Job Discussion Forums

[rpbagwell]

Are work permits necessary or even available for teachers (and other professions such as IT, etc.)? I have read conflicting articles on this subject. It seems some schools say they will "help" you get a work permit and others say work permits are almost impossible to get (so border-runs every 90 days are necessary). Our plans to move to CR are long-term (likely permanent) so I am trying to find out if work permits are a reasonable solution to the issue of residency. Or is the "traditional" methods of Pensionado, Rentista, Inversionista, etc. the only way to go? Can anyone enlighten us with their real-world experiences and/or opinions? Thanks for your help!

[John Hall]

...and there are places that say they will help you get the work visa and then don't!

A good way to measure the quality of a school is to find out if they actually help teachers get the work visa or not. Many places don't though, because the process requires having a full-time staff member to spend most of their time waiting in line at Immigration. Places that offer company classes like to say that their teachers are independently contracted, which puts the teacher in a legal grey area--not obviously illegal, but also not legal in a clearly defined way either. (Latin America is often like that: things are never black and white; usually just grey.)

But probably the majority of foreign English teachers here work without a work visa, and just do border runs every 90 days or so. The vast majority of these teachers don't seem to have any trouble. In my six years or so here, I have only heard of a handful of teachers getting kicked out of the country, and all of them were the sort that hung around strip bars, did drugs, or drank too much and did really stupid things that got the attention of the police. Avoid looking for trouble, and trouble won't look for you.

I, myself, am married to a lovely Tica, so I don't have to worry about these work permit issues any more.

[zeddiez]

I've heard the same as John Hall. I feel it's not worth the hoop jumping for a work visa. 90 day border runs are normal.

[ZiaSan]

hummm...and the country has no problem renewing the tourist visa indefinitely?
There's no limit?
Can you have a visa as many times as you want or is it better to ask for residency after a couple of times?

[OleLarssen]

I know people who have been doing border run for two years without a problem. Everything that is said about border runs here is true as far as I know it.

Getting a work permit is a hassle and not worth it unless you're staying 2 years or more, with a full-time job.