In light of Nicaragua’s exceeding poverty and sky-high unemployment rate, you’ll have a tough time finding paying work. Immigration laws force you to prove your job couldn’t have otherwise gone to a Nicaraguan. Still, there are plenty of foreigners who’ve pulled it off.

They work for international corporations with services and products in Nicaragua, they start businesses of their own, and they work for international NGOs like CARE, Save the Children, ADRA, Project Concern International, and Catholic Relief Services. If you are a licensed English teacher you might also try the universities in Managua, though your salary will be the same as a Nicaraguan’s (i.e., you’ll be able to sustain yourself from day to day but you’ll wish you had a cousin in Miami sending you checks).

Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma (UNAN), and Universidad Americana (UAM) all have English departments that may be looking for staff. For more ideas, check out the book, Work Abroad, edited by Clay Hubbs, available at www.transitionsabroad.com.