Clients on Upwork can choose to hire freelancers within their country or globally, depending on project needs. This flexibility supports localized knowledge, compliance, or on-site coordination. Location preferences can be changed anytime, and while filters exist, freelancers from outside the country may still apply.
There are plenty of reasons why you might need a freelancer who is located in the same country as you. That’s why when U.S. based clients are posting a job, we ask if you want to target your search to freelancers within your country or open it up to freelancers anywhere.
Don't worry — if you change your mind after posting the job, you can easily switch your location selection, either in freelancer search results or on the job post itself, to make the post visible to the entire marketplace and work with freelancers from around the world. Your location selection can be different for different jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recognize that sometimes you need a freelancer located in the same country. Your projects may require localized knowledge, the possibility of on-site coordination, specific compliance needs, or other factors that make working with someone within your country preferable.
You can set location preferences in your job post to help attract freelancers from specific countries. Just keep in mind that freelancers outside those locations can still submit proposals.