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Imexploring got it just right in my opinion. The marriage issue is moot, she said yes and the rest is a formality. I made no reference to working FOR someone, that’s rather limited in a lot of countries. When you tell someone that a pensionado “can’t work” that’s a fairly broad and innaccurate statement… a pensionado can work for themselves in anyone of a number of ways. Working for yourself, owning a company are “work” if you define work as self-generated income as I do. I’ve started businesses in three countries other than the U.S., granted they were Dive shops and pottery studios that required next to nothing in investment but they were businesses none the less. They generated income, appropriate taxes got paid etc. so I define that as having “worked” in countries with similar laws to CR in that sense.
Imexplorings advice to start and run as small business as opposed to finding work (salaried/wage work for another) is the correct advice to give when asked about jobs in CR. Why is that so bitter a pill to swallow for Mr McMurray? David, I can do without your attitude as well. I posted my thoughts in good faith in an open forum in an effort to clarify a point that I thought was misrepresented. I understand Scott doesn’t want backbiting etc on his forum and I’m going to respect that and cease posting here unless I have a question. You’re better connected there, you’re Scotts friend and associate and I know a losing battle when I see one.
I’ll close with thanks to all who’ve helped answer previous questions, David included, and my apologies if anyone else was offended by my post.
Enjoy!Hello Editer… I learned from your post and waited patiently, the subscription came through without a hitch. However, I assumed that by subscribing I would have access to the full text of the Tico Times and this is not the case. When I try to access the “More in the print edition” section I get a page telling me to do one of the following 1: pay more for a PDF version, 2: Subscribe, 3: Pick up a copy at a news stand. I’m not really sure why paying for a six month subscription doesn’t entitle me to view the paper in it’s entirety since I have met the requirement of option 2.
I enjoy the paper but I do feel that they are not very forthcoming about what you get for your money by subscribing. I’ve emailed them about it and will post what I learn if anyone else has had a similar experience and is interested.
Enjoy!
D&A
Olympia, WAWe ordered Scotts book today, can’t wait. I think from the eight books, 80+ web sites and blogs/forums etc that we’ve been part of for the last few weeks that we will be very comfortable there living on my retirement. We’ve now actually talked to people who live like we are accustomed to living on slightly less. We tend to live a very basic life… much the same as I did in the Philippines, Guam and Okinawa. You’re not likely to find us living in gated condo communities with razor wire and security guards on a golf course… in fact, we likely won’t go near such places. A small house that needs a little TLC tucked away on enough land to have a garden and some chickens with a decent view is all it takes to make people like us happy. We live that way now and have enjoyed our own little slice of Pura Vida for many years.
ENjoy!
David & Alicia
Olympia WAon the 40% thing QUOTE: “For you others thinking about living here, there is an important statistic. About 40% of those who move to Costa Rica leave within one year! Why? There are a lot of reasons, but my hunch is that people were just not prepared for the REAL Costa Rica, for there is a vast difference between the “tourist” Costa Rica and the one in which you will live.”
Jerry… thanks for that! Good info to have because we’ve discussed just that kind of thing recently. I’ve worked as a course writer and proof-reader before (not online) and that just might work for us.
Davidcmurray, that’s the second time you’ve rained on my parade… I thank you for keeping it real for me. Reality checks and honest info are vital during an expensive, time consuming venture like international moving.
We’re in the intensive reading phase now… bought several generic CR tourist type books and one called Culture Shock, which is outdated but has some useful historical info in it. I’ll be buying Scotts “How to buy CR real estate…” and would welcome any suggested reading from you folks.
Thank you all again for the help.
David & Alicia Olympia WAEdited on Feb 27, 2008 20:47
Well Peg, that settles it then. I’ll marry the girl before we apply, but that begs a question: Do we marry here so all five of the people we give a damn about in this country can be there or do we marry on a Costa Rican beach or by a waterfall with all you folks in attendance so you can pay for our nuptial hangover?
Hello again, and thanks for the info. You’re right David, I don’t understand them thoroughly yet but I’ve been going over them and will continue to do so until I am convinced one way or the other that a move there is, or is not feasable for us. The marriage issue isn’t a complicated one for us, we have lived together for years, marriage is the plan and we may or may not marry before this move. We have no intentions of working illegally… We know that residency is obtainable and we can file for that as a couple or independantly. Working there as a foreigner was never the issue. Hiring an attorney to ensure we take the right path through the maze and cover all of the bases is the only way we would embark upon the journey. We have no desire to live in an expensive, gated, all-american community or in a leaky shack on a mountainside. There is a place in between where we can live happily and we’ll either find it in Costa Rica or we won’t. I’ve learned a great deal already and I have unlimited time to learn more. The first thing I learned about living abroad twenty seven years ago was that there are as many opinions and viewpoints from helpful people like yourselves as there are questions to ask them. The second thing I learned was that if there is a way, I can and will make it work. The world is a big place from my perspective of living all over it and there are many places I would enjoy living permenantly, Costa Rica was my first choice to research and I’ll dedicated the first year of my search to visiting there and talking to the widest variety of people I can to get the clearest possible picture of life there.
Thanks again for all your help!
David & AliciaHi again… Thanks to Rebaragon for your response, we are accustomed to living what most would describe as a frugal, near minimal lifestyle so your post encourages us. Scotbenson, I appreciate your input and opinion, but I guess I didn’t make myself clear,… I have researched the Costa Rican laws on several web sites, however, I did as you suggested and found the following: Under Law No 6982 of 1984 (known as “the Retirement Law”) a foreigner may acquire residence in Costa Rica if he can show a sufficient income whether from investments or from a pension and irrespective of whether the income is sourced locally or abroad. Residence obtained under this law allows an individual to work in Costa Rica but does not allow him to work in areas which would have the effect of displacing indigenous workers. A resident under this law is expected to reside in Costa Rica for at least 4 months in each calendar year.
Residence permits obtained under Law 1155 of 1950 (known as “the Residence Law 1950”) carry no restrictions on the sorts of economic activity that a resident permit holder can engage in. However permits under this law are granted on a very selective basis and only to businessmen and professionals.
Again, I thank you all for your input and I’m sure that our vacation there will answer a great many of our questions. We are looking forward to our trip and perhaps someday make a viable contribution to the economy of something other than GW Bush and those who follow him into his office.
Enjoy! D&A Olympia WAHi, and thanks for your responses! I have researched the residency requirements and know that I cannot work as an employee for a wage but I can own a business for profit there easily. Alicia can work as an employee for a wage, both of us will apply for residency prior to leaving this country for good. My question was more about the availability of jobs than the legality of working there which I’ve thoroghly checked out. Any additional thoughts on that aspect of things?
Thanks, D & A
