Residents Angry Over Immigration Law Changes

By Zoraida Diaz

Pensioners Need $2000 per Month For Residency

Foreign residents are up in arms over proposed changes to the Immigration Law, which would raise the required income for pensioners who apply for residency to $2000, more than three times the current requirement.

The Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR), a 3000-member-strong body is urging people to speak out, saying the hikes in the income requirement are untenable, and would adversely affect tourism.

The requirements for the category of Resident Investor call for an increase in earnings from $2000 to $5000 a month.

“A typical pensioner already in the country has an average pension of some $1200 per month and information supplied by the Social Security of the US, states that the average pension is $1090 per month,” said the ARCR in a prepared statement.

“It is our belief this is within the highest pension world averages; therefore, we don’t see how $2000 will be an easy figure to meet,” the group said. “We also are certain that Canada’s pensioners, another large group already in the country, have average pensions of between $600 and $700 per month.”

“These amounts could affect the possibility of others arriving, and would affect the future of the economy negatively,” said ARCR’s General Manager, Ryan Piercy, on the Association’s website.

“We cannot be in agreement with this in any way,” says the ARCR statement.

The Director of Immigration Mario Zamora, the man who essentially drafted the law, agrees with Mr Piercy.

“The legislative commission, recommended these new amounts thinking the $600 amount very low,” said Mr Zamora this week, “but personally, I think the amounts proposed are outside reality.

“I do agree $600 is too low, but we should find an intermediate point,” he told The Beach Times.

“I have spoken with various assemblymen and there exists the right environment to reduce the amounts proposed,” he added. “They can be modified once the bill goes to the floor.”

Mr Zamora, who knows the law inside out, says the legislation’s benefits far outweigh its weaknesses.

© Zoraida Diaz

MAN AT THE TOP: The Director of Immigration, Mario Zamora, agrees the new requirements for pensioners wanting residency in Costa Rica — $2000 a month — may be too high. He says there is room for changes.

“This does not affect in any way those already in Costa Rica,” he stressed.

“In fact, all Resident Rentistas (or pensioners) who have a temporary residence will automatically become permanent residents.”

The coveted permanent residency would allow residents to work, which is not the case under the current terms.

“The benefits are retroactive, but not the negative aspects,” said Mr Zamora.

The Immigration Director said he wanted to meet this week with ARCR’s manager Ryan Piercy.

“I would like for us to work on a joint proposal to take to the Assembly,” said Mr Zamora, lamenting he had been forced to cancel the meeting amidst a breaking political scandal.

Mr Zamora was referring to beleaguered Minister of Security, Janina Del Vecchio’s political gaffe in which she was seen to abandon the Immigration Director, after her own Vice-Minister, Ana Durán’s office, suspended him for two weeks over an accusation by an immigration lawyer. Mr Zamora was not allowed to defend himself.

The highly influential daily La Nación, criticized her unmercifully in an editorial this week, calling Zamora a “man known for his intellectual and moral capacity and with wide proof of his level of public service in Immigration…”

Mr Piercy called a press conference on Monday “to go straight to the legislature to see what can be done,” he said.

“Anyone with a pension, for the sole reason of having one, has earned it with at least 20 years of work. To us, this demonstrates that they are most likely, honorable members of their communities,” expounded the ARCR statement.

“This is an international message that Costa Rica does not want foreigners here.”

The ARCR is also concerned the new law will take away from Costa Rica more than it realizes.

© Photo Courtesy

MAKING UP: The Minister of Public Security, Janina Del Vecchio, with Immigration Director, Mario Zamora.  The Minister was seen as abandoning the Director. (Photo Courtsey of Sergio Lopez Murillo/ Ministry of Public Security)

“This sentiment will also affect tourism and the real estate sector…our studies demonstrates that around five foreigners come to visit each resident per year. If we add this up, it means a decrease of hundreds of thousands of tourists per year.


“Ask real estate agents how many of their new houses and condos go to foreigners who invest in the country. If there are fewer sales, this will mean less construction, which means fewer jobs, less sales of materials and supplies in a continuing spiral…”

Mr Zamora, who concedes there will need to be changes, outlined other elements to the new law.

He said the legislation would welcome the arrival of highly trained, self-employed professionals.

Currently, only companies are allowed to request specialized foreign workers, and have to prove the worker has such a skill set that no national can be hired.

“This would bring in many more specialized professionals who would enrich the country’s economy,” he said.

Mr Zamora, also points to the law’s newly created social fund to be managed by the Department of the Treasury, in which all immigrants will have to pay some 9000 colones ($16.50) per month to the country’s health security system, the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, or simply, Caja. It is estimated some 150,000 immigrants will pay the new levy.

“This will finance the migrants’ process of integration to Costa Rica, lessening the strain on the health and other social systems in place,” said Mr Zamora.

“We want to avoid the great divides that are seen in countries that did not bet on the new immigrants,” he said pointing to Great Britain.

“This generates social issues in a few generations that are difficult to revert, and can lead to violence.”

“We want to tear down the invisible borders.”