a shared approach to safe, orderly, and productive labor migration, although significant differences remain. Most countries require a prior employment contract, limit the duration of work permits to an average of two years, and restrict workers ability to change employers or the right of dependents to work. The study underscores the need to simplify procedures, strengthen institutional coordination, and harness the economic potential of labor mobility. It provides a previously unavailable empirical foundation for the design of more coherent and effective public policies.
dc.format.extent151
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0013699
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Regulatory-Frameworks-for-International-Labor-Migration-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/spanish/document/Marco-regulatorio-de-la-migracion-laboral-internacional-en-America-Latina-y-el-Caribe.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectLabor Force
dc.subjectQuality Management
dc.subjectHuman Migration
dc.subjectLabor Migration
dc.subjectLabor
dc.subjectRegulation
dc.subjectMigration Management
dc.subjectLabor Market
dc.subjectEconomic Migration
dc.subjectMigrant
dc.subjectHuman Rights
dc.subjectSocial Security
dc.subject.jelcodeF22 - International Migration
dc.subject.jelcodeJ61 - Geographic Labor Mobility • Immigrant Workers
dc.subject.jelcodeJ68 - Public Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeK37 - Immigration Law
dc.subject.jelcodeO15 - Human Resources • Human Development • Income Distribution • Migration
dc.subject.jelcodeO54 - Latin America • Caribbean
dc.subject.jelcodeR23 - Regional Migration • Regional Labor Markets • Population • Neighborhood Characteristics
dc.typeMonographs
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-MG-01301
idb.operationRG-E2017
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