What are the requirements for me to get a job in Panama?

Panamá has open doors to anyone who wants to highly contribute to honest development and growth.  Proof of this is the many fairs ("crisol de razas") the country offers to foreigners with at least 2 years of residency in the country.  They must comply with all the legal requirements and follow the process.
 
Those who do not reside in the country or came with a visitor's visa must know that Panamá is very conscientious and...

Panamá has open doors to anyone who wants to highly contribute to honest development and growth.  Proof of this is the many fairs ("crisol de razas") the country offers to foreigners with at least 2 years of residency in the country.  They must comply with all the legal requirements and follow the process.
 
Those who do not reside in the country or came with a visitor's visa must know that Panamá is very conscientious and protects its national citizens at large, and labor laws are very strict.
 
Another issue is that if you hold a degree from another country, you must revalidate it in Panamá, according to the private universities and education board requirements, prior to doing any job.  Age is another issue.  Most of the time being under 35 is a plus.
 
Universities are little more flexible, and professors can teach under certain permits, but for example, in the case of medical field, an individual cannot touch a patient unless the Health Department issues an approval.  Lately, due to the lack of specialized medical doctors, especially in the "interior", the government is allowing the hiring of a certain amount of doctors, but just to a certain point and time. And cases are carefully reviewed by the Education Board.
 
Regarding general or executive management positions, these are reserved for those who comply with work permits or special international corporation trades, like more than 100 multinationals established in the city of Panamá, and every case is considered on individual basis under immigration law.
 
Some corporations will handle special documentation if they consider a professional to be extremely highly valuable in their field for their organization, but they must state that it is impossible to otherwise get these services in Panamá for at least 5 years, and that granting the wavier will highly contribute to the benefit of Panamá.
 
Another example of being able to work in Panamá is to open up a corporation under the special small or medium investor law.  You can work, but only in that corporation, and the corporation must be established in Panama.  And Panamanian law stipulates that a good percentage of the employees must be Panamanians.  A good opportunity to do this would be to make an alliance with a Panamanian group in your area of work, and establish a basis for a future plan.  Or contact your local embassy for direct orientation.
 
But, in consideration of all the above, Panamá is always looking for good people to share good opportunities, if they do it the right way.
 
We must remember that today, Panamá has the lowest un-employment rate in Latin America and other regions, even with the global economic crisis, and is booming every day, not to mention that Panamá is the 3rd most happy country in the world, according to a recent magazine article.  Many jobs are available, but Panamanians are constantly pursuing higher education to be competitive with the modern era that Panamá is facing.