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Hiring the right firm to help with Pensionado residency

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Smudgie1
  5/1/2019 14:00 EST

I've been corresponding with the firm "Residency in Costa Rica" to manage my application for Pensionado residency. My wife and I have concluded that we need professional assistance. Everything I've seen regarding this firm looks good. I was wondering if anyone in this forum has worked with them? Thank you.

ILuvCR
  5/1/2019 17:31 EST

Don't have experience with them but I'd recommend my good friends, trusted advisors and widely recommended firm Outlier Legal Services.

They are immigration experts and run by Dawn Drummer and here "abogado" husband Rafael Valverde, both English speakers.

They have a great web-site and Rafael writes an awesome blog.

See thier website @ https://outlierlegal.com/services/immigration/

or @ https://www.facebook.com/OutlierLegal/

Send a PM or private message to me if you're interested in a personal introduction,

Pura Vida!

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lindyluvsCR
  5/1/2019 19:19 EST

Smudgie - If you are talking about ARCR - I used them about 5 yrs ago. The lawyer in the firm that I used was Jose Carter who broke off from the firm before we were done. He kept his quote to the penny and did a good job.
[email protected]

Since moved to Grecia. In getting our permanent residency used Patricia Benavides. [email protected]
She is quite a character but does a good job. Has helped many here with their residencies and gets them quickly - last I heard about 6-8 months. If you email her, she will give you list of what to do and bring. Tell her Linda in Grecia recommended her.

PombinhaCoco
  5/1/2019 20:05 EST

Lawyers in Costa Rica know about the law here but there are certain things they don’t know concerning other countries.. I
don’t know where you live right now or where you are from.
If you live in Canada the process is totally different.
Canada is not part of The Hague Convention.
Your documents must come from the country of origin (supposing you were born somewhere else) and that your native nation is part of The Hague Convention.
I’m talking about the Birth Certificate and even Marriage Certificate..
The ones from the Embassies of those countries in Canada will NOT be accepted.
The rest of your documents (if you live in Canada) must be notarized, go to the Global Affairs in Ottawa and go to the Embassy of Costa Rica in Ottawa as well.
You also must deposit US 40.00 for each document in the Embassy of Costa Rica bank account and there are only 2 cities where you can do that: Vancouver and Ottawa.
There is a lady who lives close to Ottawa that for a fee of US 250.00 will do all this stuff.
You just send the documents to her and she will take them to the lawyer, Global Affairs and Embassy. She will also buy a DHL envelope (I think it’s 120.00) and when the Embassy has you documents ready they will send it to your lawyer in. Costa Rica (or whatever adress you give them).
Finding this lady was a blessing to me and to a lot of Canadians here. I even had lawyers hanging up on me one I asked them to notarized the letters from the Canadian Government. They said they couldn’t do such thing because they didn’t witnessed the letters being signed. However there are lawyers that work with the Government and they will notarized them.
I used that lady’s services the first time I applied for Residency, then again when I renewed it and now I’m applying for Permanent Residency and I already contacted her.
If anyone needs her services I will give you her information.
Only if you live in Canada or used to.
Even if you live somewhere else like the United States and don’t need this information maybe someone else will.

carolvaughn
  5/1/2019 20:08 EST

Hiya.
I just read that Costa Rica Immigration Experts are offering a $500 discount on their services for obtaining Pensionado Residency, running until last day of May.
CR Immigration Experts: 506.8373.2085.
This is a good deal!!

PombinhaCoco
  5/1/2019 20:38 EST

carol Vaughn
Yes, I also saw that ad on a Facebook.
A while ago I couldn’t remember the word “ Apostilla”.
The documents that come from the nations that are part of The Hague Convention must have the Apostilla..

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ILuvCR
  5/1/2019 22:48 EST

apostille
[?ap??st?l, ??pästl]

NOUN
a legal certification that makes a document from one country valid in another (provided that both are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization for Foreign Public Documents).

PombinhaCoco7
  5/2/2019 01:16 EST

Yes, that’s it (Apostile)

PombinhaCoco7
  5/2/2019 01:19 EST

Oops. Apostille.

PombinhaCoco7
  5/2/2019 02:20 EST

Still about Apostille.
In Portuguese we say Apostilla.
Now you all know how to speak Portuguese.

COSTARICACHUCK
  5/2/2019 08:29 EST

We used Laura and she was fantastic, extremely knowlegable, very efficient, contact info belowLaura B. Gutiérrez
Immigration Specialist San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone: 506-8386-4395
email: [email protected]
website: www.costaricaresidencycard.com

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Chucklesg
  5/2/2019 09:59 EST

Gutierrez is s crook and took over $1200from me and did not do what she had promised. Beware of such agents who continue the white collar crime in CR.

carolvaughn
  5/2/2019 10:48 EST

Which law firm does Gutierrez work
with??

Chucklesg
  5/2/2019 11:22 EST

She is NOT a lawyer, just an independent agent who rips people off and has a few benefactors. Not affiliated with ANY legal entity. Beware of such.

lindyluvsCR
  5/2/2019 14:50 EST

An ex-neighbor of mine used her, and received her residency very quickly. Whether a lawyer or not does not matter if she does the job right. Supposedly specializes in residencies. All I know is - one person used her and had success and not a bad price.

lindyluvsCR
  5/2/2019 15:12 EST

I just looked at her website. Does not claim to be a lawyer. Says she has 15 yrs experience and says she has 100% success rate.

I am not saying it is always true - but some people do not get their documents ready properly`and then blame others. I investigated and read a lot - got mine ready - took to ARCR and even I was shocked that I had done everything 100% correctly, I never bugged them one time with a phone call - and had my residency in 9 months. They kept to their quote to the penny.

I have heard of people that would call and irritate the lawyer every week at least. If it was my job, I would not have time to do what I needed to do if I had to answer the phone a jillion times a day with asking about the status, when it cannot be done in a few weeks.

I believe that very possibly, the more irritating and demanding you are, the farther your papers go to the bottom of the pile. And I believe the same happens in many procedures here.

HeyU
  5/2/2019 15:28 EST

My experience has been with Laura (below). She will do a free consultation on the phone and send over all details and costs. She appears to have almost a perfect success rate. Good luck.
A friend

Laura B. Gutiérrez
Immigration Specialist San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone: 506-8386-4395
email: [email protected]
website: www.costaricaresidencycard.com

PombinhaCoco7
  5/2/2019 17:06 EST

We used Marcela Gurdian who has offices in Playas del Coco, Tamarindo and San Jose.
Marcela helped write the new law of Immigration here in Costa Rica.
When we went to the interview in San Jose she sent one of her employees with us.

Here is her website:

http://www.immigrationexpertscr.com/

P.S: You need to copy and paste her website.

Drneuro100
  5/3/2019 04:08 EST

I would compare their cost/services to Outlier Legal in Escazu San Jose. They have handled our residency, wills, home purchase and business corporation creation flawlessly. The owner attorney went to law school in New York and all the attorneys there speak fluent English. Check their website for more info or call and speak to Ralphael.

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