New Costa
Rican Immigration
Law Approved!
In
second and final debate, the new immgration
law was passed by the country's legislators
Tuesday evening. But, it won't be until next
year and the next government to apply the
new rules.
The approval vote for the new Ley de
Migración , that bolsters the powers of the
Policía Migratoria (immigration police),
increases immigration controls and forces
foreigners to immerse in Costa Rican
culture, came at 7pm Tuesday night.
Although the complete text of the law
approved is yet to be made available, the
main changes are the criminilization of the
trafficking of persons, creates a tribunal
for complaints and appeals of the
immigration service decisions and forces
hotel operators to maintain a register of
all their guests.
The new immigration law also increases the
montly financial requirements for
pensionados to us$1.000 from the current
us$600 and legal residents will have to join
the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).
The new law, once it goes into effect, will
ask Rentistas to demonstrate a permanent
fixed income of at least us$2.500 monthly
from the current us $1.000, marriages of
convenience will also come under attack,
with the immigration having the authority to
investigate arranged marriages for the sole
purpose of obtaining legal residency.
Under the new law, foreigners will have to
prove that the marriage is a bonafied union,
that the parties know each other and may be
subject to a joint interview by immigration
officials, who will also interview people
who are said to know the couple and the
marriage.
Foreigners detained for immigration
irregularities, under the new law, can only
be held for a maximum of 24 hours, the time
the immigration service has to demonstrate
that the detained foreigner is in the
country illegally or set him or her free.
Questions to how the new immigration law
affects foreigners living in the country,
who have obtained their legal residency or
an in the process, as well as those
considering moving to Costa Rica, can only
be answered when the full text of the new
immigration law is published in the official
government publication, La Gaceta. |
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