Residency In Costa Rica..

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Again and Again Costa Rica is doing things ass backwards...if you want to become a resident of this beautiful country, you must prove a monthly income of 2000 dollars, up from 600...I don't know of anyone here that qualifies, since most Americans average around 1100 per month....

Oh well, that's just fine for Panama and Nicaragua, two countries that would welcome Ex-Pats with open arms....I just don't get it, I hope Wolfie or anybody else with half a brain can explain this one to me...seems to me is that we are not welcomed here anymore...

 

[BadCo]

I tell my wife we could retire early by moving there but she will have no part of it.

Guess we need to go on vacation there and show her a good time.....LOL

My pensions will be more than 2k so open those arms and pearly gates.

 

[-Slim-]

I wish we did alot of things differently here

Of course, being governed my the same group of assholes (with different colored flags) for the last 100 yrs doesn't help any

 

[wolfie_cr]

don't worry Viejo, they will change their minds once they realize the magnitude of their stupidity

I would

a) get rid of the perpetual tourist thing
b) make it so that 'perpetual tourists' can just pay and get residence

Everyone would benefit with that idea....but I know it makes too much sense to actually be considered by the @$@#$@ in charge

 

[Jack Herer]

Just have the Del Rey girls protest in front of Asamblea Legislativa, that will get it done.

 

[AdamSelene]

To play devils advocate: why should every dead-beat senior citizen collecting U.S. Social Security qualify for residency in Costa Rica, when most the hard-working Costa Rican middle-class -- earning more much more that -- be routinely and systematically denied even the right to visit the United States as a tourist?

 

[HunterS.Thompson]

wow Adam that it a surprising comment from you!

 

[wolfie_cr]

To play devils advocate: why should every dead-beat senior citizen collecting U.S. Social Security qualify for residency in Costa Rica, when most the hard-working Costa Rican middle-class -- earning more much more that -- be routinely and systematically denied even the right to visit the United States as a tourist?

good example

both systems (residence in CR and tourist visas in the US) are broken and on top of that, the 'perpetual tourist' is one of the worst jokes I've ever seen, except for neighboring countries .....I doubt any country in the planet puts up with "I am really just visiting" when its clear that they have been 'visiting' for the last 5 years or more hno:

 

[hater]

Good point Adam. Senior Citizen collecting U.S. Social Security do not come down here to take advanage of the CR gov and leech, neither do middle class tico tourists in the states.

A lot of room for arguement here but can't wait to hear anybody's reply.

Again, consider it is senior citizens and middle class ticos for this arguement.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

good example

both systems (residence in CR and tourist visas in the US) are broken and on top of that, the 'perpetual tourist' is one of the worst jokes I've ever seen, except for neighboring countries .....I doubt any country in the planet puts up with "I am really just visiting" when its clear that they have been 'visiting' for the last 5 years or more hno:

Actually Thailand gives out 30 day visas...at the end of 30 days you can make a visa run to any country ouside Thailand (usually Cambodia or Laos) and get your passport stamped and return the same day...you can do this only 3 times a year and it is STRICTLY ENFORCED...a senior citizen which is anyone over 50, can apply for a visa prior to arriving in Thailand and get one for a full year...so long as you have money in a Thai bank, I think minimum is 20,000 bucks but you can pull it out at anytime you want...

I agree that Costa Rica will come to its senses and will adjust their thinking...too late for me since I will be leaving in March for 9 months and return to Costa Rica again in January of 2010...

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Besides, I have been visiting for 7 years now and has been impossible for me to get residency....even getting married to a local doesn't guarantee it...

 

[fuzebox]

Err Americans average $1100/mo?

Or is that a social security thing...

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Err Americans average $1100/mo?

Or is that a social security thing...

Social security for sure...

 

[AdamSelene]

Err Americans average $1100/mo?

Or is that a social security thing...

$2000 is an interesting number, as it excludes 99% of people whose only income is U.S. Social Security.

Maximum benefit (2007) was $2116/mo, but to earn that you had to make maximum FICA salary nearly your entire career ($97,500 - 2007) and retired at full retirement age (66-67). Average benefit was $1099/mo (2007). [Source - WikiAnswers]

Perhaps that is intentional. At < $24k/yr, such people probably aren't paying for private medical insurance. Although requiring proof of full medical insurance (or buy a policy with INS) would solve that better.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

That's my point Adam...Costa Rica wants to get rid of us....I guess in a couple of years there might be a Chinatown here, since the government threw out Taiwan and let in China for the price of one soccer stadium....

 

[quantumleap]

Actually Thailand gives out 30 day visas...at the end of 30 days you can make a visa run to any country ouside Thailand (usually Cambodia or Laos) and get your passport stamped and return the same day...you can do this only 3 times a year and it is STRICTLY ENFORCED...a senior citizen which is anyone over 50, can apply for a visa prior to arriving in Thailand and get one for a full year...so long as you have money in a Thai bank, I think minimum is 20,000 bucks but you can pull it out at anytime you want...

I agree that Costa Rica will come to its senses and will adjust their thinking...too late for me since I will be leaving in March for 9 months and return to Costa Rica again in January of 2010...

In Singapore I believe you can get a 60-day visa after which time you can renew by leaving the country such as taking the ferry to Batam, Indonesia which is 30 miles away or you can take the bus to several casinos in Malaysia which are less than 100 miles away.

So you'll be in Thailand for 9 months next year? Sounds like we need to meet up then.

 

[degengambler]

Changes???

Newest scuttlebut is residency requirement changing to
5000/ month or a 500,000 deposit into a bank--friend of mine
read it on am costa rica awhile back

 

[Masxmenos]

Again and Again Costa Rica is doing things ass backwards...if you want to become a resident of this beautiful country, you must prove a monthly income of 2000 dollars, up from 600...I don't know of anyone here that qualifies, since most Americans average around 1100 per month....

Oh well, that's just fine for Panama and Nicaragua, two countries that would welcome Ex-Pats with open arms....I just don't get it, I hope Wolfie or anybody else with half a brain can explain this one to me...seems to me is that we are not welcomed here anymore...

I understand your frustration VD, but they did change another part of the law too. They are allowing cohabitation as a reason to gain residency in Costa Rica.

 

[BrockLee]

Again and Again Costa Rica is doing things ass backwards...if you want to become a resident of this beautiful country, you must prove a monthly income of 2000 dollars, up from 600...I don't know of anyone here that qualifies, since most Americans average around 1100 per month....

Oh well, that's just fine for Panama and Nicaragua, two countries that would welcome Ex-Pats with open arms....I just don't get it, I hope Wolfie or anybody else with half a brain can explain this one to me...seems to me is that we are not welcomed here anymore...

Thankfully, I have permanent CR residency, so I don't have to worry about this anymore. But it does appear they are cracking down on the "perpetual tourists" more than ever before. I have personally known 3 people that have been deported in the past 3 months for having fake stamps in their passports.
2 of them (husband and wife) were arrested in their home in Escazu at 7:30AM, after being "tipped off". Immigration ran their passports under black lights and found one fake stamp each. They were flown back to the states in their pajamas and slippers, they wouldn't even let them go home for a change of clothes.
The other guy was arrested flying into Liberia a couple weeks ago. They ran his passport under a black light and found many fake stamps. They gave him the option of staying and fighting it, maybe doing jail time, or being deported for life. So he is gone.
They are cracking down. If you have fake stamps I recommend reporting your passport lost and getting a new one.
I am now working in the real estate/developer sector. I have seen the government do some things that give me the impresion that they are trying to stop development. Combined with the current crack down on "perpetual tourists" I think the people in power are trying to burst the bubble of the real estate market here so that prices crash. And then when they do, all the ticos with money will buy up all the land along the coast so they can resell it to the gringoes again a few years down the road.
prices here are out of control, ticos cant afford to buy land, so they are taking a sleazy approach to change that. thats my take on it anyways!

 

[al_corona]

Just have the Del Rey girls protest in front of Asamblea Legislativa, that will get it done.

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