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Hello,
I am planning on moving from the US to Costa Rica to teach English as a Second Language and am interested in gaining citizenship. I understand a foreigner cannot move in & take a tico job. However, ESL teachers are mostly foreigners. Would it be difficult to gain citizenship as an ESL teacher in Costa Rica? Thanks!A good site to check out is http://www.costarica-embassy.org/default.htm This is the embasy site in Chicago and Dc. My understanding is that you have to have a job that no other Tico can apply for. Many Ticos can teach english and they do at institutes such as Berlitz and other private schools. Unless you can get a school to state that you are the only one that can teach the course you will probley have a very hard time convincing the goverment you are not taking a job away.
My wife took classes at Brerlitz to learn english and they had ticos teach the class.
In collage with her major in Economics all of her books were in english so they are educated in english. How ever talking is somthing different since they communicate mainly in spanish which is logical.
Teaching English is one of the few jobs a gringo can get in Costa Rica without much trouble. Yes, it is still illegal, but not heavily enforced. As such, many institutes that teach English will take the chance of skirting immigration laws in order to gain a native speaker teacher.
However, you won’t make much money, and you won’t be able to gain residency status, much less citizenship.
It’s best to direct your attention to being legally employed and obtaining Costa Rican residency first, Deb. After that, you can think about citizenship.
It’s my understanding that, to apply for citizenship, you must have resided in Costa Rica for seven years. Those don’t have to be continuous, but the entry and exit stamps in your passport must support your claim to have the time here.
Thanks everyone for your feedback. Ok…stupid question, what exactly is the difference between “residency” & “citizenship.” Also, regarding ESL teachers not making much money…I realize that, but does the government take child support (from US–$)into consideration??
“Residency” status means that you have a legal right to be in Costa Rica (or wherever) and to enjoy all the legal rights and protections except that typically you cannot vote, cannot hold public office, etc. Those rights come with citizenship.
Also, residency is granted under a stated set of conditions which you must meet, and it is a privilege extended by the government. Citizenship is most commonly acqired by birth (but not always) and you typically cannot be deprived of it by the government. Once you have become a citizen, your status is pretty much assured for life. Residency is granted for a limited, stated time.
Some countries permit a person to have “dual citizenship” in which they have citizenship rights in two (or more) countries; others do not recognize dual citizenship.
It is my understanding that there are only two ways to enjoy “citizenship” status in CR: by birth and by marriage to a CR citizen. That’s it. You can, however, become a resident but this status has nothing whatsoever to do with a job you may procure as an EFL teacher. I have researched this area quite thoroughly as I am a retired 33-year veteran of the profession. You can be hired to teach short-term positions for private schools; you can also be hired to work for longer periods provided you have residency (must meet monetary requirements); you can be hired “illegally” which is very commonly done. I do not recommend following the illegal route as pay is not a guarantee. It is important to always keep in mind that Costa Rica is not the United States of America. You do not have the same rights and priviledges. I think this is the biggest issue Americans fail to overcome when they move there and I find myself frequently explaining this to my visiting American friends and relatives.
The most important fact you need to know about teaching in CR is that the pay is low and it does not match the cost of living difference unless you are single and don’t require much, including a car. Costa Rican teachers with families often struggle to pay their bills. Additionally, EFL teachers are a dime a dozen there regardless of what you read on the web. They may not be very good, but almost anyone qualifies with just a teensy bit of training. Here are a couple of sites that may be helpful.
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0411/teaching_english_in_costa_rica.shtml
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=739That’s not quite correct regarding becoming a citizen of Costa Rica. Any legal resident can apply for (and is likely to be approved for) citizenship after seven years of residency in Costa Rica. You do not have to be born here and you do not have to marry a Costa Rican citizen.
You’re right, David. You also have to pass rigorous tests and speak fluent Spanish, but yes, after seven years you can apply for citizenship.
I do have to disagree with this issue that you can earn a income.
If you look at CR embassy’s web site they have a clear picture of the requirments of residency. http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/living/residence.htm
As you will see on line 15 in the residency item it states “The rentists (and their dependents) cannot work and/or earn a salary in Costa Rica. They can however, administer their own investments but without a salary. In addition, a physical presence in Costa Rica for a minimum of 4 months each year is required.”
As well as retirees “The retirees (and their dependents) cannot work and/or earn a salary in Costa Rica. They can however, administer their own investments but without a salary. In addition, a physical presence in Costa Rica for a minimum of 4 months each year is required.”So if you look at it if you are a retiree or a resident you will not be able to work unless you own a company but then you have to hire a tico.
If you have a company hire you you have to follow these guide lines “Letter from the employing company indicating: a) the reasons for hiring the applicant, and b) demarches undertaken to hire a Costa Rican national to the same position.”
I am in a similar situation. Ready to move and start early retirement. I’m afraid that after the first year I will get the itch to do something. Not only am I a native english speaker but I am also considered a native speaker of German. Maybe I would have it easier with 2 languages.
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