General Info

[QUOTE=Armorer] Open Question
Lets say one marries in costa rica how fast if you decided to can you ditch your better half like say divorce. I heard you have to wait like 2 years. Anyone have any knowlege about this? Looking for answers here thanks.[/QUOTE]

Count on my good buddy Armorer to stimulate some interesting conversation. If he will kindly permit me to inject my grammatical interpretation, I believe the question is how soon after marriage can he dump the chick.

Open Question....
Lets say one marries in Costa Rica. How fast, if you decided to, can you ditch your better half? Like say divorce. (Annulment...paranthesis mine) I heard you have to wait like 2 years. Anyone have any knowlege about this?

I believe in other discussions with Armorer, he has mentioned that he was involved with someone else down there. Not necessarily one of the chickies we like to bump in the back rooms. (Hopefully, I'm not divulging info he passed in a pm.)

Anyways, if there were ulterior motives to marrying one of these honeys, for me it would be to establish residency and not so much for love. I'm tired of the rat race here in the USA. Fucking traffic on the expressways is outrageous. (Give me an aluminum roofed hut in the jungle away from dengue mosquitos and I'll be happy eating bananas with the monkeys. Pura Vida.) I've been reading the CR consulate pages on residency requirements and marriage may be the less expensive and with the least amount of paperwork. So then I can marry her then dump her. I mean, wtf, I'm already using her to dump in.

While it may not be the norm, for a working girl to have a heart for anything other than for the dinero, I have met some who will fall for you. Even give you all their money. What they like to say is, "I know how to take care of my man." But then again, it's like a gigolo once said when asked how he could fuck these old, ugly women..."You gotta love the money."

I've had a couple of experiences with the working Ticas that give me an example of both types. Both start by telling me they have kids. But only one justified her work as doing whatever she had to do to take care of her kid. The other only mentioned that she had a kid. This one then emailed occasionally and then she started hinting at the need for cash, but never really came out and asked for it, and since I was here and not there, I didn't send any. Eventually the emails stopped. The other girl gave the impression that she could walk away from the job if not for supporting her kid. I understand.

Once I was asked why I was a bachelor. Because I love the dirty beitches, but I would never marry one.

NB

[QUOTE=NastyBoy]Open Question....
Lets say one marries in Costa Rica. How fast, if you decided to, can you ditch your better half? Like say divorce. (Annulment...paranthesis mine) I heard you have to wait like 2 years. Anyone have any knowlege about this? [/QUOTE]

When I got married in CR in the 80's, I was told that you had to be married for 2 years. I don't think this would preclude you from getting divorced somewhere else.

Armorer should have made his Open Question clearer. I now understand his question to have meant how long does one have to wait after marrying in Costa Rica before one can get divorced. I'll further assume he means for the purposes of becoming a naturalized citizen, since presumably CR is not going to prevent divorce or annulment earlier if people really want to do so. IN THAT CASE, there IS a 2 year requirement. One can divorce earlier but then can not use that marriage to a CR citizen as a means of becoming naturalized themselves. For more info on this subject, refer to THIS link [url]http://www.1costaricalink.com/elresidente/lu-1-2-2002.htm[/url].

Here is my NEW Open Question:
I understand why a poor colombiana or nica might do this but I still have to wonder why any Gringo would bother?

There are few real significant advantages to becoming a full naturalized CR citizen or permanent resident over the more usual forms of residency sought by most gringos. Do you really need to be able to vote along with the rest of the ticos for which corrupt politician will represent them? Do you really wish to wait in line at the free public health clinics rather than pay the fairly modest buy-in for Caja? Permanent residents and citizens can work as employees whereas other types of residents can not, but do you really want to work for tico wages? Permanent residents only have to visit CR once per year to maintain their status whereas other types of residency require you stay in CR at least 4 months per year, but isn't the whole idea to be able to stay in CR full time anyway? Foreign residents can form companies and buy property just like full citizens. If its a matter of getting tico rates, locals will probably try to charge you gringo rates whether you're a citizen or not. Finally, I'm not sure where NB is getting the marriage method is cheaper and less paperwork. True, you won't have to document your income as you would with some other forms of residency, but this is still the CR bureaucracy (sort of like that Ditech commercial where the mortgage lender removes one sheet off of the top of a huge stack or forms) and you'll also have to document your spouse's legal status. And any savings in document fees could be dwarved by the potential financial liabilities involved with marriage.

Hmm sounds like nastyboy knows me better then I thought. Sorry bout not posting to much NB. Had alot going on.
Me I was hitched to a loco gringa. Once,a long time ago. Wanted to see what CR laws was like. Ya know. Want to keep opetions open. I know you can get hitched for residency and needed to know how soon you can spiltzville from her and not have no trouble.
Also I might know someone in this perdicament who has no idea where to turn for answers.
But thanks for the input so looks like 2 years if you want residency. If not then you can split sooner. If I am understanding this correct.

[QUOTE=Chase Star]...I still have to wonder why any Gringo would bother? [/QUOTE] Sometimes this may not be the place to divulge that information.

[QUOTE=Chase Star]Finally, I'm not sure where NB is getting the marriage method is cheaper and less paperwork.
[/QUOTE][url]http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/living/residence.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/marriage/default.htm[/url]

Here's a new question. How the fuck does somebody live on 600US$ a month down there? That is the most interesting thing I have learned in all this research.

Thanks for the naturalization link. Looks awesome.

NB

Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Forget give me a home where the buffalo roam. Give me a home where it's Spring 365 days a year.

NB,
That's an informative link, but I think you're reading it wrong. You're comparing the general requirements for applying for residency with the additional requirements required if your application is based on marrying a CR citizen. If you've been married to a CR citizen for at least 2 years, you still need to apply for residency and satisfy all those general requirements as well as documenting your marriage and your spouses citizenship. What you SHOULD be comparing is the additional documentation required for marriage with the special documention required for other types of residency.
[url]http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/living/rentists.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/living/retirees.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/living/investor.htm[/url]

And what those links won't tell you is that many gringos don't even bother with residency at all, at least not initially. They just leave the country once every 90 days and renew their tourist visas over and over. Of course the CR govt. frowns on this, but it is really not that bad an approach to take while you try out living in CR. What many would-be ex-pats don't realize is that the odds are not insignificant that they will discover living in fulltime in CR really isn't for them.[QUOTE=NastyBoy]Here's a new question. How the fuck does somebody live on 600US$ a month down there? That is the most interesting thing I have learned in all this research.[/QUOTE]Now THAT is a question we can both agree on. I've often wondered that myself. I know many ticos undoubtedly do and I suppose a gringo could too, IF he wanted to live like a tico. But it would be a pretty austere lifestyle by US standards. Most of us who hope to retire to CR someday would probably want more than that. So having sufficient income to qualify for residency is not the problem. The problem is finding a regular source of income sufficient to live well. If you have that regular source of income than marrying a tica no longer becomes necessary.

I have to agree with you guys. Living on 600, not gonna happen for me. Well unless my home,care,and everything else is paid for. Thats all spending money for the week.
Thanks for the help with the question. I think I will be emailing a lawyer down there to ask. I mean they should know correct. My friend wants to end this before 2 years. So that was really why I was waking. Figured it would also make for a good topic.
As for me still single. Always looking to find the NEXT Mrs. Wright now. LOL Hush NB no more secrets let lose in here now. Might ruin my mystic. God I need a Dictionary.
Besides marry a laten lady, I am looking forward to returning to Russia,Ukraine next year. Tired of latin sceene. Gots to lovem tall,and long legs.Cannot help it. Still after seeing what romainian women are like. Well the ones I happened upon in CR, Think I may have to make a pit stop.

Sorry if I offended anyone with that.
Catch ya'll on the flip side.

While doing the tourist thing on my first visit to CR I really fell for the geography of the country. I've seen other travel vids espousing the nomad and "back to nature" life style that have also intrigued me. After living with so much advanced technology for quite some time, I decided that I would like to go in the opposite direction to simpler days before the technological age ends up putting a GPS chip in my ass.

So I started my research, and what better place to go than to the govt, (I assume they should know), and review the info on the consulate pages. So, if I'm reading them wrong, then they should make it a little clearer. And of course, I should not assume things there are as they are here. I mean if I married a babe from outside the country, bang!, that's instant residency for her here. Of course, it'll cost her a $100 for them to do the background check before she gets here, but I don't see any other obstacles. Logic to me seems that a govt. would succumb more easily to the blindness of love for their citizens as opposed to the lust for money other people come chasing here. Anyway, to get the definate skinny on the issues I should just call them and/or get a lawyer which is recommended anyway. However, I would never marry for residency. Love my freedom too much to trade it for even that.

Reviewing my financials, I came across one bit of information that guaranteed me the 600US$ in perpetuity effective immediately. That was a nice surprise especially in my eagerness to get the fuck out of Dodge and go live with the natives in the jungle. So even if it is a meager amount it does satisfy the criteria of the state. Because the sooner I'm outta here the bettah. Other research has indicated that most of the work down there is being done illegally, and just as some sources say that one way around residency is leaving for 72 hours, they also say that working for them can be done illegally as well without a problem. So, generating some extra dinero doesn't seem like that much of a problem.

But all of this is just mental masturbation anyway. I still have to finish Mexpat's paper on why he became disillusioned. Surely, the grass always does look greener and familiarity does breed contempt. But, it's every man for himself and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. (How's that for a bunch of cliches?)

I'm sure it's gonna take more than surfing the web. I'll probably have to get that lawyer to at least keep some things legal. I just really find that country agreeable to my temperament.

NB

Just remember that even if you marry them, doesn´t mean that you can bring them to the US. They have to have an Aids test, and if they´ve done illegal stuff (In the US, anyway), such as drugs or prostitution, they won´t let them in.

If you do appy for it, do NOT apply for it in Costa Rica. I did this, and just wasted a lot of money and time. They can generally only approve `clear cut`cases at the embassy. Apply to your local INS or whatever it is these days.

NB,
Here are some more thoughts.

I can really relate to that get back to nature feeling of yours. My dream is find a little finca outside of San Jose but not too far, someplace up in the hills where things are green, the air is clean and the views are of the city and nearby farms. I'd pick mangos from my own trees for breakfast and drive or catch the bus into town once or twice a week to wet my wanker. Here's the catch, as you've pointed out, if you've only got $600/mo. coming in, you'll need to pick up a few extra bucks somewhere else. BTW, 2 common ways gringos do this is by teaching English or working for sportsbooks, but those can't really be done too easily if you're living someplace outside of San Jose. Another way it can be done is by finding a way to telecommute. For example, you could design websites from anywhere as long as you have a decent internet connection, but that doesn't really get that GPS chip out of your ass.

Here's another thought. I think the guys who have checked into getting a fiance visa for prospective brides from other countries might disagree with you on how "automatic" it is. And there is a reason why a government throws up those obstacles. They realize many cross-national marriages have nothing at all to do with love and are really justs shams to gain citizenship. After all, isn't that what we're talking about here?

Here's a little sidenote on MexPat. I've just read the draft copy to the book he's been working on and I think you guys are going to find his complete oddysey very interesting. I'll keep you all posted on when he gets his website up and running.

Finally, re your last comments, forget the lawyers and forget the web (well don't forget the web completely since its a good place to start). If you really think CR may be for you and you think you might have the resources to make it happen, just get yourself down there. Do the hard research where it really should be done - on the spot in CR itself. Forget the lawyers and residency, at least to start, go on the 90 day tourist visa and renew if you have to. Find out if CR is really for you. Research areas you might want to live by actually going there and hanging out at different times of the year. Then when you're more serious or as you do your field research, bring in the lawyer to get your residency app going if thats what you decide needs to be done. Here's a cliche: Don't put the cart before the horse.

Not a Costa Rica fan, but would like to add my two cents as I married a Limena and am going thru this residency stuff in Peru now.

1. In CA and SA, you are normally automatically given 90 days when you arrive. In most countries it is very easy to extend for another 90 days for about $70.00. This means you only have to leave the country once every 6 months. In Peru alot of people go across the border for lunch in Chile and come back a few hours later.Costa Rica may be different in that respect as I have seen someone mention 72 hours.

2. 10-15 years ago it was all the rage to bring back girls from The Soviet Union and Philipines. By the way out of 10 friends not one of them ever worked out. Things have changed, unless you have had a child with them expect too wait 1 1/2 - 2 years to get them over here. Again I much prefer to move to the Chica's country, for obvious reasons.

3. It is now run by Dept. Homeland Security not INS.

4. Generally there are only two advantages to permanent residency. Work and not having to leave the country. Citizenship is for those who wish to have a second passport so they can travel to areas considered dangerous for americans.

5. We all have our dreams of leaving the USA, I left two years ago and never regret it for a moment. But as others have pointed out you should try living in a different country for 3 months before commiting. Most expats first decide on city/country/jungle/desert living and then narrow it down to several countries and spending time in each one over a period of several years. While you are planning sell your inflated real estate, put all your furniture/cars and everything else you can not fit into two suitcases for sale on ebay.

6. Also join the expat groups in the countries you are interested in to get a better feel for real estate prices/health facilities/cultural issues/business opportunities etc.

7. The majority view on CR in the expat comunity is that it was great 15 years ago but now it is overpriced in relation to other Latin America cities.

7. And whoever is the last one out of the USA, please remember to turn out the lights and do not let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!

LB

Excellent post, Lima Busy. Some of your comments back up what I've been saying. The additional comments I also agree with (CR is no longer a bargain, although I think it still has some advantages). The only clarification is on your point #1. Its a little different in CR now. You used to be able to get a 90 day extension on your tourist visa. I believe now all one can get is a 30 day extension. It can be done most easily through a travel agent, but can not be done repeatedly that way and one of the requirements is that you show a plane ticket out of the country sometime within those extra 30 days. For most people it is much easier to just take a 72 hour trip every 90 days. Its no big deal. It could be a flight back to the US to visit the grandkids, minivactions to other parts of Latin America or just a cheap bus ride over the border to Nicaragua or Panama. BTW, on that topic, how are the fares between CR and Peru?

Oh yeah, just saw a very minor clarification on point #4. Maybe you were just talking about Peru, but in CR you only have to leave the country if you're there on a VISA (or there illegally). With non-permanent types of residency you don't have to leave but you do have to stay at least 4 months of the year. So that just leaves being able to work (for the tico rates which can be $10/day) as the main official advantage, and some gringos get around that working under the table.

[QUOTE=Chase Star]BTW, on that topic, how are the fares between CR and Peru?[/QUOTE]

It's often cheaper to fly to the US and then to SA than to go directly from San Jose. Pretty strange. I'd use frequent flyer miles for a trip like this, as it's usually 10-20k mileage for these trips, which is a good value.

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions and insights. I am grateful for advice from the experienced. Lima Busy, that was an excellent post. I have been looking at expat groups and maybe even suscribing to their magazines.
Jaimito Cartero, I was thinking of doing it all through the Washington, DC embassy, but somewhere I picked up the idea that I was going to need an attorney down there. Chase Star, my travels to Europe first got me thinking about bringing one of those honeys back and so I started looking into the State Dept. web site. It didn't seem that restrictive but as Jaimito points out that background check can be a MF. I also didn't realize it would take so long.

Well, right now it's still a pipe dream, but in time I'm sure it will work out. I usually succeed at getting what I want. I've been down there 3 or 4 times now, and just like Mexpat said in his report, when you land at San Jose you feel like you're coming home. The more I go, the more I learn and the better I like it. It's just time and money now.

Thanks again everyone.

NB

Delta Airlines has a sale which started this morning to SJO.

Check the fares out of your city. They have been reduced by $300 out of ATL.

Act fast as this will not last long. I am sure they have holiday blackout dates but it is valid at least thru next mid Feb and maybe longer. Check their web site.
Use your credit card to pay in case they go belly up. You will be protected.