Costa Rica, an oasis for the immigrants

Costa Rica has held her reputation for political stability for a long time. This country has been blessed with an incredible cultural diversity with the locals welcoming visitors with open arms. The country has enjoyed independence for a long time and swears by a staunch loyalty to democracy.

Costa Rica disbanded her military power leaving no options for a political coup. It is a haven for peace amidst other countries such as Nicaragua and Honduras. The country also enjoys favorable climate throughout the year which is suitable for outdoor lovers.

Costa Rica is an economic giant comparing to her neighbors. The Costa Rica’s colon is currently trading at 515 to the US dollar.

Culture and lifestyle

Ticos, like people in other countries, have been held up between modern and old cultural forces. These forces have a significant impact especially on most of the young inhabitants. However, her permissiveness and pluralistic outlook count in the top in the list of what attracts people from other countries to Costa Rica.

Most of the Ticos have respect for their culture, but they are adopting several American Cultural Traits. However, most of the Ticos maintain distinct characteristics that set them out from their neighbors.

The majority of the Ticos are beautiful both racially and culturally. For the most females, flirtation is an innate quality and no male of Costa Rica is jealous or possessive about their women or try to propitiate the outsiders.

Entertainment is not limited in Costa Rica. The country has majored with tourism in focus, dancing bars, cinema theaters, casinos, discotheque halls, multi-cuisine restaurants available in the county with a dusk - to -dawn indoor nightlife that adds a sense of thrill to the visitors. There is also a variety of open outdoors activities such as unpolluted beaching, kayaking, sea surfing, rafting and snorkeling that are additional attractions.

Costa Rica Immigration Laws

The country offers three basic types of immigration to foreigners. In the first option, an applicant may be listed as a pensioner (pensionado). Pensioners have a probable monthly life pension of $ 1,000 or above. Then there is the Rentistas permanent residence status given to those without pension but have income from other sources averaging $2,500 per month. The next type of immigration status is the ‘invesionists’, a title given to those foreigners who want to invest in Costa Rica.

Invesionists immigration status is given to those individuals willing to invest more than $100,000 in approved tourism projects or $200,000 in other industrial projects in Costa Rica.

All the types immigrants listed above are allowed to bring along their spouses and children who are under the age of 18 years or 25 years if they are students.

Immigrants can also be granted temporary work permits, student permits, and permanent residency if they have relatives who are citizens of Costa Rica. However, these permits are given under very strict stipulations.

Costa Rica Immigration documentation

An individual will be required to produce various legal documents as a proof of identity when applying for Costa Rica Permanent Residency. These include:

• birth certificates

• passport

• marital status

• criminal record

• four recent photos

• the necessary fees

All the provided documents must be translated into Spanish and be verified and certified by the applicant’s country of origin Costa Rican consulate. After application, the processing of the necessary permits may take a duration of three to six months. However, it may take longer if the request has corrections.

Why should one seek legal advice?

Immigration rules are becoming tougher by the day for individuals who wish to relocate to Costa Rica. This is the case especially for those who do not speak Spanish. Due to the language barrier, one may be taken for a ride in Costa Rica by unscrupulous individuals who pose as genuine agents keen to help immigrants. So as to escape this pitfall, it is advisable to go through a reputable legal service provider like The Law Firm of Meléndez and Bonilla who takes over the immigration process on behalf of the applicants.

The Law Firm of Meléndez and Bonilla is readily available via www.costaricaimmigration.com; immigration lawyers follow the laid down immigration procedures to ensure their client's applications go through while taking the shortest time possible. They have a deep and up to date understanding of Costa Rican immigration laws that keep changing day by the day.

These attorneys have an excellent rapport with the Costa Rica immigration officials and as such, can sort out the most difficult immigrations complications within a short time. Their charges for documentation and processing are quite affordable putting into consideration the intricate nature of their work.

These fees are inclusive of all the legal services, document presentation, correction to all of the documents errors, and legalizing of the documents. This legal fee is worth considering the price that an individual can pay for not taking proper legal counsel if something went wrong.