Costa Rican Residency

[maravilla]

My FBI report took 5 – 7 weeks to get back. Also, they don’t take personal checks or money orders — ONLY cashier’s checks. First you must be fingerprinted by your local police department and that form with your fingerprints is then submitted to the FBI. They will return that form with a stamp on the back that says “No criminal record” — unless you have a criminal record and then I don’t know what they put.

[DavidCMurray]

I’m happy to recommend Lic. Romulo Pacheco who has an office in Casa Canada where the Association of Residents of Costa Rica is located in San Jose. Sr. Pacheco and his associate do a lot of residency work and they do it well. His price was tolerable, if not cheap. He speaks good English. And clearly he knows his way around the Immigration maze.

You can contact him at: 506/255-1592 or cell 506/383-2205. E-mail him at crlexs@racsa.co.cr.

Please tell him I sent you. I get a ten colon referral fee.

[itsbutch]

Scott

I juest checked with the American Embassy in CR and they are not aware of the exact changes, but agree that the FBI report will be required rather than the Police Report. My question is, since my lawyer drug her feet and didn’t get my papers completed within the last 90 days, and with my living in CR and not the US……I was wondering if you, by chance, you have any idea on how I would go about getting the FBI report. I would like to get it before “the rush”. I have made the required 72 hr. trip out of CR, so I guess I have another 90 days? Also, my lawyer kept telling me that she couldn’t get an appt. for my fingerprinting…..is there a way I can do that without her and without appointments.
Thanks,
Butch

[maravilla]

My experience with the FBI report is that you must be fingerprinted first and that card with your fingerprints is then submitted to the FBI headquarters for a records check. The appropriate form is usually available at your local police station. Maybe you could get someone in the States to get you that form and then get your fingerprints done in CR after which you would mail it to the FBI with a cashier’s check for $18 (I think it was). I spoke to Javier yesterday and he explained the new rules about filing in the States FIRST before your application for residency is submitted to immigration. This isn’t a new ruling apparently but one which is now being enforced, so if your previous lawyer hasn’t filed your application it will need to be done in the States and you may have to have your fingerprints done there as well, if you can’t get a copy of the appropriate fingerprint form. And whatever you do, don’t send the FBI some other form of payment besides a cashier’s check because they will reject your form outright.

[scottbenson]

I don’t have the site infront of me until tommorw but there is a web site for the FBI reports. You can start online and then you will have to send the information in.

I will post it tommorw.

[maravilla]

Here’s the link — I had it stashed from when I did my Italian passport.

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

It clearly states that you must have fingerprints on the original application card, which can be obtained from the local police station in the States. I see they will accept a money order OR a cashier’s check.

[Wendy Strebe]

We also used Residency in Costa Rica with Javier and his sister Mayanye. Javier is in LA. Mayanye is in San Jose. They were great and this was 3.5 years ago. I am sure they have just gotten better and better. We are a family of 6 and they earned what they charged.

[zpoops]

Hello, everyone. My name is Javier Zavaleta from Residency in Costa Rica. This is my first posting in this web site in over 2 years. I am taking this opportunity to clarify a couple of items contained in ItsButchs posting of September 8, 2006. Please see below my signature line.

Before addressing Butch’s message I have a comment to make regarding fingerprints. Why is anyone worrying about a requirement that, as of today, simply does not exist? The requirement is a police report from the community where the applicant has resided for the last six months. If anyone has written evidence to the contrary, please share it with all, as I would love to see it. Will the FBI be required at some point? Probably. When will that be? Who knows& Not as of today. A reminder that police letters are valid for only ninety (90) days.

And a thank you to both Maravilla and Wendy for your kind words.

Javier Zavaleta
323.255.6116

Posted Sep 08,2006 7:39 AM itsbutch

David
Javier called me last night at 9PM from Los Angeles. He told me the same as you stated about the fingerprints etc.
I’d like to work with a local lawyer.
==JZ: We maintain an office in San Jose, where we have local attorneys on retainer, as well as an office in Los Angeles, California, where I am based.
Javier claims that he files all the residency papers in Los Angeles?
==JZ: Not correct. As of August 12, 2006, the date when the new Immigration Reform Law went into effect, all applications for pensionado, rentista and inversionista, MUST be filed abroad, normally in the country of origin of the applicant. In San Jose, Migracion will accept only applications filed under the vinculo con costarricense program. This requirement may change at Migracion’s whim, but as of 08/12/06 the law requires the filing of applications abroad.

Javier quoted me over $2000 for each of us – too much, I am sure there must be a less expensive way.
==JZ: Not correct. Our fee for pensionado applications is $1,650. As I explained to you, our fee already includes just about all the expenses to be incurred in the preparation of the application, including authentication fees payable to the Costa Rican consulate ($40 per document), to the local secretary of state (from as low as $1.00 per document in Hawaii to $26 in California), FedEx, translations, preparation of power of attorney ($80), etc.
==JZ: You indicated elsewhere in your message that your attorney charged you $1000 plus $280?? for the authentication stamps. Almost $1,300 for only doing the work in Costa Rica and presumes that YOU will be getting all you documents authenticated in the U.S. That means that you are responsible for having the documents authenticated by the local secretary of state and the Costa Rican consulate with jurisdiction over that particular state. If anything goes wrong with the authentication you would have to start all over again, most likely from Costa Rica. I think our price structure is not only fair, but may actually be too cheap.
==JZ: We are responsible for the complete authentication process and our fee reflects the extra services and costs for the work done in the U.S. on your behalf. As far as I know, no other company based in Costa Rica does the authentication process on your behalf. By the way, we routinely get hired by CR attorneys and competitors to authenticate their clients’ documents in the U.S. and Canada. So, while at first sight our fees are higher than your attorney’s or ARCR (a great organization), we are doing a lot more for you and getting you results. Remember the old Tico saying: Lo barato sale caro.

Thank you all your time to read this message. JZ.

[gg]

The attorney we are using has fees in line with those from Javier. He also does not collect any money until we have our residency. Our attorney is Robert Umana and we have total confidence in him. He is located in San Jose and has guided us through the maze of paperwork. I think anyone who has not lived in CR, does not speak FLUENT Spanish and does not understand the laws would be making a grave mistake to undergo the process without a legal advisor. In my humble opinion, “You get what you pay for”… Good luck, Butch

[keith]

Hello Javier!

Thanks for all the info!

Just a quick question: “What is the monetary requirement for “Rentista” residency for a husband and wife with one small child? Hopefully, the original $60,000.00 deposit is still applicable?

Thanks so much for your great input!

[harvcarp]

I took a short vacation in Chicago for the main purpose of visiting the Counsel of C.R. as I will be applying for residency in Nov.

They did not have stamps and I was told to purchase them in Costa Rica!
Also, according to the Counsel the police report would be valid for 6 months.

Javier, thanks for clearing up the FBI confusion as I had never heard or read anything that indicated it to be a requirement.

Thanks

[rf2cr]

Javier,

Could you please email me a phone number in LA where I can contact you.

Thank you – Ruth Fountaine – rfatacg@yahoo.com

[zpoops]

Under the NEW law, currently in effect, as a married rentista applicant with one child, you would be required to prove income as follows:

Husband: $1,000/month x 60 months = 60,000
Spouse: $1,000/month x 60 months = 60,000
Child: $ 500/month x 60 months = 30,000

You are looking at a monthly income requirement of $2,500/month x 60 months = US$150,000. Under the old requiremetn, $1,000 per month ($60,000) would have been sufficient to qualify the entire family regardless of how many children apply. Clearly, it is a big increase.

Javier Zavaleta
jzava@pacbell.net

[zpoops]

Under the NEW law, currently in effect, as a married rentista applicant with one child, each applicant is required to prove income as follows:

Husband: $1,000/month x 60 months = 60,000
Spouse: $1,000/month x 60 months = 60,000
Child: $ 500/month x 60 months = 30,000

You are looking at a monthly income requirement of $2,500/month x 60 months = US$150,000. The law does not require that each aplicant have a separate savings account. Thus, one account in the name of the primary applicant (let’s say you) with a balance of at least $150K is what is required.

Under the OLD requirement, $1,000 per month ($60,000) would have been sufficient to qualify the entire family regardless of how many children apply. Clearly, it is a big increase.

Javier Zavaleta
jzava@pacbell.net

[wmaes47]

THere are several ways to contact Javier at his website:

http://www.residencyincostarica.com/contact.html

Cheers
Bill Maes

[Author]

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