Employment in Costa Rica

[ClassicRed]

Hello Everyone:

I am new to this site so please excuse any gaffs.

I will soon be an empty nester and have been researching places that my significant other and I might want to live.

Costa Rica keeps popping up although the information we have been able to gather varies considerably from the ever-so-glowing tones of International Living to the real life experiences of friends who have gone to build schools in CR.

The country meets our basic requirements in terms of living conditions but we have been unable to find out anything about employment possibilities.

Neither of us are the retiring type – we like to be involved, to build, to help, to take action.

I am a psychologist (Ph.D. in Applied Psychology with a specialty in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies and a Post Doc in Addictions and Mental health).

I’ve run my own company for 15+ years and get the most enjoyment out of forming collaborations (government, non-profits, for-profits and everyday people) to make something happen – like appropriate housing, school or health care.

My partner is highly skilled technically and also produces films. We have been unable to find any reliable information about finding meaningful work (which I think is essential before starting a business in a new country).

Any advice that anyone can provide would be helpful. The more practical, the better. I appreciate your help.

Helen

[DavidCMurray]

I don’t know just how much research on resettling in Costa Rica you have done, but there are some obstacles that you cannot avoid.

First, you cannot safely remain in Costa Rica long-term without qualifying for, applying for, and being granted one or another form of legal residency. Initially, you become a temporary resident; later, you can qualify for permanent residency. The two common forms of legal temporary residency are [i]pensionado[/i] and [i]rentista[/i].

True, there are those who dash across the border and back every ninety days or so in order to be granted a new tourist visa. They are referred to as “perpetual tourists”. Immigration is widely reported to be cracking down on that practice. The only safe way to be and remain here for any length of time is to become a legal resident. What would you do if Immigration denied your request for re-entry or granted you a five-day tourist visa? It happens.

Becoming a legal temporary resident can easily take a year or longer. Then, once you have been a temporary resident for three years, you can apply for permanent residency which can take another year or so to be approved. So becoming a permanent resident can easily take five years or longer.

Legal residency is granted to individuals and legal families. If you and your significant other remain “significant others”, you will have to qualify for residency as individuals.

Second, Costa Rican law strictly prohibits anyone who is not either a citizen or a [u]permanent[/u] resident from working in any job that could be held by a Costa Rican worker. If you establish your own business, you can direct the work of your employees but you cannot perform work yourself.

The only exception would be if an employer could convince the Ministry of Labor that you have unique skills not present in the local laborforce which would qualify you for a work permit. That process can take a year or longer, and success is not assured.

Third, you should know that, as compared to North America, wages in Costa Rica are ridiculously low.

[costaricafinca]

[b]David, [/b]has written a detailed response to your question.
Prior to being eligible to work, you would be required to retake/update your credentials, in Spanish. Of course, if you become an employer, you still will require a certain amount of Spanish to work with both employees and the bureaucracy here.

[sueandchris]

But someone with your exemplary qualifications could be a real benefit to various Costa Rican organizations as a [i]volunteer[/i]! If continuing income is not a factor, you could be as busy as you wished helping in any number of ways in this lovely country.

David carefully covered the requirements for residency here….the “perpetual tourists” that I know are experiencing some real hassles in remaining here. Please read the previous posts on this site and contact a good immigration attorney here for information that is crucial before you consider a permanent move to Costa Rica. Good luck!

[Author]

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