Well.. I was wrong.  It seems there is a process in Costa Rica that can take less than a decade to change for the better.  Today was my appointment for my cedula renewal at at the American International Mall branch of Banco de Costa Rica in Alajuela.  It went without a hitch… and if this interests you… read on!

Twenty Three Minutes!  OK.. actually it was about 28, but I spent 5 minutes chatting up the young lady at the renewal desk.

And! The new cedula is for TWO years.

Those of you who have had the pleasure of a 5-6 hour wait at immigration whilst being moved from room to room and rows of seats to standing areas in 90 degree heat standing near people who did not bathe that day….  well those people know exactly what I am talking about! And that was for a ONE year renewal.

Today was sweet! Seems immigration has gotten their act together!

The Process

The bank security guard took my old cedula, gave it to the woman at the renewal desk (yes, it is a dedicated desk in an air conditioned branch).

She waggled a come here finger to me and it was all over just that quick.  I gave her my address, phone number and the closest Post Office branch (Belen) as they deliver the cedula to the closet branch of Correos de Costa Rica (Post Office) and about three weeks.  I bet they do too!

The only “issue” was the 329 times I needed to press my index fingers (both) into the little fingerprint reader thingy. Apparently it is not a very good fingerprint reader thingy as she mentioned a lot of folks have finger print issues. Apparently it requires a correct reading 4 time in a row per finger.  I’d get 1 then 3 then 1 then none… and eventually 4.  The other digit… sigh.  No big deal! Probably did not help that my fingers are the size of most Tica’s feet… but I digress!

That’s it… a boring post if ever the was one!

It is hard to not say I told you so…  I cannot.   Sorry!

On January 11, 2009, in response to a large number of emails and phone calls, I blogged about the proposed immigration law. One online newspaper told concerned expats, future residents and readers that the new law would be passed immediately… before the Christmas (2008) break!  They said it would be retroactive and even those folks already here legally would be affected and have to comply. Everyone panicked.

I tried to explain that nothing happens that fast in this country and that panic sells newspapers and increases readership and thus sells advertising. I also explained that it is against Costa Rica law to have a new law be retroactive. I suggested a wait and be patient approach.

Well that was January and this is August and yes, finally, the Asamblea Legislativa (the congress) has passed the new Ley de Migración (immigration law) which should for years influence the rights and responsibilities of foreigners coming to live in Costa Rica.  Note I use the word foreigner and not the words American, Gringo, US Citizen or other such word as despite our often enormous sense of self importance, this law is designed to affect anyone from any nation who seeks to reside in Costa Rica on a legal and permanent basis. It covers a lot more as well.  I held off a few days trying to get a more complete picture of this new law, but sadly, reliable details are not forthcoming so for those of you who are interested in this topic, read on!

First, I must say that everything I have read about the new law is just plain fair and is, in the years that I have lived here,  this is about the only law that got  it almost 100% right. It falls a little bit short of fully protecting Costa Rica, but I’ll discuss that later.

OK so what is in this law?  Here are the salient points!

• Costa Rica is getting tough on the trafficking of persons. This is now a criminal offense with much stronger penalties.  Trafficking can be for purposes of slavery, prostitution, or simply smuggling people from, to or through Costa Rica to other countries.
• Pensionados, those who receive a guaranteed income from US Social Security, a State pension fund or other “guaranteed” source, will be now required to show proof of $1,000 per month (US) income. There will be no deposit required.  This is spot on as it is just no longer possible to live here for $600.00 per month, the old requirement. All but a few recipients of social security should qualify easily.  The spouse is included in the $1,000 figure.
• Rentistas,  those who wish to live here legally but are too young or otherwise do not qualify for a pension like social security, will now deposit  $2,500.00 per month ( a one time deposit of $150,000.00 to cover five years).   I am presuming it will work the old way.  (Not 100% sure yet).  However the $2,500 per month is correct. Besides being 2.5 times the old $1,000 per month, this figure includes immediate family members and that may actually save money for a family with kids. However, it would seem to penalize single persons wishing to move here and thus is one of my few concerns  regarding this law.
• Marriages between Costa Rica citizens and foreigners can be brought under far closer scrutiny.  This has been a serious issue for years, with numerous marriages of convenience allowing low-lifes (and maybe some not-so-low-lifes) to purchase a Costa Rica spouse they perhaps have never met and immediately be eligible for Permanent Residency. Now a couple under investigation may have to  prove to immigration (migracion) that they are a couple, have been through a courtship-  both persons living in this country. In other words.. it’s love and not a scam!
• A new immigration police force will be formed, composed of specially trained officers from the Fuerza Pública plus existing members.  With this is the stronger enforcement which should allow Costa Rica to deal far more efficiently with the many illegals (often referred to as perpetual tourists) living here.  This new law will finally allow for active tracking of these scofflaws as opposed to the random raids now so popular. Costa Rica has a significant problem with illegals from Nicaragua,  the USA and Canada and with luck, there should be enough enforcement power to handle this problem.
• Owners and operators of hotels will now be required to maintain registers of all guests with residency documentation and backup, presumably similar to those in Europe.  Will they be required to hold the guest’s passport?  Unclear…  and we will not know until we all see the actual law. There was talk also of heavy penalties to employers of illegals and I have thus found nothing addressing that.
• It also appears that a new court will be formed to deal solely with issues and appeals of immigration.
• Foreigners will now have to join the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social or the CAJA as it is known.  This is the socialized medical plan of Costa Rica also covering pensions. CAJA provides medical care for all members without regard to pre-existing conditions and this is the other area where I believe the diputados  made an error.  While it is one thing to control the pre-existing rules within one country (like the USA for example) and between insurance carriers in that country, it is quite another to open the CAJA system to the world and allow anyone with a very costly illness to “buy” unlimited medical care for as little at $600.00 per month.  I fear this may come back and bite those legislators on their collective butts.
• Show me the $$$.  Where is the money coming from?  That is always a fun and interesting question in Costa Rica.  Sadly, the answer often is…  there is none.  There does, however, appear to be a provision affecting all immigration transactions (tramite) that may now carry a charge, in one report, $25.00 per tramite.  This is not a verified fact.
• Amnesty? One source indicates the the president of Costa Rica will now have the right to grant residency.  This was interpreted to mean that the president could grant a massive amnesty to illegals now here in the country.  I am not sure I agree with that leap of logic though it may be correct. After having asked around, I cannot very anything, but there is precedent for amnesty as it was twice given in the 90’s, in essence granting legal residency to all those who could prove they had lived here illegally for a specified period of time. Could this happen again?  Quien sabe?  It would certainly make the job of the new immigration police force a lot easier as they could start with a clean slate.

So what is next? When is this law? So why is this all not just clear?  For that, you must understand how things work here.

The next step as that the law must be signed by the president of Costa Rica, Don Oscar Arias.  Once that has been done, the law will be published in La Gaceta.  The law goes into effect six months after being published there. So that’s when we will  know everything right?  Nope, and this is a point that is often simply impossible to teach those from other countries, especially those from the USA where the law is the law.

Law is NOT law here. Yes, there is a law, but that law is then  interpreted by the agency involved, in this case immigration. They will then interpret and enforce this law as they see fit and enforce it as they see fit.  If someone does not like it, they will take it  to the Supreme Court and THEY will interpret it.   Sound easy?  Nope… because in the past, various government agencies have paid not the least attention to the supreme court decisions and have just continued to operate as they had before.  This has happened several times with immigration since I have lived here.  This time though, they have a pretty good law and the director of immigration seems to be an intelligent man… so we shall see!  In any case, the supreme court eventually gets torqued and starts handing out threats of jail, monetary penalties, etc. at which point the government agency involved does pay attention.. This issue just seems to make Gringos go crazy as it is anathema to the structured and well defined laws in the USA. Hint… If you are going to live here, you must understand that you are not in Kansas anymore and that what me be clear to you, is not clear at all.

Comments welcome!

This year, though, things have changed!  OK… I know better than to say such a thing. Let us just say that the process has changed, and we shall see if  “things have changed”.

What are the big changes? Well the biggie is that this year, it seems, that I will not need to make the trek to immigration.  The other stuff will be gravy. So here is the new process:

Making that trip to immigration has always been a pain. While the vast majority of dealing with any branch of the Costa Rica government is a lesson in inefficiency, any sojourn to migracion is the premier example on how NOT to deal with the public.

The changes? For starters, renewal can now be done at any of thirty-two branches of the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR).  In fact, they have even devoted a web page to those who will be renewing residency at that bank. It is, of course, in Spanish as bank web sites in English are still not common.  I will, however, be happy to do some translating of the more important goodies!

Before I do… one alert reader commented that there is a link ti the English version. Either I missed it or they have added it.  I am getting olde… I probably missed it… Either way, you now can click the link above for GringoSpeak!

• BCR promises that the process can be finished in twenty minutes.  The operative words here are “can be”.  I will, of course, report on the accuracy of that semi-commitment.
• BCR offers this service for renewals and for lost residency cards (cedulas)
• They are staffed to do this at any of thirty-two offices throughout the country (see list below). I am guessing that they may add more in the future, but these seem to cover just about the whole country so nobody need travel a great distance.
• Cost is $48.00 and is paid at the BCR branch at the time of renewal (but see below!)
• They provide a number for making appointments.  It is toll free, 800.227.2482. It is answered in Spanish, and when I called, the person was not multilingual. English speakers may be available though, I did not ask.
• You will not get your cedula at the time of your appointment. It is promised to be sent to you by la  Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (immigration) no more than 25 calendar days after your appointment. No mention of how it is delivered.

That’s it!  Seems simple enough. So here is how it worked for me.

I called the toll free number, was placed on auto-hold for maybe 3 minutes until a nice  lady answered. I was given an afternoon appointment in mid August at the BCR branch in the Mall Internacional not far from the San Jose airport. I was told to bring my cedula and my passport.  That’s it!  Now you will all have to just wait to find out if the above promises bear any semblance to reality.

Oh… and I saved the best for last!  If my Spanish did not fail me, this renewal will be for TWO YEARS!!

Here is a list of the 32 branches set up for renewing or replacing cedulas.

In this case, Miguel (who I suspect is really a Michael as he writes from the USA), reminded me that I had never followed up on my post from last July 4 regarding my residency renewal. I really meant to do this, but as I did not go until September… OK October… I lost track. So for anyone interested in what happened… read on!

My appointment was scheduled for September 1st.  About a week before, I made the $58.00 deposit to  Banco de Costa Rica as instructed.  As I had an “appointment” for 11:15 AM, I showed up at about 10:30 AM on the very off-chance that this might actually mean I had an appointment at 11:15 AM. When will I ever learn… but hope springs eternal!

When I arrived, I got in the line to enter the building after checking in with the gatekeeper.  “Not a bad line”, thinks I!  Maybe 15 people in front of me.  Cool! So at almost exactly 11:15 AM, I am waived into the building a told to take a seat.  I see perhaps 50 people waiting in the seats.  I immediately take a seat and am immediately told… “No, over there!”.  Hmmm.  Make that about 80 people. So I wait.  Like an idiot, I did not bring my Ipod so I could listen to a book or to music… the time flies… not.

About 90 minutes pass and I am at the front of the line! “Not bad”, thinks I… ever the optimist!.

The guard motions for me to enter the next room which I presume is the actual location for my residency interview.  How many years will it take.  Naw… THIS room has another 70 people waiting in chairs to enter still another room. Oh-oh. Have I mentioned that 1. these building are not air conditioned and 2 it is hot as hell? Thought not.  Really, San Jose is generally very tolerable heat-wise and I seldom suffer even though I am calorically challenged.  However, fourscore people in a small room tends to make it kinda toasty! I thank God that those waiting are generally very clean people who take their relationship with  a bar of soap quite seriously.  So I sweat a bit… and wait.

At about 2:30, I have made it to the head of the line and wait for my name to be called. Shortly, it IS and I am told to walk back to desk number (I can’t remember) and have a seat.

A very nice young lady who after all these hours most certainly received her patience training at Job’s School of Boils,  reviews my file. This is already on her desk, so there was some preparation.  She asks a few questions and then takes my picture.  It is just horrible.. though given the subject matter…. Anyway, I ask for a re-take which she gladly does (after looking at result #1).  #2 is perhaps 5% better, but I am thinking of the 200 + people waiting and I just do not have the heart to ask for #3. The photo ages me about 50 years and I look like some guy released on parole after spending 66 years in stir.

Now when I got my first cedula, they took the picture, had me wait about ten minutes, then gave the new cedula to me and I was gone! Ahhh… Costa Rica! Only here is it possible to double the amount of work for such a simple task!  She smiles brightly and tells me to come back on October 1st to pickup my cedula. Oh… neat. I leave.  Time?  3 PM.

Fast forward to October 1!

Now as there is no appointment to pickup the cedula… just an open line somewhere, I go early! LOL!  Not early enough as it turns out. I get into a line (outside in the sun) with maybe 60 people in front.  OK… not bad.  I mean we are all just picking up and signing for our cedulas… right?

Two hours later, I am at the window. The process takes less than one minute.  Clearly the one minute process did not apply to those who went before. I get my cedula and as we all do.. check my photo.  It was atrocious in September, and now that it is encased in plastic. it has gotten much worse. If I really thought I looked that bad…

So that is it… well it is until July when I will again make a reservation, again go to immigration, again wait in line….

I am eligible for citizenship, and I may well just go on down and pick up the document list.  Permanent residents must renew every year.  Citizens every ten years (I think).  On the other hand.. maybe this is like child birth and the pain will fade… until next time.

There are a huge number of Nicaraguans living here in Costa Rica. In fact, there are about eight times more Nicaraguans than North Americans.

There is some bad blood between the two countries dating back over 100 years, and while there have been no armed conflicts (thank God as we have no army here) there have been some wars of words about navigating the San Juan river that separates the two countries plus ongoing criticism of how Nicas are treated here. The was also the dog incident, since resolved in court and finding the police not at fault. Nicaragua claims that Costa Rica stole Guanacaste when they annexed it back in 1825.  Costa Ricans disagree, and if I have learned anything living here, it is to NOT even have an opinion oN this topic. It is, however, a thorn in the side of many Nicaraguans.

Some Nicas are here legally, but a fairly number are here without papers.  They arrive via passport, then like some North Americans… they never leave. Unlike some North Americans, they do not leave the country every ninety days to renew their visa (though this practice is not legal… it is still done by those scofflaws not willing or perhaps not having the money, income or respect for Costa Rica law) .

Many Ticos are not fond of the Nicaraguans and blame them for just about everything… from crime to bad weather.  I do not. My admittedly limited experience with Nicas in my home area and on some work projects has been very satisfactory.

While certainly those living in the slum areas (La Carpio for example) certainly commit their share of crime, their living conditions are awful and they do as most poor do in this world… anything to survive.

“I should like to see just how fast the Costa Rican economy would crumble if those undesirable Nicas should be deported from their low-income, blue collar jobs which most Costa Ricans think they’re too good for.”

He makes a good point.

You will have to search long and hard to find a Costa Rican housekeeper. It is the Nicaraguan women that clean the homes and raise the children of a whole lot of Ticos and foreign ex-pats living here. Many are not documented (here legally) and those who do make the effort to get documented (like Maritza, my housekeeper) have to jump through a LOT of hoops at immigration and put up with world class harassment when attempting to simply get their domestic work permit.  It can be done… Maritza did it.. but it is nasty hard. Why must it be so hard when someone wants to be legal?

These women often arrive in Costa Rica living their children behind.  Maritza makes one trip to Nicaragua each year around Christmas to visit her three girls, all under 15. I just cannot imagine how hard this must be, but with unemployment running over 40% (last I heard) in Nicaragua, she can earn a very decent living here.  Her salary, of course, is wired back to her kids twice each month. As she IS legal, she can cross the border without issue, and more important, she can return.

Many Niaraguan men come here with great skill in working concrete… something that is present in just about every new home and all office buildings in Costa Rica.  It is my opinion that Nicaraguans build, and have built,  Costa Rica.  I have had occasion to visit a pretty large number of building sites, and the workers are nearly all Nicaraguan.  Two homes were recently constructed near me and, being nosey, I supervised! I saw no goofing off, they showed up every day to work and the homes, now more than a year old, both look great.  OK, one doesn’t, but that is beause the architect had to have had a drinking problem.

As I write this, I am not sure what is my point.  Partly it is a response to EJ and an overdue validation of his comments, but more, it is to just try to focus my own thoughts as to just just why this tension goes on. It seems pointless… but then I think about Blacks, Whites and Latinos in the USA, and just think… oh, yeah… that!

This is a very desirable status as Permanent Residency grants the person all rights and privileges of a citizen save the right to vote. The biggie is the right to work here legally!

Of course many people come here legitimately, meet the love of their life, and marry them! Others, however, arrange marriages through lawyers and often have never even met the person they marry.  Marriages could be performed by power of attorney. This causes (rightfully) some consternation at Migración (immigration)! Disallowed from applying for Permanent Residency were those living in a common law relationship (Unión de hecho).

Well, life for the enforcers at Migración has recently become a bit harder as Sala IV, the Costa Rica constitutional court, has ruled that common law marriages in Costa Rica are valid and the foreigner in that relationship does have the right to apply for Permanent Residency.  Prior to this action,  Article 69  of the Ley de Migración y Extranjería (immigration law) stated that a common law relationship had no legal status for purposes of residency. Immigration officials are worried, probably with cause, that this will further exacerbate the problems facing them.

This cause of action was actually started by an advocate of immigration rights who works closely with Nicaraguans who, for I suppose some cultural reason, prefer common law relationships to marriage.

For a Nicaraguan, having the legal right to work here is critical.  Costa Rica has a serious bias against Nicaraguans, often blaming them for increases in crime and just about anything else that affects their lives negatively. Every year at Christmas, there are huge lines of Nicaraguans waiting for entrance at the frontier as they return from holiday. It is certainly true that some are trying to enter illegally, but others seem to be hassled for no reason.  I know the process for legalizing our housekeeper was arduous, expensive and needlessly complex.

Anyway, back on topic, those living with their common law spouse can now apply for  and be granted Permanent residency (though all other requirements must be met).  Note this does not apply to common law couples coming here seeking residency from other countries.  If they are not married, each must apply separately, a far more costly option. They key is the common law relationship must be with a Costa Rica citizen.

Just as an aside, for a foreigner to live in a common law relationship with (especially) a Costa Rica woman is fraught with danger. Before undertaking such a thing, a lawyer should be consulted.

Today, I received a comment from one of the companies here in Costa Rica that assists people in establishing legal residency. The first half of his email pretty much tells stuff about him and a bit about his company. Pretty much like SPAMing through commenting.  Almost the entire second half is built around this comment:

I take personal offense to the paragraph that reads; “One online source put the panic into a lot of folks by warning that it appears this law would be retroactive and affect all Rentistas and Pensionados at renewal… a truly stupid statement designed only to cause panic as Sala IV (the constitutional court) has never permitted that sort of thing.  Again, panic sells!”

The writer of the article is truly misinformed and it is equally clear that he or she has never bothered to read the language of the proposed law.

Odd he would take “personal offense”… but to move on…  as my readers probably know, I could not let THAT stand unanswered, so here for all to read (and comment upon)  is my reply:

Me: I read with some amusement your comment to my Blog (not published).  It is clear you have an issue reading English, and I find your attempt to drum up residency business by posting your personal and business information to be disingenuous at best.  However, I will publicly respond briefly to a couple of your comments however.

I have no issue with those who are pro-active in this matter.  I have a STRONG issue about those who, somewhat like the Brothers problem of some years past, try to sew panic when panic is not what is needed and in fact is not even remotely necessary.

You state:

“If the writer had taken the time to read Article 263 – Transitorio II, the second sentence, he or she would have known that the new language is intended to apply the law retroactively at the time the resident renews the carnet.”

Your presumptuousness is remarkable and your ability to read is clearly faulty. First, of course I read it… in fact, I acknowledged it…   but I did not CARE if it was in the proposed law because

1. It may well be removed before passage and
2. Even if it is not, Sala IV will overturn it on appeal.

I have read the many other online articles, including your web site, and not one mentioned that it is almost 100% SURE that that part of the law will be eliminated or ruled valid. So why was it stated?  As I said, panic sells… whether residency web sites or newspapers. THAT is low class behavior and nothing more than preying on people’s fears.

“Yet, the writer criticizes those who are concerned enough to really take a proactive stance on behalf of their clients.”

Ummm… and just where did I critize anything other than inaccuracy?

“Sir or madam, perhaps you should take the time to learn about the subject matter you write before calling others “stupid.””

You say I called someone “Stupid”. Huh?  Where? I also find it kind of amazing that again, you presume I know nothing. In any case, let’s review exactly what I wrote.

The word “stupid” was used twice (and correctly!):

stupid #1:

“One online source put the panic into a lot of folks be warning that it appears this law would be retroactive and affect all Rentistas  and Pensionados at renewal… a truly stupid statement designed only to cause panic as Sala IV (the constitutional court) has never permitted that sort of thing.”

It was a stupid and needlessly provocative statement as it did not contain the all the facts.

Did you READ that? If one is going to write about the retroactive portion of the proposed law, the LEAST they can do is to make 100% clear that they state clearly that even if it IS passed, Sala IV has never permitted it before and is VERY unlikely to allow it now! That means it will not happen… and to NOT say that means that someone is just trying to  needlessly scare the bejesus out of a bunch of people, often older people! THAT sir, is not acceptable. Even your web site should have made that clear. It did not.

stupid #2:

“Calm down… send emails if you wish but make them sound intelligent and well thought out.  As you can’t vote regardless of  residency, using an aggressive or threatening tone is not only stupid, it makes you sound like… well…  a Gringo… NOT a good thing in general.”

I am not calling anyone stupid, but again, you seem to have reading issues. I am telling people to write and contact if they wish, but don’t be rude as THAT behavior is counterproductive and STUPID. Ticos are scrupulously polite and offending them is not the way to approach an issue

You write this comment:

“My intension (sic) is not to cause panic for financial gain,…”

LOL!  Of COURSE it is!

The more you get your name and your company’s name in front of either current or potential Costa Rica  residents, the more chance you have of landing new residency business! I have no problem with that! You are providing a service and need to market that service. What I do NOT like, (nor permit on my Blog) is the wholesale panic approach.

After many years here, I have seen innumerable proposed laws come and go. Should this one be ignored?  Of course not!  BUT as my Post said clearly… do NOT panic. Send the emails and state your opinion, but do not make wholesale changes in your (residency) plans because of it.  I have received over 15 emails from people who canceled plans for moving here based on various online groups and newspapers. THAT sir, is truly sad! In fact, it has likely done YOU more harm than good. I also told people what they NEED to hear and that is that the retroactive part has almost NO chance of affecting anyone.. something YOU should have made clear on your web site. THAT would have been responsible and had you done so, I likely would have placed a link to your site so people could follow up intelligently and calmly.

Finally, you asked what has the writer (that would be me) done?

“Again, what has the writer of the article done for his clients?”

Pretty odd question as I do not HAVE clients. I have readers who want the truth.  I try to provide it.   This Blog is not a business!  Sheesh!

However… let’s see what I did…or did not do!

I did NOT panic back in November nor did I Blog about this earth shattering crisis! My readers value my opinion and many rely upon it… so I did nothing.  I waited, met with a couple of knowledgeable people, and still did not Blog. I saw no reason to even comment on this law as it was over-covered everywhere else. I finally decided to Blog about it yesterday as I had received a lot of email asking for my thoughts and a lot more emails telling me that people were deciding whether to move here at all.  My post yesterday was to tell people 4 things:

1. Don’t panic
2. Send emails to to the legislators if they want and
3. Be pleasant and logical if you do write and
4. I told them where they could find sample emails and email addresses.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me! That is what I did and I think I did the correct thing.

I did NOT tell my readers (as one online source did) that (paraphrased) ‘it is likely that the legislators will pass this before they dismiss for Christmas break’. HUH? I have NEVER heard of Costa Rica passing ANY law in a month nor has anyone I asked. That article alone caused needless commotion.

Sir, I am not going to publish your comment as it is not only faulty, it contains your business profile and links to your residency web site which to me is nothing less than SPAMing.

I would suggest your re-read my Post thoroughly, this time for content.

As always, responsible comments are encouraged.

First… let’s look at what this is all about.

The two most popular forms of residency are Pensionado and Rentista. I am NOT going to cover the variations… just using generalities. For more info, Read This.

Pensionados must currently show a guaranteed for-life (not always easy!)  source of income of at least US $600.00 per month.  This is pretty easy to do if people  use their Social Security payments as the guaranteed source (or perhaps a military pension), but not always easy if funds are coming from the private sector.

Rentistas need to deposit $60,000 (equal to $1,000 per month for 60 months) in a Costa Rica bank to assure they have adequate funds on which to live. After 3 years, they can switch to Permanent Residency and no more deposits are required.

Both plans are fair, in fact far more fair than in just about any country in the world.

The proposed plans (you see the bold and italics?) would change this to $2,000 per month for Pensionados and $5,000 per month for Rentistas.

These of course, are the biggies.  $2,000 per month from Social Security would be difficult if not impossible unless one waited to perhaps age 74 to file and had paid in the max each year for many years. The vast majority of applicants would be thus eliminated.

The $5,000 per month for Rentistas would eliminate a huge number of applicants, leaving only a non-stop stream of real estate developers able to afford Costa Rica Rentista Residency… though with no one else coming, I guess they’d just have to sell their products to each other!

There are some other changes like… increasing the time to convert to Permanent residency to five years…  requiring all residents to join and pay to the CAJA – Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (”CCSS”) Costa Rica’s socialized medical care and retirement, which I think would be an excellent idea… and fining anyone who gives either Pensionados or Rentistas jobs as neither class are permitted to work legally.

One online source put the panic into a lot of folks by warning that it appears this law would be retroactive and affect all Rentistas and Pensionados at renewal… a truly stupid statement designed only to cause panic as Sala IV (the constitutional court) has never permitted that sort of thing.  Again, panic sells!

While I think many would agree that the current immigration law needs to be reviewed and changed, this is far away from actually happening.  By far away, I think six months to two years is about right.   I think it is getting a lot more difficult to live here on $600.00 per month, though not impossible I suppose.  At the other end, it does not take $5,000 per month to live here.

Readers of the ARCR Forums and other user groups have been given the email addresses of the various legislators to whom they can write their thoughts and opinions. In fact, there are even simple emails in Spanish!  I would urge you to do this if you wish to make your thoughts known.

Finally, and this is part of our culture, everyone seems to think that these proposed laws are aimed at US citizens.  This is pure silliness, of course.  It affects anyone from any country who wishes to live here legally.  If it were to be passed “as is”, it would cause far more damage than the good it would do. I think the chances of it passing are about nil.  The negative effects, like the immediate increase in perpetual tourism (or just illegal residency) would be an huge issue.  It further would send a message to the world that I am fairly sure Costa Rica does not want to send.

My advice?

Calm down… send emails if you wish but make them sound intelligent and well thought out.  As you can’t vote regardless of residency, using an agressive or threatening tone is not only stupid, it makes you sound like… well…  a Gringo… NOT a good thing in general.  Use logic! Don’t rant. Remember… Gringos are not nearly as important to the Costa Rican economy as many think we are.

Finally… If possible, begin your residency process now because if changes are made in the future, and there will be some changes for sure, , they almost assuredly will not affect current residents or applicants in process.

Happy New Year