Costa Rica Analyzes Ways to Attract Foreign Workers

Manpower needed to fill the 150,000 positions in growing companies over the next three years has the Costa Rican government scrambling to reform immigration and worker laws.

Reforms aim to reduce paper work for companies that require foreign workers, especially in the technology sector, and reestablish immigrant rights and responsibilities.

National Immigration estimates there are currently over 40,000 foreigners working in the country with tourist visas. According to census there are 1.8 million workers in Costa Rica. If they were to increase the number of foreign workers to 150,000 it would constitute an equivalent of 15% of Costa Rica’s insured work force and 8% of the total national work force.

Tourism, construction, communication and agriculture are economic sectors expected to benefit the most from immigration reforms. Without going into detail, Minister of Labor, Francisco Morales wants to help avoid personal injury to immigrant workers by integrating them into the social health system.

He also wants to regulate working hours for mothers and reevaluate all work done from the home. “Many companies already allow employees to work from home” said Morales, “but it is necessary to regulate those practices”.

Currently companies that hire abroad are being told to do their paper work at the Costa Rican consulates in the countries where the employees are being hired.

“This implies a high cost to small and medium sized businesses” said Mario Zamora, Director of Migration Services. “Permits should be available here as well”. Zamora considers the volume of illegal workers in the country is at “volatile” levels reasoning that, while they do not pay into social services, they are responsible for providing important social services like teaching, fixing machines and developing technology.

Our thanks to our friends at La Nación – Costa Rica’s largest Spanish circulation newspaper for their permission use this article.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.