New immigration rules have good news onrentistas      
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff May 18, 2012

The second set of immigration regulations became public Thursday, and there was no crackdown on perpetual tourists.

The new rules did lower to $60,000 the amount a foreigner would need to become a rentista, according to Javier Zavaleta of Residency in Costa Rica. He follows the issues from his California office.

“New income requirement for rentista is still $2,500 per month of unearned income BUT for only 2 years (24 months) instead of five years or sixty months,” he wrote. “In terms of money: a rentista applicant will now need only $60,000 in the bank instead of $150,000 previously required.”

The $60,000 requirement was the amount required through March 1, 2010, when the new immigration law upped the requirement. The rules published Thursday in the La Gaceta official newspaper represent the second set that defines the details in how the law is applied.

The requirement for pensionado remains at a lifelong income of at least $1,000 a month.

The regulations did not mention perpetual tourists as many had feared. But it did repeat the legal definition of tourist. That is a person authorized to enter the country only for the ends of rest or relaxation and who has the economic means of subsistence sufficient for the authorized period.

That definition could cause problems for the perpetual tourists who have businesses here or who work via the Internet. For years, many real estate salesmen were perpetual tourists who left the country every 90 days to renew their visa.

The 214-page document bears the signature of President Laura Chinchilla Miranda and Mario Zamora Cordero, the security minster. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería is in his ministry.
The document is full of rules and regulations that will never affect expats. These include the statues of persons living along the nation's borders or truckers who enter the country regularly. Also treated in detail are foreigners who come to Costa Rica as sports participants, members of religious groups or news people.

“This is a very good change for potential applicants under the rentista program, “ said Zavaleta. “It points out that Migración realizes that the only time the rentista needs to prove income is at the time the application is filed and at the time of the first renewal -- two years after the initial approval as a temporary resident. Why? Because after three years of being a temp resident, the temp resident can apply for permanent residency, which has no income requirement."

The regulations accept the new system of apostille for foreign documents, which means the paperwork will not have to be passed through a Costa Rican consulate.

The rules also clearly state that foreigners married to a Costa Rican can obtain temporary residency for a year.

The rules also spell out for the first time how persons who come to Costa Rica for medical care can obtain a form of authorization to remain in the country. The requirements are much the same as other forms of residency and cost $100. Most medical visitors, unless they plan a very long stay, probably will continue to come under a tourism visa.

The rules also outline that a resident who loses documents will have to pay $98 for replacement.

Immigration agency ready to issue new set of rules
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff March 27, 2012

The immigration department confirmed Monday that a new set of regulations is close to being approved and published. This would be the second set of regulations that cover the finer points of the March 2010 immigration law.

When the first set of rules became public last October, many expats and their legal and residency advisers were surprised that there was little mention of topics of interest to foreigners. About the only mention of foreigners related to human trafficking.

Now the second set of rules is expected to address some crucial topics.

Chief among many expats is the issue of perpetual tourist. These are foreigners who live and sometimes work in Costa Rica on a tourism visa. Many U.S. and Canadian citizens leave the country and return every 90 days to renew the visa. Some have reported problems at reentry. In some cases, the immigration agency awards a visa much shorter than 90 days.

The biggest fear of some foreigners is that the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería will pass rules that limit the number of times a year a foreigner can visit Costa Rica as a tourist.

Before the last set of rules became public, Mario Zamora Cordero, then the director of immigration, gave an extensive interview in which he outlined in detail restrictions on tourists. For example, he said that tourists would have to leave Costa Rica to a different country each time to renew a visa.

Later Zamora said that he was incorrect in outlining these major changes to immigration procedures. His response left the impression that the restrictions had been discussed but for some reason were not being promulgated as part of the regulations at that time. He is now minister of Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, a post that includes responsibility for the immigration agency. During his time at immigration Zamora also issued a memo that allowed foreigners seeking residency as inversionista to count their personal home as the required investment. Until then an inversionista or investor had to put money in some profit-making, commercial venture.

Some in the residency field have said that Zamora did that, in part, to boost the country's sagging real estate values. Because of the memo, some expats obtained inversionista status by purchasing a home valued by the local municipality at $200,000 or more.

Residency experts fear that the new rules or reglamentos will reverse this benefit. Some are pushing through applications for inversionista status because of their fears.

Javier Zavaleta of Residency in Costa Rica follows developments in the immigration agency closely. In an email message he noted that by issuing regulations, the agency would be canceling Zamora's memo.

The problem is that once the new reglamento is printed in La Gaceta, the official newspaper of the government of Costa Rica, all internal memos and rulings still in effect are automatically voided and are no longer valid,” he said.

Zavaleta noted what he said were consistent rumors in the agency that rules for inversionista will be tightened.

Although a spokesperson at immigration Monday said that the new rules had not been signed, Zavaleta said that he has been told that approval is complete and all that is lacking is publication.

He said he wouldn’t be surprised if the reglamento is published by April 15.

The immigration spokesman declined to provide a copy to a reporter and said that everyone must wait until publication. She said that she did not know the contents of the new rules.

Finer points of immigration law near publication
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff am.costarica.com Jan. 5, 2011

Regulations covering application of the immigration law took another step forward Tuesday.

The Consejo de Gobierno, the president's cabinet, got a look at the proposal that has been in the works for nearly a year.

Expats have a deep interest in the regulations because they will affect the day-to-day operation of immigration officials.

The next step is for President Laura Chinchilla to review the regulations. Then, if she is satisfied, she will issue a decree putting them into effect. Casa Presidencial said that this might happen within a week.

Of course, the president might order changes, and that could delay when the rules go into force.

The new immigration law went into effect last March 1. There has been a flood of misinformation. For example, Mario Zamora, then-immigration director, said then that tourists would be able to stay in the country for a full year by paying for 90-day extensions. That may have been the intent of the law, but a close reading seems to say that this benefit only applies to those with less than 90-day visas. The usual North American visa is for 90 days.

He also said at that time that the regulations would be published within 15 days. That this did not happen suggests that there was lengthy negotiations within the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería and the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública.

Zamora caused a panic among some expats in February when he said that tourists would not be able to go to the same country twice to renew their visa and that after two trips to renew a visa a tourist will have to stay out of Costa Rica for a minimum of 15 days.

Later he said he was mistaken, but that raised the question of why a man intimately acquainted with the immigration law could be so far off base. Expats who are so-called perpetual tourists are waiting to see if Zamora really was giving hints of what would be in the regulations.

Government officials were upbeat about the regulations Tuesday, although they did not address specifics. Casa Presidencial said that the Chinchilla administration was seeking an immigration policy that would encourage foreign investment and cause social and economic development.

The regulations cover immigration, legal residency, exits and arrivals to Costa Rica, minors, and the handling of different types of visas.

The new immigration law expanded the types of visas that are available so that the category of tourist is not a catch-all for persons visiting for non-tourism reasons.

Zamora now has been raised to the post of vice ministry with oversight of the immigration department. He said Tuesday that Costa Rica has 600,000 legal foreign residents and that it has the highest per capita number of refugees in the American continent.

The ministries of Comercio Exterior and Trabajo participated in drawing up the regulations.

The law was drawn up and passed during the Óscar Arias Sánchez administration. Arias and his aides said they thought that a law passed in the preceding Abel Pacheco administration was too draconian.

It is the new immigration law that requires legal residents here to affiliate with the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. The purpose is to integrate foreigners into the Costa Rican society, officials have said.

Perpetual tourists are those visitors who leave the country every 90 days to renew their tourism visa. Some have been doing that for years. Others simply give their passports to a local taxi driver who carries the documents to the border for stamping.

One aspect of the new immigration law is to provide recognition to the Policía de Migración.

Costa Ricans Longest Living In Latin America
www.insidecostarica.com October 24, 2010

Costa Rica Has 9.995 Over The Age of 90, of Which 471 Are Centenarians

Come Tuesday, Graciela Flores or "niña Graciela" will have a lot to celebrate, her 104th birthday. Graciela, the retired teacher was born on October 26, 1907, gave birth to 110 children and assures that her longevity is due to eating healthy and being active.

"We were always given food low in fat. They were healthy times and proof as I am still here", Graciela said.

Graciela comes from the Nicoya, an area of Costa Rica that is home to 417 centenarians.

The areas of Nicoya, Carrillo, Santa Cruz, Hojancha and Nandayure has been identified as a "blue zone" and subject of a National Geographic study and report, is home to many over the age of 100.

Other blue zones in the world have been identified in Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy. Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda, California in the USA.

A Blue Zone is a region of the world where people commonly live active lives past the age of 100 years. Scientists and demographers have classified these longevity hot-spots by having common healthy traits and life practices that result in higher-than-normal longevity. The name Blue zone seems to be first employed in a scientific article by a team of demographers working on centenarians in Sardinia in 2004.

Costa Rica has been identified as the nation with the greatest longevity in Latin America, where the average age expectancy is 78.9 years and taking 29th spot in the world ranking. Japan is at the top of the ranking.

According to the latest census, Costa Rica has 9.995 people over the age of 90, 417 of them being over 100.

María Luis Ávila, ministra de Salud, said that in 1930 the life expectancy in Costa Rica was 42.23 years, climbing to 62.6 years in the 1960's.

The health minister attributes the longevity to education, peace, healthy eating, access to potable water, prevention of disease and social security, among other factors.

Tourist Overstay Fine Not Yet Being Applied, December Is The Deadline
Source: www.insidecostarica.com Sept. 28, 2010

Leaving Costa Rica for foreigners who have overstayed their "tourist" visa period could be costly and be barred from returning to Costa Rica for a period of up to three times they overstay. Although that is the law, immigration officials have yet to enforce it, which could be anytime between now and December 13.

Visitors from North America and Europe typically are given a stay of up to 90 days, while many other nationals are only given 30 days, when they must leave the country or their stay in Costa Rica becomes illegal and are subject to sanctions and expulsion.

Under the new immigration law that went into effect on March 1, 2010, tourists are required to pay a fine of us$100 for each month they over stay their visa period and must stay out of the country for a period of up three times their overstay before they are allowed to return.

Immigration officials can easily check the passport and their database to see when a person entered the country by land or air and can also determine if a person is not permitted re-entry. The rules are usually stricter at the country's airports than at land border crossings.

However, the immigration service has yet to enforce this overstay rule and according to immigration officials tourists who have overstayed their visa period will not be required to pay. Not yet anyways, but will be required to do so when the law is expected to be enforced before the middle of December.

Currently, Costa Rican authorities at the San José airport are checking the entry stamp at the security check point which occurs after paying the exit tax and given a boarding pass by the airline.

Stiff increases are planned for U.S. consular services
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Getting a document notarized at the U.S. consulate in Pavas will cost $50 starting July 13, a 66 percent increase over the current $30 fee.

That is one of the major increases that the U.S. State Department has published in the Federal Register. Also going up are fees for passports, visa applications and other consular services

"The 27 adjusted fees are based on a cost of service study completed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs in June 2009," the State Department said. "The study, which was the most detailed and exhaustive ever conducted by the Department of State, established the true cost of providing these consular services, which by law must be recovered through collection of fees."

The revised fees will cover actual operating expenses for the 301 overseas consular posts, 23 domestic passport agencies and other centers that provide these consular services to U.S. and foreign citizens, the State Department added.

Based on information published on the State Department Web site adult passports for U.S. citizens go from $75 to $110. a child's passport goes from $60 to $80, and the State Department also is assessing an extra $25 fee on both adult and passports for children.

Anyone who does not like the new fees and wishes to renounce U.S. citizenship will find that there is a new charge of $450 to do so. The declaration used to be free.

Some of the increases are in the triple digits. Scheduling and arranging a deposition in a legal case used to cost

Some increases in U.S. consular fees
	Now	July 13
Notary fee	$30	$50
Adult's passport	$75	$135
Child's passport	$60	$105
Registering a birth	$65	$100

$475. On July 13, the fee will be $1,283. The cost of processing letters rogatory under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act jumps from $735 to $2,275. Letters rogatory are requests from a court for some kind of judicial assistance by a foreign government.

Consular reports of births abroad go from $65 to $100. Non-immigrant visas for non-U.S. citizens show a $9 increase to $140 in the most common categories. However, one class of visa application goes from $131 to $390. Of course this is just the application. There is no guarantee that a visa will be issued.

Notary services are important for those selling property elsewhere because services by U.S. notaries are only legal in the state in which they have been appointed. Still, by U.S. standards, the new consular fee is high. New York established a $2 fee for notaries, but there are additional fees allowed if the notary has to travel to the location where a document is to be signed.

Maximum fees in California range from between $10 and $30, depending on the services. For simply validating someone's signature the charge is $10. Other states set maximum charges as low as $1. Many U.S. banks will notarize the signature of a customer.

Renewing tourist visa proves to be prolonged nightmare
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
www.amcostarica.com 6 May 2010

North American expats who want to renew their tourism visit by paying $100 to immigration officials here better await the change in government.

A Swiss citizen who was used as a test case for A.M. Costa Rica is off to Nicaragua Sunday to renew his visit by a foreign trip. That is because after paying $100 and making three trips to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería he failed to get his visa renewed administratively.

The Swiss citizen, who was accompanied all the time by a Costa Rican reporter, received three different explanations, was told to make additional appointments and finally was told that he did not qualify for a renewal.

The director general of the immigration agency, Mario Zamora, has said that expats renewing a tourist visa should be easy. That was not what the Swiss citizen found.

In his first visit last week, an immigration employee told him to make a $100 deposit and return with an application filled out. On his second visit, a woman who identified herself as the head of the department told him that what he had been told on the first visit was all wrong.

On a third visit this week, the man was told that he did not qualify because his visa is for 90 days.

A close reading of the law says that visas can be extended administratively if they are for periods less than 90 days. This is believed to be a mistake in the law because it contradicts all that officials have been saying for two years. Nevertheless, it appears that immigration workers are now following that provision.

The situation is clouded because the immigration department has failed to produce regulations that interpret the law and provide detailed steps that are to be followed.

Immigration workers promised the Swiss citizen that the agency would refund his $100 made by bank deposit.

Expat challenges rule to renounce U.S. citizenship
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Amcostarica.com 29 April 2010

According to Costa Rican law, foreigners who seek Costa Rican nationality through length of residency have to agree to renounce their current citizenship.

That is not the case for a person who obtains Costa Rican residency through a relationship with a Costa Rican.

The issue is important for U.S. expats. While that country allows their citizens to hold other nationalities, most would not want to surrender their citizenship when they opt to become Costa Ricans.

Now a Playas del Coco woman, identified by the Poder Judicial as Leslie Barbara Zelinski Levy, has filed a Sala IV constitutional case challenging the section of the immigration law that mandates surrendering a previous citizenship. She is a U.S. citizen.

The case was filed by San José lawyer Bárbara Jiménez Coble. The appeal challenges the different ways Costa Rica handles the citizenship application in which one class of persons must surrender a foreign citizenship but another class, those obtaining citizenship through a family relationship, do not.

A U.S. Embassy official told a writer Wednesday that a number of American citizens here have signed documents promising to renounce their citizenship, but that the embassy does not take the paperwork seriously.

In a more formal account, the U.S. State Department says on its Web site "a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship."

Surrendering U.S. citizenship can be a formal process that some expats do in order to avoid U.S. taxes or for political reasons.

In some cases because a treaty agreement exists between Costa Rica and another nation, citizens may assume dual nationality without the need to renounce the current one. The United States does not have such a treaty. That figures in the court appeal, too.

Those who seek Costa Rican citizenship must show that they have been in the country a prescribed period, which varies based on their country of origin.

Non-native Spanish speakers have to take a language test. All have to take a test over Costa Rican civics.

Those who seek residency by a family relationship, such as a spouse or a child born here, do not have to take these tests.

Some criminal suspects who are fleeing U.S. justice sometimes manage to obtain Costa Rican citizenship because the country's Constitution prohibits the extradition of citizens. The citizenship process can be reversed if the Costa Rican government believes that there were misrepresentations in the naturalization process.

• They need to join the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. Still unclear is if membership in a similar program in another country would be sufficient for the Costa Rican requirement. The exact system to enroll expats has not been made clear but they will have to show that they have Caja membership when they renew their cédulas.

• Tourists who overstay their visas will pay a larger fine when leaving, and they will be prohibited from reentering Costa Rica for three times the period that they were illegally in the country.

• Many more categories are created for persons who seek to work or stay in Costa Rica. Work permits traditionally have been difficult to get here unless the applicant is a large company.

• Pensionados approved under the new law must show a monthly income from a certified pension of at least $1,000 a month, up from $600. That amount also covers foreign spouses and minor children. Rentistas have to show that they have a continuing monthly income of at least $2,500, up from $1,000.

• Innkeepers and hotel operators will have to keep a registry of persons staying in their facilities for inspection by the immigration police.

Costa Rican Consulate in CHICAGO scheduled to close on April 30, 209.
www.insidecostarica.com 14 Feb. 2009
Costa Rica Closes 3 Embassies, 2 Consular Offices In Cost Cutting Plan

Costa Rica has decided to close three embassies around the world and two consulates in the US, as part of the Arias government cost cutting measures. The Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Foreign Ministry) announced yesterday that it would be closing embassies in Bolivia, Czech Republic and Paraguay, in addition to its consular offices in Chicago and Puerto Rico.

The closures come under the measures of the "Plan Escudo" announced by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias last week to mitigate the impact of the financial crisis.

The Bolivia, Paraguay embassies and consular offices in Puerto Rico and Chicago will be closed as of April 30, while the Czech embassy will remain open until May 31.

Foreign Ministry officials say the closures follow an internal study of the resources of the diplomatic centres around the world before recommending the closures to president Arias, who in this case had the last word.

Ministry officials did not say yesterday how much money the closures will save Costa Rica, adding that the closures do not mean a break in diplomatic relations those countries nor affect bilateral relations, being simply a cost cutting measure.

In the case of the Chicago consular offices, cases will be sent to the New York office, while the Czech will have to go Germany and the Bolivia, Paraguay and Puerto Rico cases will be handled from San José.

Costa Rica will continue to maintain embassies in 35 nations, 10 consular offices and 5 international missions

Turf dispute delays action on immigration reforms
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
www.amcostarica.com February 5, 2009

The proposed immigration law that worries many expats will not come to an Asamblea Legislativa vote before Tuesday, if then. An internal government dispute over the future of the immigration agency has resulted in another hearing before a legislative committee.

The principal question, according to the committee, is should the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería remain part of the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública.

The alternative would be to make the immigration agency a free-standing government department. The current minister, Janina del Vecchio, favors the present arrangement, said legislative aides. Mario Zamora Cordero, the director of the immigration agency, is pushing for independence.

The Comisión de Asuntos Permanentes de Gobierno y Administración will hear both points of view Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Olga Marta Corrales, president of the commission, said that the argument for an independent agency includes the claim that Zamora has to get the minister's approval to buy just one pencil. She said this was a headache.

Ms. del Vecchio also appears to be trying to push Zamora out of the job. He was appointed in 2006 by the former security minister, Fernando Berrocal.

Recently Zamora has been the target of administrative and ethical investigations that had hidden origins. The minister was at the point of firing him, allegedly for causing too many immigration cases going to the Sala IV constitutional court, until strong political pressure caused her to reverse her course.

Zamora is believed to be a foe of corruption, and fighting such activities has been a key goal of his administration. Nevertheless, immigration is overwhelmed and dysfunctional, as many expats will attest.

The immigration bill already had been reported out of the committee to await floor action in the full legislature. But under a rule of procedure, the proposal was sent back to the committee to address other points.

Many expats are concerned about this bill because it would raise drastically the financial requirements for pensionado and rentista residencies and, according to the text, require all who have residencies now meet the new requirements when they renew their stay.

This is not something the committee said it would discuss even though many expats have made contact with lawmakers about these points.

However, changes are possible when the bill comes back to the assembly floor.

The commission said it wants to make sure the proposal contains key measures for controlling corruption by using techniques that make the process of getting residencies approved more flexible.

The immigration proposal also should serve to integrate the migrant population into the social security structure and cause them to participate in community works. The committee also will discuss the proposals to simplify the residency process and the proposal to strengthen the Policía de Migración.

Many expats who now have residency believe they are protected from any changes because their status has been "grandfathered." In fact, pensionado and rentista residencies are granted for set periods.

It is a complex legal question if the individual requirements can be changed at the end of a term of residency. If the bill passes in its present form, a Sala IV constitutional court case is certain.

Expat advocates are seeking to have a specific provision put in the bill that would protect current residencies. The bill now says that pensionado and rentista residents would have to meet new requirements when they renew their status.

Victim protection bill gets first OK in legislature
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
www.amcostarica.com February 4, 2009

The Asamblea Legislativa Tuesday passed on first reading the initial citizen security bill, part of a package that contains revisions to the immigration law.

The bill that was passed received strong support among lawmakers.

This is No. 16.973, which has been changed in parts since its submission last March but still seeks to provide protection to victims and witnesses. The text creates what could be called a protection program and authorizes housing victims and witnesses in a safe place.

However, the bill, some 26,400 words, also creates what is called a police information platform that will contain all the data bases of all the state agencies, autonomous institutions and municipalities. These data bases will be open to police officers, with some restrictions established by the Judicial Investigating Organization.

The bill also authorizes tapping communications with the approval of a judge. This includes telephone, Internet satellite and other current means of communication.

The bill also contains 3,446 words of a section that restricts the use of firearms by citizens. Among the provisions is one that says a person may only have one firearm for self-protection and it may not be an automatic weapon.

The proposal also seeks to address the phenomenon of killings for hire, receiving stolen goods and the way the government handles confiscated things of value.

The bill, which probably will receive final passage late in the week, also specifies measures to strengthen the municipal police forces.

Passage came after a strong campaign by the fiscal general, Francisco Dall'Anese. In the last month court officials have revealed that in many jurisdictions only half the persons charged with a crime are convicted. The court release blamed intimidation of witnesses. Dall'Anese Tuesday was talking to reporters about the likely presence here of the notorious Zeta faction, paramilitaries who carry out the commands of the Mexican drug gangs.

Financing is a major obstacle for witness and victim protection. Details were not available on how the lawmakers handled that problem. The exact text of the revised measure probably will not be available to the public until it is passed and published in the La Gaceta official newspaper. Lawmakers themselves might not know fully what they have approved.

The other proposals in the security package include No. 16.429, a reform of the arms and explosives law; N. 16.594, the controversial immigration law; No. 16.830, a law specifically against organized crime, and No. 16.831, reforms

'. . . the battle of a disorganized state against organized crime'

— Title II of bill of the drug and money laundering laws.

The series of bills was the product of a task force headed by Laura Chinchilla Miranda. She then was minister of Justicia y Gracia and the nation's vice president. She has since quit to run for president.

The bill allows closing a courtroom to conduct private sessions and also keeping the name of witnesses and victims secret to protect them. Testimony by video conferencing also is allowed to protect witnesses. Now such technology is used mainly to receive testimony from long distances.

The bill also established a four-year prison term for anyone who attempts to threaten or otherwise affect the testimony of a victim or witness.

The measure continues Costa Rican tradition of treating a crime as an affair between a suspect and a victim. The bill calls for conciliation. It appears that conciliation can be ordered unless the crime is of a sexual nature or involves domestic violence.

Organized crime is defined as three or more persons associated to commit serious acts that carry penalties of four years in prison or more.

The bill specifically includes, torture, all forms of sexual exploitation, money laundering, hostage taking, terrorism, trafficking in persons, trafficking of arms or drugs, murder, injury or threats to a member of the branches of government or foreign diplomats, and murder, injury or threats against police, victims, witnesses, judicial experts, judges and others working in the law enforcement agencies of the country.

The immigration bill, which is part of the security package, is controversial because it would raise the financial requirements for foreigners who seek residency here. That bill has been passed out of a committee to the full legislature. Assembly leaders hoped to have the bills approved before Christmas, but a squabble over the members of a new telecom regulatory agency prevented that.

Then the legislature met to handle emergency funding for victims of the Jan. 8 earthquake. Lengthy discussions followed on the exact text of the citizen security bill.

The immigration bill also contains wording that would seem to impose the same financial requirements on expats who renew residencies. The current wording calls for an income of $2,000 a month for persons who seek pensionado status and $5,000 a month for those who seek the status of rentista. Some expats are working to have these numbers reduced. The current requirements are $600 a month for pensionado and $1,000 a month for a single rentista.

HOT – OFF THE PRESS November 2, 2008

Newly PROPOSED changes to CR’s Immigration Law

Seek to increase income requirements for Pensionado & Rentista applications

I just finished reading the 80-page text of the newly proposed changes to Costa Rica’s Ley General de Migracion y Extranjeria, (Expdiente No. 16,594), as published in La Gaceta, the official newspaper of the Costa Rican government. La Gaceta, 27 October 2008, starting at page 2, can be read (in Spanish) directly at: http://historico.gaceta.go.cr/2008/10/COMP_27_10_2008.pdf

There are several changes in the proposed language of the law. From my perspective, the key changes, that is, the changes most likely to impact an individual wishing to apply for residency in Costa Rica are:

PENSIONADO APPLICANTS:

Article 78: Would require that pensionado applicants prove a monthly pension of Two Thousand dollars ($2,000). The current requirement is only $600.00. The same $600 amount applies when applying as a single applicant or as husband & wife couple. It is not clear if the new proposed requirement applies to both a single person or to a couple.

RENTISTA APPLICANTS:

Articles 78 & 80: Would require rentista applicants to prove a monthly un-earned income of Five Thousand dollars ($5,000) per single applicant or per family. The current is $1,000 per adult applicant plus $500 per child, all per month for 60 months.

Under the current law, an applicant who is single needs to show income of a $1000 per month for 60 months, or a total of $60,000. The proposed changes do not indicate the length of time the applicant needs to prove income.

“VINCULO” APPLICANTS:

Article 68: Would require that an applicant under the Vinculo Program MUST know the other spouse (no more third party marriages of convenience, where the Tico spouse has never seen or met the non-Tico spouse). AND, just as important: at the time of the carnet renewal, the non-Tico resident MUST prove that he/she is living (cohabitating) with the non-Tico spouse.

Other important proposed changes:

Article 55: Would deny entry into Costa Rica to individuals who have a tourist visa but who … [68.3] have been convicted of a felony in the past 10 years; [68.4] there is good reason to believe their presence in the country would compromise public security;… [68.8] have been linked to gangs or groups engaged in or linked to organized crime.

Article 64: Would deny resident status to any applicant convicted of a felony in the prior 10 years.

Article 74.1: Would increase the time requirement to apply to become a permanent resident from the current three (3) years up to five (5) years.

Articles 76 & 77: (NEW REQUIREMENT): It appears that Articles 76 & 77 make it mandatory that in order to renew a resident carnet, that the resident MUST prove that he/she has joined the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (”CCSS”) and that the resident has been a member of La Caja continuously since the time the carnet was issued.

Please note that this is a preliminary review of the proposed changes and it is not an exhaustive review. There may well be other changes applicable to your specific circumstances. This review does not constitute, and it is not intended to be, legal advise.

Additionally, I want to emphasize that these are proposed changes. These are not final changes and the proposed changes are not in effect now and are not the law. La Gaceta does not contain either time-table for further hearings or a schedule for comments from the public.

If you are strongly opposed to the proposed changes, we suggest that you send your comments via e-mail to:

Francisco Antonio Pacheco Fernández

Presidente de la Asamblea Legislativa

Correo: fpacheco@asamblea.go.cr

PLEASE READ

On July 25, 2008, the Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria started to circulate internally and to the Costa Rican consulates around the world a critical change pertaining to the length of time the documents required to apply for residency are valid. This change will affect ALL applications, regardless of the program being used to apply for residency.

The document, which can be seen in its entirety directly below this update, Circular SDG-451-08-08, dated July 25, 2008, from Lic. Marco Zamora, Director General [Migracion y Extranjeria] makes the following modification to all residency applications:

All birth certificates, police criminal background record checks, certified copies of passports, or any other type of document that must be attached to any visa application or application for residency MUST have been issued within the 6 months prior to its presentation to Migracion [in San Jose]…

What does this mean to you and to your residency application?

It means that Migracion is setting the expiration date of all documents needed to apply for residency at six (6) months from the date the document was issued.

It means that if the document is older than six months, the document will be considered as “expired and no longer valid” for residency application purposes, and the document will be rejected (and you would have only 10 working days to replace it!).

It means that none of your documents can be older than six (6) months at the time Migracion receives your package in San Jose from the local Costa Rican consulate.

It means that if you have a birth certificate that was issued to you last year, for example, that you will need to get a brand new birth certificate, or marriage certificate, or income letter or pension letter, with a more recent issue date.

It also means that your police letter, which used to be valid for only three months, is now valid for six months – a silver lining amongst the clouds.

At Residency in Costa Rica, we ship all application packages via FedEx from the consulate to Migracion. In view of this radical change, our goal will be to endeavor to file your residency package at least 2 weeks prior to the expiration date of your oldest document. Thus, minimizing the risk of a document being rejected for its being older than 6 months.

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT CHANGES
IN RESIDENCY APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Stiff penalties for overstaying tourist visa
Immigration draft easy on pensionados, not rentistas

A proposed redraft of the nation's immigration laws would require less monthly income to be a foreigner here living on a pension, but the monthly income to be a rentista would double.

The proposal, provided in draft form Thursday by Casa Presidencial, is not fixed in stone, and after it is sent to the Asamblea Legislativa major changes may take place. And the proposal might not even be passed into law.

The proposal also allows so-called temporary residents, inversionistas, pensionados and rentistas, to apply for permanent residency after just two years in the country. The current period is three years, and the period used to be five years.

The law also creates a special fund and assessment for most foreigners living here. The purpose is to generate some income for the state to pay for medical and educational services used by foreigners. No figure is set in the proposed law, and the amount is left to the discretion of the director general of Migración y Extranjería. Officials have said that the base amount, around $20 a month, might vary depending on the immigration category, a suggestion that North American residents who generally are pensionados, rentistas and inversionistas would pay more each month than Nicaraguan day laborers.

The proposal has 268 articles and 26,200 words. Some sections appear to be just suggestions for changes in the existing law that was passed by the previous legislature and signed by former president Abel Pacheco. The law is full of references to the human rights of foreigners and contains language against discrimination.

The proposal also takes a firm stand against those who work here on tourist visas, something which is not clear in the current law.

The proposal continues current penalties for hiring illegal immigrants or housing them, but there is a new phrase that exempts those who house illegal immigrants for humanitarian purposes. The Catholic Church has opposed the current law because the church officials thought safe houses provided for displaced illegal immigrants might lead to penalties.

The proposed law also contains stiff penalties for overstaying a tourist or other visa that could run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Those who overstay visas face a fine equal to double the monthly assessment for their immigration category for each day they have overstayed their visa. Or they must remain out of the country for triple the time they have overstayed the visa.

According to the proposal, those seeking to stay in Costa Rica as a pensionado would have to show a monthly income, usually a secure pension, of $500 a month. Now the amount is $600 a month.

Rentistas would have to show a monthly income of $2,000 instead of the current $1,000. However, the proposal eliminates an additional $1,000 of income for a spouse and $500 a month for each dependent child.

Typically rentistas have put $60,000 in a bank account to show financial capability for five years.

Recently the amount doubled for those with spouses. That amount was keyed to the five years one must remain a rentista before seeking permanent residency. Now with permanent residency possible after just two years, a rentista might be able to qualify with just $48,000 in the bank, depending on how the proposed law, if passed, is interpreted.

Tourists continue to be considered non-residents and do not build time toward residency, under terms of the proposal.

The proposal continues to forbid entrance to Costa Rica to persons who have been convicted of various crimes ranging from drug smuggling to domestic violence and also to those associated with criminal gangs. But the way to check such crimes in other countries is limited.

Much has been said about how the immigration proposal would legalize the status of thousands of illegal residents of Costa Rica, primarily Nicaraguans. But a detailed reading of the proposal shows it does not do that. Instead, it creates the possibility that the executive branch may issue a decree that would legalize persons — as long as they were not criminals. — who would otherwise not be eligible for residency here.

Temporary residents, such as inversionistas, pensionados and rentistas would still be forbidden to work for a salary, but the law spells out clearly that they can do work on their own account. That has been interpreted as running their own businesses. They must spend at least six months in the country each year, according to the proposal.

The proposal would allow tourists to prolong their stay here at the end of 90 days but would expose someone in that category to penalties if they did not leave when their tourism period had expired. The proposal also specifically forbids tourists from working.

The law withholds permanent residency from new foreign spouses of Costa Ricans for three years and requires them to show that they are living together as a couple every year.

The proposal also lets foreigners apply for various immigration categories while they are in Costa Rica. The current law requires that foreigners do so at the Costa Rican consulate in their country, although in the past this has been ignored sometimes.

Those who are deported do not have the right to return to Costa Rica for five years, under the proposal. Those who are expelled for compromising the peace and security of the country would not be able to return for 10 years. But those who commit serious crimes against young people, the aged or the disabled would not be able to return for 25 years.

The Arias administration decided to redo the immigration law even though the new one only went into effect in August. The new law has been criticized for being harsh.

At 12:01am on 20 March 2008 – This Thursday; the entire country of Costa Rica will change from 7 digit phone numbers to 8 digit phone numbers. All land lines will have a 2 added before them and all cell phone lines will have an 8 added before the number.

Land phone lines begin with 2,4,5,6,and 7

Cell phone lines begin with 3, 8, and 9.

OLD NUMBER will become NEW NUMBER:

2xxxxxx will become   2 + 2xxxxxx land phones

3xxxxxx will become   8 + 3xxxxxx cell phones

4xxxxxx will become   2 + 4xxxxxx land phones

5xxxxxx will become   2 + 5xxxxxx land phones

6xxxxxx will become   2 + 6xxxxxx land phones

7xxxxxx will become   2 + 7xxxxxx land phones

8xxxxxx will become   8 + 8xxxxxx cell phones

9xxxxxx will become   8 + 9xxxxxx cell phones

1xxxxxx will become   1xxxxxx + 0 DSL lines

RCR NOTE: When dialing from abroad to Costa Rica, you still will have to dial the 011 international call access code and the Costa Rica country code of 506, then the new telephone number. Thus, if calling from the U.S., you would dial 011 506 2 + 2xxxxxx

Lise & Rolf Zersch
www.bosquedeltolomuco.com

Mar. 18, 2008 www.insidecostarica.com

Countdown To Eight Continues

Callers from outside Costa Rica will have to dial the eight digits to connect come Thursday.

The countdown to the eight digit telephone number system continues as the deadline of 12:01am March 20 approaches. And all the resources of the Institutio Costarricesense de Electricidad (ICE) - state monopoly on telecommunications - have been diverted to the changeover.

In fact, ICE is so absorbed in ensuring that the changeover goes smoothly, telephone subscribers cannot even pay their telephone bills this week, either online, at the supermarket or any ICE agency.

At the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) website, all is normal in the process of paying a telephone bill. However, once the telephone number is entered and a payment request is made, notice is given that the system is offline until March 21.

At the Scotiabank website, the system is offline until March 31, the online banking website politely tells customers that the online payment system will return on April 1 in its normality.

Costa Rica, on March 20, moves to an eight digit telephone system from the current seven digit system.

The changeover will affect all fixed line and cellular telephones, as the prefix 2 is added to all fixed line - residential and commercial telephone numbers - and an 8 to all cellular phones.

Callers from outside Costa Rica will have to dial the eight digits to connect come Thursday.

March 12, 2008

Country Readying For Semana Santa
Semana Santa or Easter Week, a time that many Costa Rican head for the beach, resorts and mountains, is around the corner and the Policía de Tránsito (traffic police) say they are ready, working around the clock in full force, patrolling the major highways and routes around the country.

The hope of the Tránsito is to reduce the number of traffic accidents and fatalities and according to the MOPT minister, Karla González, all 850 Tránsito officers will be on duty beginning this Friday (March 14) and until Sunday March 23.

The main roads that Tránsito officials will be mostly visible on are the routes to Limón, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and the southern zone.

Part of the Tránsito program is to have spot checks along the major routes, checking drinking and documents of drivers and the vehicles. The spot checks will be during the day and night.

German Marín, head of the Policía de Tránsito, said that the objective is to make drivers aware of the dangers of reckless driving and consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel and the hope is that the spot checks will raise the consciousness of many drivers to slow down.

In addition to the Tránsito officials on the road, the Consejo de Transporte Público (CTP) will have 20 undercover agents riding the buses ensuring that bus drivers obey the traffic laws, in addition to a untold number of mechanics who will be carrying out mechanical inspections of buses.

Authorities are asking users of buses to help in the fight to reduce deaths on the roads by calling either 911 or 800-Tránsito any irregularities.

Bus operators say they have added more buses and with more frequency on the major routes to Liberia, the Caribbean, Puntarenas and the southern zone, reminding that no buses will operate on Good Friday, March 21.

As to the weather, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) - national weather service - is predicting hot and sunny weather for most areas of the country. Temperatures are expected to range between 19C and 37C for the north and central Pacific coast and 20C to 33C for the south Pacific areas for most of the week.

The Central Valley is expected to have normal seasonal temperatures for Semana Santa with possible strong winds at times, Areas like San José, Cartago and Escazú, will see cooler temperatures than in places like Heredia, Alajuela and Santa Ana. The Caribbean coast and the northern zone is expected to see hot days and cool nights with scattered showers.

Many businesses will be closed starting Wednesday and re-open on Monday, some will be closed all week, better to call ahead.

Government workers will be off work as Wednesday and be back on the job on Monday. Most malls and many retailers are expected to be open, supermarkets will be on holiday hours for Thursday and Friday.

March 10, 2008

Immigration Says At Least 10.000 Ticos Do Not Know They "Foreigner" Spouse According to a report by the Spanish daily, La Nación, Costa Rican immigration authorities estimate that some 10.000 Costa Ricans married to foreigners do not know their spouse, let alone having met.

The current legislation leaves the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (immigration service) powerless to act against marriages of convenience, a loophole in the legislation that is often used by notaries public and lawyers as an instrument for foreigners to obtain their residency in Costa Rica.

The immigration service says it has 44 notaries public on its list that continually file residency applications mainly catering to Cuban, Chinese, Colombian and Dominican nationals.

The director de Migración, Mario Zamora, believes that the lawyers are part of an international trafficking ring, using false documents to register marriages with the Registro Civil and then process a residency application with the immigration service.

In many cases the marriage is by "por poder" (power of attorney) which allows a foreigner to marry a Costa Rican from outside Costa Rica by way of power given to the lawyer or notary public. The loophole is contained in Article 30 of the Código de Familia.

The Registro Civil is obligated to accept as valid any such marriage. Luis Antonio Sobrado the president of the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), the government body that managers the Registro Civil, says the subject is "complicated" as the Registro is obligated to accept as valid a marriage as long as there are no irregularities with the filing.

In addition, the immigration service had its hands tied behind its back by a decision of the Constitutional Cort in 2007, when it decided that the immigration service does not have the authority to question a marriage.

Zamora says that that decision and the registry process is open to immigration abuse and has become a way of many "undesireable" foreigners to enter the country and remain without questions by the his office.

Jorge Murillo, chief of the visa section at the Migración added that many times, during the interviews for a residency visa, they have seen that the person being interviewed does not even know the name of their spouse, adding that his knows of situations were lawyers or notaries have charged up us$10.000 for the marriage, then paying only ¢80.000 colones (us$160) to the Costa Rican signing the marriage document.

Both Sobrado and Zamora say there is an urgent need to change the laws that would do away with these types of marriages, as well as give the immigration service the right to question marriages of conveniences when it detects irregularities.

There is already legislation in the works, legislation presented by legislator Evita Arguedas. However, it has not been a priority of the Poder Ejecutivo (government) and is not on the current schedule of discussion in the Legislative Assembly.

02.12.2008
Savings in Colón Versus Dollar On the Increase

The declining US dollar is forcing many in Costa Rica to save and borrow in colones rather in dollars, an apparent trend over the last three months.

Today, for every ¢100 colones that is saved, ¢56 is deposited in a colones account to only ¢44 colones to a dollar account. A year ago the ration was 50/50, while before 2006 the ratio was 55% of the deposits were in dollars.

At the same time, currently, for every 10 loans, five are in colones. Prior to that, 60% of all loans were in dollars, according to figures released by the Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) - Costa Rican central bank.

The lower interest rates and strong competition between the financial institutions have influenced many to make adjustments to their savings and loans.

For example, interest rate on real estate loans went from an average 20% annually to the current 9%. In addition, banks over the last several years have been promoting loans in colones.

Francisco de Paula Gutiérrez, president of the Banco Central, said that appreciation of the colón against the US dollar has "revived" investor expectations for the colón.

The BCCR says that deposits in colones is up 27% in the last year, while savings in dollars only grew 6%.

The biggest change came last November when the BCCR re-evaluate the exchange rate by 4%, taking the exchange rate of the colón to the U.S. dollar from ¢520 colones to ¢500.

With Costa Rica's mail, it's address unknown

A nation without street signs or numbers tries to sort out a new system
By Marla Dickerson
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 5 2007

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA & Pity the poor Costa Rican postman. Sure, he doesn't have to deal with sleet or snow. But consider what passes for an address here

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fi-crmail5nov05,1,28
7769.story

Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Casa Presidencial produces yet another immigration proposal
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Casa Presidencial has revised yet again the draft of a proposed law on immigration that the executive branch will send to the legislature.

The new draft was unexpected because the Arias administration said Jan. 24 that it was ready to send a measure to lawmakers for consideration.

Although a Casa Presidencial spokesperson said that only a few small changes were incorporated in the new draft, the number of words grew by 2,300, not counting a lengthy explanation of motives that has been added as a preface.

The new draft specifically levies a $25 annual charge on anyone who uses the immigration services as a resident. A separate $5 charge would be assessed on persons who were not residents, presumably tourists, cruise ship passengers, business people who visit briefly and those on work visas. This assessment had been talked about but was not contained in previous drafts of the proposed law.

Under the current law, pensionados have to show a monthly income of $600. The first draft of the proposed law reduced this to $300. Now the new draft specifies $500 a month.

Rentistas continue to have to show income of at least $2,000 a month or a bank deposit assuring that level of income. Spouses are included in this amount.

Government officials call the new draft a key element in the fight against corruption, human trafficking and sexual and labor exploitation. Fernando Berrocal, the minister of Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, said that officials spent 800 hours during the last six months in meetings discussing the new draft. His ministry holds the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería or immigration service.

The $25 a year that foreign residents would pay is earmarked for the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social and the Ministerio de Educación Pública to help support the overworked health and educational services.

Berrocal said that the new law would provide 6 billion colons (some $11.5 million) to overhaul the immigration information computer systems, transforming the agency from a place where work is done manually to one that is automated.

The immigration agency is having computer problems now with the link from the Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia and the central computer systems. That has meant long waits for tourists entering and leaving the country.

In addition, the immigration agency has been the victim of internal and external frauds that have provided persons with false renewals of their visas and false documents. A secure computer system would cut down on frauds.

The upgraded Policía Técnica Migratoria will have more powers, and the work of human trafficking will continue to be a crime with a possible 16-year sentence.

Immigration workers who accept bribes could be jailed for up to five years, and private employers who hire persons who do not have the right to work in Costa Rica, such as tourists, could face fines of up to 1.5 million colons (about $3,600) per employee.

The new draft expands the power of officials to grant waivers from the law. The initial draft gave the president of the country this privilege. The proposed draft extends these rights to the director of immigration.

Article 65 of the draft says that the president, after consultation with the Consejo de Gobierno, can issue a decree to legalize the immigration condition of foreigners
The immigration director can do so but only case by case.

Observers expect President Óscar Arias Sánchez to extend residency to illegal Nicaraguans and others on the condition they pay the fees for the Caja and the education ministry.

Such a move would solve how the central government would extend payment of this fee to illegal immigrants who are heavy users of medical and educational services.

The new draft does not differentiate between residents, and there is no provision for a higher monthly fee from North Americans and Europeans as there was in the initial draft.

There is no limit in the new draft on how many times persons may renew their tourist visa. Many foreigners live here as perpetual tourists, leaving every 90 days for 72 hours to renew their tourist visa.

As a news story said Monday, there are no regulations drawn up yet to provide working guidelines for the proposed law or even the law that is on the books. It would be within the regulations where many details are established. The proposed draft makes reference to regulations.

The New York Tines, electronic edition 08 October 2007

Costa Rican President Says U.S. Trade Pact Passes
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 8, 2007
Filed at 10:15 a.m. ET

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) -- Costa Ricans on Sunday appeared to narrowly vote in favor of joining the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., and President Oscar Arias declared victory for the pact. But with results so far contradicting most earlier polls, the opposition balked at conceding before a manual recount.

With 89 percent of the precincts reporting, nearly 52 percent of votes backed the agreement, which sharply divided the country between those arguing it would bring continued economic development and critics who feared it could hurt farmers and small businesses.

''Costa Rica's people have said 'yes' to the treaty, and this is a sacred vote,'' Arias said.

But Eugenio Trejos, the leader of the pact's opposition, said he would not recognize the results and vowed to wait for a manual recount scheduled to begin Tuesday.

''The people have spoken, and the achievements we have obtained won't be lost,'' he said. ''That's why we will wait for the ballot-by-ballot recount.''

Arias urged the nation to move forward.

''The treaty isn't what divides us,'' he said. ''It's poverty that affects 900,000 Costa Ricans, a lack of work and violence. These are the things that separate us, and they will continue to be my priority.''

The presumed victory was a surprise, given that most polls leading up to the vote had predicted an easy defeat.

Costa Rica is the only one of the six Latin American signatories to the trade deal, known as CAFTA, that has yet to ratify it. The pact is in effect in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The results were closely watched by the White House, which fought a bruising political battle to get the deal ratified by the Congress, where it passed by a two-vote margin.

Ahead of the vote, U.S. officials and Arias appealed for voters to back the deal. The White House on Saturday said if Costa Ricans vote against joining the agreement, the Bush administration will not renegotiate the deal and it urged people to recognize the treaty's benefits.

The pact would ''expand Costa Rica's access to the U.S. market, safeguard that access under international law, attract U.S. and other investment and link Costa Rica to some of the most dynamic economies of our hemisphere,'' White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement.

U.S. officials also suggested they may not extend trade preferences now afforded to Costa Rican products and set to expire next September.

Arias said a 'no' vote would affect industries in this Central American nation of 4.5 million people, and called it an ''important tool for generating wealth in the country.''

Arias, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for helping end Central America's civil wars in the 1980s, also said rejecting the pact would threatened trade benefits that help Costa Rica's textile and tuna industries.

But critics of the pact object to its requirements that Costa Rica open its telecommunications, services and agricultural sectors to greater competition. They also fear it will mean a flood of cheap U.S. farm imports.

When Arias arrived at a polling station to vote, opponents of the pact almost prevent him from entering and yelled ''Arias traitor!'' Others shouted in support of the pact.

Groups of demonstrators for and against the agreement marched Sunday in the capital, San Jose.

Pablo Chacon, a 63-year-old former truck driver, said he planned to vote 'yes' because that would mean more opportunities for his children.

''I have children who are studying and one even works for Intel, and if they took it away, what would my children do?'' he said.

But many Costa Ricans were skeptical of the pact, or downright hostile.

Lawyer Flor Vega said she feared the trade agreement would end up giving foreign interests the development rights to Costa Rica's natural resources.

''I'm going with 'no' because the treaty has a very broad definition of land,'' she said. ''They can use the ground and underground, and this is a good reason to say 'no.'''

As polls closed Sunday evening, electoral authorities estimated that participation surpassed 40 percent of registered voters, the minimum for results to be binding.

Despite its conflicts over trade, Costa Rica fares better than other Central American countries: It has a thriving eco-tourism industry, maintains relatively high-paying jobs and is a magnet for Salvadoran and Nicaraguan migrants.

Costa Rica exported $3.37 billion in goods to the United States last year and imported goods worth $4.57 billion, according to Costa Rica's trade ministry.

09.03.2007
Costa Rica: Land of Pure Life

Description:
This website is one of Public Broadcasting System's (PBS) Living Edens. The site includes material on turtles and other animals including crocodiles and caimans, ants, monkeys, poison dart frogs, quetzals, snakes, and butterflies.

Users can also read about Arenal
Volcano, and about visiting parks in Costa Rica including Arenal National Park, Poas Volcano National Park, Palo Verde National Park, Tortuguero National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park, and Corcovado National Park.

Viewers can also look at web resources, download free screensavers, and find two middle school classroom projects. One is about population dynamics; students grow frog eggs. The second is about volcanoes and soil formation; it involves growing seeds on volcanic rocks. The classroom projects also suggest exercises built around viewing the video. DLESE's mission is to improve the quality, quantity, and efficiency of teaching and learning about the Earth System, by developing, managing, and providing access to high-quality educational resources and supporting services through a community-based, distributed digital library.

Intended users include
students, educators and citizens of all ages, in both formal and informal learning environments.

For anyone planning a visit to Costa Rica, the site contains an overview of several national parks. The website also contains a collection of
annotated web resource links.

http://www.pbs.org/edens/costarica/index.html

insidecostarica.com 04.03.2007
What is Open And Not During Semana Santa (04/02/07 - 04/06/07)
Many institutions and businesses are still open this week, Semana Santa, but on limited hours and days.

Banks, embassies, and public utility institutions are all open today, Monday and Tuesday and while some remain open Wednesday morning, all will be closed Thursday and Friday.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz and the Acueductos y Alcanterillados (AyA), will all be open Monday and Tuesday. After that the lines will be open for emergency calls and repairs.

The U.S. and Canadian embassies in Costa Rica will be open regular hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, closed Thursday and Friday. Other embassies will follow similar hours.

Banks, both private and state, will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and be closed Thursday to Sunday, reopening for regular business on Monday. However, some bank branches inside department stores like the EPA and Pricesmart will remain open offering limited services.

Supermarkets and malls will be open all week, however, will be on limited hours on Thursday and Friday.

And just in case you forgot, as of midnight Wednesday the sale of all liquor, wine and beer will be suspended until after midnight on Friday.
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE FROM RESIDENCY IN COSTA RICA: MIgracion will be open all day on Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8 am to 12 noon for emergencies only.

www.amcostarica Aug. 14, 2006 edition
Rentista category up in the air Immigration rules clouded by temporary law
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

A new immigration law has gone into effect, and those who are seeking residency and the experts who help them are confused.

One problem for expats is that the law is ambiguous on the financial requirements for rentistas. In the past a rentista could show a foreign income of $1,000 a month to qualify. Frequently this was nothing more than $60,000 placed in a foreign or local bank account.

The new law seems to require $60,000 for the primary applicant and $60,000 more for a spouse. For each minor child, an applicant would have to show $30,000 more.

The immigration law actually got passed and went into effect with two sections that conflict on this point. But no one seems anxious to remedy this problem.

The Arias administration said that it wanted to delay the new law going into effect. It even proposed a one line change that would have delayed the effective date until December 2007. But the executive branch took six weeks to submit this small change to the legislature, and lawmakers took their time in reviewing it.

Now that change seems to be moot. It seems unlikely that the legislature can change the effective date when the law already has gone into effect. What is needed now is a new bill to make the changes the Arias administration wants.

The changes would be extensive because Fernando Berrocal, the security minister who oversees immigration, said he does not have the resources to enforce the law. The new law creates penalties for those who employee and harbor illegal aliens. It also criminalizes for the first time human trafficking.

The missteps by the administration and a compliant legislature raise the question of whether the Arias administration let the law go into effect even as officials claimed they opposed it.

The foreign minister, Bruno Stagno, told Nicaraguan officials the law would not go into effect. That irked lawmakers who are jealous of their rights.

Óscar Arias Sánchez calls the law draconian, but a careful reading shows that the law is not unlike similar laws of many countries.

The Arias administration, however, has hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living illegally here, mostly in poor conditions. This is a simmering danger for public safety, and occasional riots do take place in the slums. The Roman Catholic Church opposes the new law, too, because church leaders believe the law could bring problems for shelters and church houses used mainly by illegal Nicaraguans.

Security officials have said their first concern is rooting out corruption in the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. Corruption is widespread. That was seen Thursday when law officers detained a man believed to be a leader of a Colombian rebel group. He gained residency in what appears to be a fake marriage. And he got his papers in a month, an astoundingly short time for the slow-moving immigration department.

A wave of apparent fake marriages to Chinese and Cubans is under investigation by officials, and some current and former immigration employees are at the center of the probe.

If the assessment of Berrocal is correct, the current administration does not have the resources needed to enforce immigration rules at all. Thousands of persons are living here illegally, and not just Nicaraguan agricultural workers.

David Carruthers, the former BetonSports sportsbook manager imprisoned in the United States, appears to have been working here illegally on a tourism visa.

When police raided the home of another sportsbook operator, they found foreigners with guns. They were identified by Calvin Ayres, operator of Bodog.com, as actors hired to play bodyguards in a film. The men were quietly ushered out of the country. Now, according to sources at Bodog.com, they are back in the country again working as armed bodyguards.

In another case, Escazú investment adviser Mark Boswell, doing business under the name of Rex Howard, openly brags on his Web site that he has been conducting business here for five years while holding just a tourism visa.

Others are not so open, but are what are called perpetual tourists, getting their passport stamped with an exit and entrance visa every 90 days. The status of perpetual tourist is cloudy, but if someone is working on a tourism visa, they are violating the law, old or new.

The new immigration law that the government says it cannot enforce makes that clear. Still, immigration has been lacking in response when illegal situations are pointed out. In one case, expats were involved in a court case with a businessman here who has just a tourism visa. They asked immigration officials to detain the man but said they were told that the agency has limited staff.

Nicaragua's foreign minister, Norman Caldera, was very clear in a Managua press conference Saturday when he said Costa Rica has assured him that there would be no enforcement of the new law with regard to his citizens. He also said that he was told the legislature would either change or abolish the new law.

Mario Zamora, director general of Costa Rican immigration, was in the border town of Peñas Blanca over the weekend meeting with the Nicaraguan immigration director, Fausto Carcabelos. They were said to be discussing a possible system that would allow easier border crossings for nationals of both countries.

There has been no change under the new law of the requirements for pensionado. Still required is proof of a pension income of at least $600 a month, spouse included.

Still, there has been no disclosure of the internal regulations that accompany a new law. It would seem that much of the work of the immigration department is frozen now without clear regulations to guide workers.

And no one knows what changes in the new law might actually be made after proposals experience hearings, discussions and amendments in the Asamblea Legislativa.

Source: insidecostarica.com May 4, 2006

Constitutional Court To Decide on Gay Marriages

It wouldn't be until later in the day that the Sala Constitucional or Sala IV as it is known will begin to discuss the appeal that would allow marriage between partners of the same sex.

A number of homosexuals will be on hand for the hearings will decide if gay couples have the same equal protection of rights as straight couples.

Child adoption is a major part of the controversy.

Holland was the first country to legalize gay marriages. This year Spain made a turnabout from a firm no to a yes to allow same sex marriages and to benefit from all the legal rights as traditional marriages.

Though the case is going before the Constitutional court today, a decision is not expected until sometime in June.

Seven magistrates will hear the arguments and made decision on the Constitutionality of gay marriages, specifically Article 14, section 6 of the Código de Familia (Family Code), which says that "it is leally impossible marriages... between people of the same sex".

The appeal to that section of the law was first made in July of 2003 and has been in study since. Today's hearings is for the benefit of the magistrates who will hear the opinions on the matter, including those of the Attorney General.

Expected to present arguments are groups both in favour and against the union that may include up to 94 people giving testimony.

The major argument in the appeal is that the Código de Familia discriminates people of the same sex in contracting marriage and violating the basic concept of equality and liberty of expression established in the Constitución Política (political constitution) of the country.

The pro group will argue for the rights of adults of the same sex to demonstrate their love, voluntarily and openly and be able to get married without having their rights violated

Source: insidecostarica.com Dec. 11, 2005
New Immigration Law Will Go Into Effect Next August

The countdown begins tomorrow when the Ley de Migración y Extranjería is published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta. The law was ratified some five weeks ago and allowed for an eight month grace period. All laws and regulations must be published in La Gaceta before they can take effect.

On August 12, 2006, immigration authorities will then have the power to apply the strict new measures, unless the new president and government that will take office next May makes changes to the law.

"Coyotes" - those who move illegals between borders - will face fines of up to ¢2.2 million colones (us$4.400 dollars). As well, the estimated 400.000 illegal foreigners need to have their status cleared up by then or face deportation.

The new law will also sanction employers who hire illegals.

Authorities say that the new immigration law will improve security and reduce the exploitation of immigrants. A problem the government has faced for years is the burden on the social security system of illegal workers who don't make contributions but are not refused medical attention at state hospitals and clinics.

Critics against the new immigration law are many, including politicians, academics and social and religious leaders.

For Example, presidential candidate, Oscar Arias, asked president Pacheco to rescind a part of the new immigration law, saying the new law would give immigration police "gestapo" type authority.

"With the new legislation, we will see an abuse in deporting illegal immigrations because they don't have their documents in order", said Arias last October.

With the delay in the law coming into effect, Arias will have the opportunity to change the law if he is elected president in February, who, according to the polls is a shoe-in.

As well the Bishops of the Comisión Nacional de Rectores (Conare) and the Defensoría de los Habitantes (Ombudsman) are against the law.

For his part, Minister of Seguridad Pública, Rogelio Ramos, says that "if they don't like it, they can change it", referring that the opposition can then press the new government for the change, meanwhile his ministry is moving ahead with the logistics plans, equipment and personnel for the changes the law will require.

One obstacle that the Dirección de Migración y Extranjería (immigration department) has to overcome is the getting budget approval for the added cost of enforcing the new regulations come August.

• Fodor's Choice 2006 list of hotels

• Blue Jay Lodge, Malpais, Costa Rica

• Chakrabongse Villas, Bangkok, Thailand

• Coral Reef Club, St. James, Barbados

• Esperanza, Los Cabos, Mexico

• Faena Hotel + Universe, Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Ho'oilo House, Maui, Hawaii, US

• Mala Mala, Mpumalanga, South Africa

• Morgan's Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge, Playa Ocotal, Nicaragua

• Parador de Malaga Gibralfaro, Malaga, Spain

• Red Setter Inn, Greer, Arizona, US

From: Inside Costa Rica July 14, 2005
Costa Rica Most Stable Country in Latin America

A World Bank study released in May aims to provide a "set of governance indicators that can help depoliticize efforts to track the quality of institutions, support capacity building, improve governance and address corruption."

The index, which analyzed 209 countries between 1996 to 2004, focuses on six components of good governance: political, civil and human rights; political stability and violence; government effectiveness; the incidence of unfriendly market policies; rule of law; and control of corruption.

"On average the quality of governance around the world has remained stagnant, highlighting the urgent need for more determined progress in this area in order to accelerate poverty reduction," said the World Bank.

The percentile ranks below indicate the percentage of countries worldwide that rank below the selected country. For example, 83 percent of countries studied worldwide have less political stability than Costa Rica, meaning that according to this study, it is the most stable country in Latin America.

CountryPercentile	Percentile
Costa Rica	83.0
Chile	76.7
Uruguay	62.1
Panama	55.3
Dominican Republic	48.1
Mexico	43.7
Brazil	43.7
Nicaragua	43.7
El Salvador	39.8
Argentina	38.3
Bolivia	28.6
Peru	27.2
Honduras	26.7
Paraguay	25.7
Ecuador	23.3
Guatemala	21.8
Guatemala	13.6
Colombia	5.8

May 26, 2005 Inside Costa Rica http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2005/may/26/nac01.htm
New Cédulas For Legal Residents Coming Soon

All foreigners with legal residency in Costa Rica will benefit from the changes proposed by the Dirección de Migración y Extranjería (Immigration) announced yesterday.

Marco Badilla, director of Migración y Extranjería, explained that the various documents now circulation that identify the different types of residencies will be replaced by one.

The different cédulas for refugees, temporary or permanent residency, retirees, investors, etc. will come into one identity card that will be more secure and much harder to falsify.

The plan is to use one system of identity that is hard to copy and thus eliminate the frauds and the entry of illegal foreigners to Costa Rica.

The new identity card will contain information about the cardholder that cannot be changed, using coded information and a 'ghost' foto - a foto that is imbedded in the card not visible unless viewed by special equipment - makes the card almost impossible to copy and modify.

Though there will be only one card system, the different migratory status will be indicated on the card.

Director Badilla added that the new card will contain most of the information needed by immigration officials to properly identify the foreigner and his or her legal status. Using special detection equipment, immigration officials will have at their fingertips the migratory status of the cardholder and the required documentation required to support the claim.

Badilla also announced the creation of a new Costa Rican passport that includes up to 42 security measures to counter falsification and duplication of the document, especially organized groups who specialize in passport falsifications.

The cost for the new technology will be around us$2 million dollars, which doesn't include the cost of the passport or cédulas, which will be paid for by the user.

The changes are necessary because the present system is obsolete, according to the Immigration Director. Currently, the immigration service can only handle the issuing of 400 passports in one day and the current system is vulnerable to fraud and falsification of the document.

In the last several months, false Costa Rican passports have been detected in far away places like Argentina and closer to home in Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and several other undisclosed countries.

The new passport system will be installed by a French company that will permit the issuance of 1.000 passports daily and 220.000 visas to foreigners each year and eliminating the long lines currently experienced.

According to immigration records, there are 1 million Costa Ricans who have passports of which 750.000 are current.

The changes will be gradual, replacing the old documents with the new one as they expire

May 24, 2005 www.amcostarica.com

Immigration combines
services for foreigners

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Dirección General de Migración has combined all the services for foreigners into one department.

The new section of Extranjería includes what used to be the offices for pensionados, rentistas, refugees, residencias, temporary permission and amnesty.

The restructuring began May 19, and the immigration offices were closed for much of the week to customers.

Although the immigration agency has been hit with a scandal recently over fake marriages and other problems, the restructuring has been planned since 2002, officials said. This is the first structural change in the 65 years the agency has been established, according to an announcement.

The immigration officials noted that they have taken over the rentista and pensionado responsibilities from the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo and the amnesty office from the Poder Judicial. Many expats here are either pensionados or rentistas.

The restructuring also is in anticipation of passage of a new immigration law that will broaden the responsibilities of certain divisions of the agency.

Source: May 23, 2005, Inside Costa Rica

http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2005/may/23/nac01.htm Vice Minister Urges Approval of New Immigration Law According to Miguel Ángel Quesada Niño, Vice Ministro de Gobernación and Presidente del Consejo de Migración, the "Ley de Migración y Extranjería" which is now before the Legislative Assembly is stalled due to social and structural circumstances.

Since 1970, things have changed. Costa Rica wasn't a destination place as it is now, with a large migratory flow. The war in Nicaragua and the instability in other Central and South American countries have made stable Costa Rica attractive to many.

Costa Rica has the most stable economy in Central America. As an example, the Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) - Gross National Product of Costa Rica - is around us$4.300, while that of Nicaragua is about us$400. The other Central American countries are about the same.

"Like the dream of many Ticos to go to the United States has been realized, today in Latin America,Costa Rica is one of those countries, where people can come to realize their dreams", said Quesada Niño.

The high level of "coyotage" - the trafficking of humans - is a concern and is urging the need to strengthen Costa Rica's immigration laws to ensure that those migrating to Costa Rica, be it a tourist, investor or retiree, carry proper documentation for their purpose of visit.

The Vice Minister said that tourism is an economic boom to many countries around the world. Tourism generates tax revenue and Costa Rica needs to stimulate tourism, however, Costa Rica can't act as if it were a 'rich' country and needs to have a system in place to filter the flow of those coming into Costa Rica.

Tourists and investors who come to Costa Rica are important to the economic growth of the country, but we have to know who is coming and for why, said the vice minister.

"We cannot be blind to the fact that country is a bridge to international
drug trafficking, which forces us to modernize. However, we don't have the financial resources, nor the structure or the law to respond to the need."

The passing of the Ley de Migración y Extranjería, according to Quesada Niño, will allow the country to tackle those problems.

Inside costa Rica May 6, 2005

http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2005/may/06/nac06.htm
Cars Older than Seven Years Will Not Be Allowed To Be Imported

A plan by the Ministerio de Hacienda (Revenue Ministry) to eliminate the importation of vehicles older than five or seven years was confirmed yesterday by Hacienda Minister, Federico Carrillo. The measure would come into effect June 5 - Environment Day in Costa Rica.

Carrillo said that other decrees will be announced on that day, that will include a reduction in the maximum import tax on vehicles that are environmentally friendly, like hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles use electrical power backed up by a gasoline engine.

The Minister said that the decrees have been worked on by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (Minae) - Energy and Environment - and are ready to be put in place.

In 2004, more than 40% of the all the vehicles imported were seven years old or more. The percentage calculated to 20.000 of the 50.000 vehicles imported during 2004.

José Carballo, president of the Cámara Costarricense Automotriz, the association that groups used auto importers and sellers, criticizes the proposed changes. Carballo says that proposed changes will have a negative effect on the used car market, though offered no details.

Carrillo, for his part, said that the plan will go ahead as schedule and he does not fear pressures from the various interest groups.

UPDATE Mar. 19, 2005

Finally! The Immigration Reform Bill is now being debated in Costa Rica's Asamblea Nacional by the full Asamblea. There is extensive opposition to several sections of the Bill from civil rights groups, particularly about the criminalization of the hiring of illegal aliens by Costa Rican businesses. There has been no mention, as yet, of any new minimum income amounts that may be required to qualify for residency as pensionado or rentista.

Jan. 28, 2005

InsideCosta Rica.com: New Immigration Law Would See Couple Live Together For One Year Before Applying for Residency. Following a decision by the Sala IV - the Constitutional Court - that said that the immigration service cannot investigate or refuse residency to a foreigner who is married to a Costa Rican, deputies are studying a new law by Migración y Extranjería where it will regulate "marriages of convenience".

The new law proposes that the couple must have lived at least one year together as one of the requirements of residency. The new law would be be in contravention of the Sala IV order, but would make it a requisite of residency.

The new law would also punish from two to six years in prison or high fines to those who practice "coyotage" - arranging the marriages for financial gain.

The proposed law is in the discussion stage and various parties have differing opinion, however, it is expected to hit the legislative floor within a few weeks.

1/25/05 Costa Rica’s Asamblea Nacional amended its Rules to allow for Special Legislative sessions to take place at night. The purpose of these special sessions is to take care of the backlog of pending legislation bills, including the National Budget, IMMIGRATION REFORM and others. The first night session took place on 01/25/05

12/01/04 Personal Note: It is unlikely that the bill will be voted on in December 2004 as the CR government will close for its annual two week End of the Year holiday on December 17, reopening on January 3, 2005. In my opinion there is not enough time to present and take the vote on the bill before the Xmas holiday. J. Zavaleta

10/14/04 Amcostarica.com reports that on 10/13/04 the Immigration Reform Bill got the approval of a legislative committee and it now will go to the full Asamblea Nacional for discussion and a likely vote. The vote could take place in the next 30 days.

09/13/04 An article in TicoTmes Daily Edition (Internet) reports that the main congressman opposing the Immigration Reform Bill had withdrawn his 30+ amendments to the bill, thus clearing the way for the bill to go to the full Assembly for its first hearing. No date has been set for the hearing but could come as soon as a month -- but it is not very likely to happen that quickly.

08/11/04 An article in AM Costa Rica, reports that the sponsor of the Immigration Reform Bill said in an interview that the Rentista category has been written back into the bill and will not be eliminated. Instead, the monthly income requirement will be increased to an amount still under discussion. There is no date set for voting on

08/26/2003 Update: Proposed law is still "in committee" under review. There is no date set for presentation of immigration reform bill to full Asamblea.

02/19/2003: Assemblea Legislativa members introduce immigration & residency bill. The proposed law seeks to

Eliminate RENTISTA program

Mandatory filing of residency applications at consulate

Change waiting period to apply for permanent residency from 2 to 5 years

Other changes.

Read article at: http://www.amcostarica.com/022003.htm