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Costa Rica’s Top Legal Experts Unite Against Immigration Challenges

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An avalanche of residency requests and limited resources are crippling the Immigration Department In an unprecedented move, a remarkable team of highly acclaimed immigration lawyers from Costa Rica has united to talk about what has been identified as a rapidly escalating crisis in the Costa Rican Immigration Department also know as Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería Costa Rica This extraordinary panel served as a symbol of hope and strength, demonstrating the impact of solidarity and professional expertise in overcoming challenges. The group consented to participate in a discussion panel on a popular live program, which was broadcasted on the YouTube channel of Pepito Live Costa Rica. This marked a first in recent history where the participants, committed to educating both existing and future expatriates in Costa Rica, agreed to tackle 10 critical questions presented by the host, all in English. The discussion panel boasted a distinguished roster of legal luminaries from across Costa Rica: Yves Pepito Malette, the host of the Pepito Live program broadcasted on YouTube, set the stage for a riveting discussion by highlighting the growing concerns among current and future expatriates about the perceived collapse of the system. The first critical inquiry posed to the panel: « What exactly is happening at the Immigration Department of Costa Rica? » was addressed by lawyers Vanessa Leandro and Marcela Gurdian, who went to the heart of the issue. This panel, pooling decades of experience and insight, aimed to shed light on the realistic hurdles prospective residents face when navigating the path to obtaining legal residency in Costa Rica. Lawyer Vanessa Leandro recalled the fiscal reform initiated in 2019, which significantly impacted immigration services, highlighting the government’s prohibition on new positions as a measure to curb the expansion of the governmental apparatus, a move critical at the time but now contributing to a significant understaffing issue. Lawyer Marcela Gurdian concurred with her colleague, pointing out that the government is currently incapable of meeting the demand due to a lack of funds and resources. She emphasized that the nation was not ready to handle such challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic, describing the situation as the gravest crisis the government has faced in two decades. The host, Yves Pepito Malette highlighted the overwhelming pressure on the immigration department, which is now grappling with nearly 250,000 refugee status claims. Additionally, there are thousands more applications for legal residency, noted Marcela Gurdian. « The government is at a point where it’s unable to even specify the number of pending residency applications, » she says. « If they have so much work, then do they create more work for themselves by creating more delays and being petty about applications? »– Serge Lalonde, an expat who commented via the Pepito Live YouTube Channel Both lawyers agreed that this understaffing has led to a bottleneck in processing residency applications, particularly in the ‘investors’ category, with wait times extending up to 18 months and more. The Immigration Department’s vision of a team committed to an effective, evolutionary, and transparent management model seems to be a distant goal under the current circumstances. In response, this assembly of top-tier lawyers is not only seeking solutions but also embarking on an information campaign to educate prospective movers and current residency seekers about the challenges ahead. They emphasized that while Costa Rica warmly welcomes foreigners, the current overload necessitates patience and understanding. The narrative goes beyond the immediate crisis, underscoring the essential role of immigrants in enhancing Costa Rica’s economic landscape. During the show, many viewers congratulated the group of lawyers for taking this initiative. « Thank you all for being here with us tonight. You all are so generous with your time and expertise. Pura Vida! »– Lisa Hunsicker​​, a viewer who commented via the Pepito Live YouTube Channel Part of the solutions proposed by the group includes ensuring collaboration with qualified immigration lawyers and making certain that all necessary documents are properly submitted. These measures will help avoid any unwanted delays and facilitate a faster process for obtaining legal residency in Costa Rica. Source mag506.com

Costa Rica: investing in paradise

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Moving to another country is a decision for the brave. However, when the option is Costa Rica, taking that first step is more attractive. Moving to Costa Rica not only implies starting a new life in a Central American paradise, but also brings many benefits, for example, when you decide to invest in this wonderful country. It is about investing in business and properties indeed, but also investing in a future, in a dream and in hopes. The main requirement for these people is to make an investment equal or above $150.000 (one hundred and fifty thousand dollars), in addition to this, documents such as birth certificates, criminal records, etc. must be provided. But that is not all. Among the multiple benefits provided by this law are the following: Import tax exemptions: Real Estate transfer Exemption Properties acquired during the term of the law, may have a reduction of up to 20% of the total transfer taxes. Family members to be included The person who is a spouse, minor child, adult with disability or unmarried child under 25 years of age with economic dependency of the persons who have opted for this category of investor, may also opt for a residence as a dependent in the country. This is an overview of the benefits you can enjoy. However, each person, property and context must be analyzed beforehand to review its viability. If you wish to know more about the wonders that Costa Rica has to offer, please feel free to reach us for a scheduled consultation and evacuate all your doubts. By: Bayron J. Segura CéspedesParalegal at MBC Legal Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is one of the eight cheapest countries for the retirement of American retirees, according to travel magazine

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Costa Rica is one of the eight cheapest destinations in the world for American retirees to settle, according to Travel + Leisure magazine Location, access to health care, language, visa qualifications, and income requirements are all part of the considerations these individuals make when moving outside of the United States. Climate, environment, and costs vary across the country, but the overall cost of living is about 38% lower than in the United States, and housing is 72% lower on average. magazine. The magazine’s data is compared on the Numbeo website , the world’s largest cost-of-living database. The “excellent public and private health care” is one of the main attractions for foreign retirees, according to Travel + Leisure. If you want to know the list of the eight cheapest countries to retire in the world, you can do it through the following link . Source: La República

Digital Nomads in Costa Rica: The ABCs for Tourists Who Want to Work from There

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Finally! Costa Rica will begin hosting digital nomads under a new special residency category or visa. It comes after a long, 11 month process that culminated in the signing of the bylaws that underpin the Law to Attract International Remote Workers and Service Providers (Law 10,008). Tourists interested in applying for this category can do so once the decree is published in the official government newspaper, La Gaceta. For now, the Department of Immigration only accepts applications for 90 day tourist visas and has not yet created a platform for the digital nomad subcategory. El Financiero reviewed the bylaws sent by the presidency and spoke with Alfredo Abrego, head of the Department of Immigration, and Mario Rodriguez, head of regional immigration for law office Outlier Legal. Below, we explain the steps tourists must take to telecommunte from Costa Rica. Who qualifies for a digital nomad visa? What kinds of job, employer and revenue conditions must they meet? According to the definition in the bylaws, “a foreign person that provides remote paid services, whether subordinate or not, using computers, telecoms or analog means for someone else who resides abroad and receives at least $3,000 in payments from abroad. In the case of a person requesting legal residency for his or her dependents, the amount is $4,000, according to the official exchange rate determined by the Central Bank of Costa Rica.” Practically the only characteristic that a tourist must have to qualify for the visa is that the payment must be received outside of Costa Rica. “The bylaws don’t mention or specify which country, in what condition nor in which bank, nor whether or not the money is in cash or not or under what method the money must be received. It just says that it must be done in a foreign bank, so the money must be received in a foreign entity,” said Rodríguez from Outlier Legal. What requirements must a tourist meet to apply for the digital nomad category? Fill out a request form. It must be signed by the tourist or their legal representative. It can be digitally accessed through theTrámite Ya platform. It can also be done physically by visiting an immigration office. Present a receipt of payment to the government for $100 or its equivalent in colons at the Central Bank of Costa Rica’s official exchange rate. A photocopy of the ID page of your passport and of the page with your most recent Costa Rica entry visa stamp. You must have your passport with you during this process. Consular visa for countries in the corresponding groups requiring consular visa. This also applies if you are in the country, according to the dispositions of the “general directions of visas of entry and permanence for non residents.” Bank statements accompanied by an affidavit stating that the statements have been requested and obtained from an accredited financial institution, or a certificate from a certified public accountant (CPA) or notary public (in the case it is done from Costa Rica). The certificate must be legalized at a consulate or apostilled, according to the bylaws. All documents issued in a foreign language must be officially translated to Spanish. Informed consent document authorizing the Department of Immigration to hold information on applicants within their database. The Department of Immigration will also require a criminal background check through national or international databases. They may also conduct biometric reviews. What documents must family members or those who accompany the digital nomad present? Marriage certificate valid for no more than six months. Document that shows the declaration or recognition of the joint relationship requested and valid for no greater than six months. Copy of the certificate of proof of birth in the case of minors or single people under 25. If the dependent is handicapped, a medical certificate must be presented showing the condition. Senior citizens must prove the existence of a connection or partnership with the person who is applying to the special stay through an affidavit. All documents in foreign languages must be officially translated to Spanish. Document of informed consent authorizing the Department of Immigration to hold information on applicants within its databases. Through what immigration channels can a tourist apply for a digital nomad visa? Foreigners who wish to apply for the non-resident immigration category, subcategory “Remote Worker or Service Provider” must fill out an application and sign it, or have a legal guardian or representative sign it. It can be digitally accessed through Immigration’s Trámite Ya or requested in person by visiting an immigration office. For now, the Tramite Ya website only has a form for applying for a 90-day tourist visa and hasn’t created the category for digital nomads yet, according to our sources, nor have they provided information on other channels where the tourist can apply. We asked the Department of Immigration about the form, and they said that they are “tightening up details to start the process,” and that once the bylaws are published in La Gaceta they will “provide more clear communication to applicants.” Can someone apply for the digital nomad visa from their country of origin before arriving in Costa Rica, or do they have to be in Costa Rica? You can apply both ways. If the tourist is in his country of origin, he or she can apply digitally on the Tramite Ya platform. Once their application is approved they can travel to Costa Rica. They can also arrive in Costa Rica, or if they arrived under a different category and wish to switch to digital nomad, they can do it here electronically or in person. How long does Immigration normally take to provide a response? By law, immigration has 90 days to issue a resolution on an application for temporary or permanent residence, Outlier Legal’s Rodriguez said. But, in reality, it can take between 12-15 months, he said. The digital nomad bylaws establishes a 15 day deadline, but the spokesman said that “experience” indicates that the 15-day timeframe probably won’t be respected, and applications will likely take at least 4 months to be processed and … Read more