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Is Jaco right for us?

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AJS2021
  7/4/2021 17:42 EST

We are new to the forum and are considering CR as a new residence for our family. We have read that Jaco is multicultural, has many restaurant options, has nightlife, beachfront availability but not too isolated so we may get back to San Jose if needed (airport, hospital, etc). We like all that and the fact there are many American expatriates. First, is this all true? If so, we still had two concerns (and others I am sure we are not aware of yet!).... (1) there have been some concerns about cost of living and safety in Jaco. What are everyone's opinions? We also do not want to live in a constant "spring break" party. Is there a way to escape it? (2) We are not a traditional family. We are a romantic triad (two women, one man) with children. So we want to be sure to settle in a location that would receive us and our lifestyle. Who wants to invite conflict, right? So what would be the tolerance in Jaco for this? (3) We also would like to find like-minded Americans leaving the US for similar reasons. I do not wish to degrade this forum into a political debate, but our reasons for leaving pertains to escaping the growing corruption of the US federal government and the stifling of freedoms of US citizens that have surged since the pandemic. We ask respectfully, what is that political climate like in CR/Jaco and where might we find similar American expatriates? Apologies for the long post....

engir
  7/4/2021 19:52 EST

Most will tell you to not live in the tourist area the cost of living is greater, that said the second largest tourist city is Lafortuna (because of the Volcano I think?) and it is considered one to have one of the largest concentrations of expats...so?
Your polygamy lifestyle I cannot tell you if that is legal here? I can give you a whatsapp number for my lawyer that is in Santo Domingo, Heredia if you like he may be able to tell you?

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Kohl
  7/7/2021 16:21 EST

Applying for legal residency in your situation, could be problematic. You would need to contact a lawyer or residency specialist as the other forum member mentioned.

ShadetreeSam
  7/7/2021 22:36 EST

Hi,
For what it's worth, I'm a 68-year-old retired American hoping to relocate to CR for exactly the same reasons you described.

Best of luck to you.

AJS2021
  7/8/2021 08:17 EST

Hi! I thought there might be others thinking the way we were. I have struggled trying to learn if moving to CR is like going from the frying pan into the fire in this regard. If you are able to gain any insight as to how they manage themselves and their citizens, please let us know.
Take care!
Scott

trailrnr
  7/8/2021 08:45 EST

Forum members that live in CR should correct me, but I don’t know if you will find the answer you seek here. One thing you should understand, is that Ticos are soft spoken, traditionally Catholic and rather conservative folk. However, Jaco is a beach town, and as such will have a higher percentage of transients, tourists and expats. It is likely to be more accepting of alternative lifestyles, but only you can decide if that atmosphere is for you. You will not know that answer unless you visit.

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AJS2021
  7/9/2021 08:04 EST

Excellent advise, trailrnr. And that is exactly what we intend to do. Thanks to all.

Kohl
  7/9/2021 12:03 EST

My previous comment is in regards to obtaining residency, and suggest you read the info on the link below if you haven't already done so, before you make any major decisions.
When applying your 'family' will consist of a wife/spouse and children.

https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/immigration-and-residency/how-to-apply-for-residency-in-costa-rica-a-step-by-step-guide/

acastillo
  7/10/2021 10:51 EST

Jacó does have a reputation for bieng a party town and high crime rate. Since I don't live there I can't say how accurate and deserved it is.

Ticos are very polite and no one is likely to make an issue of your lifestyle even if they disagree with it. No one is even likely to know unless you tell them or invite them over. There are a handful of other poli folk around. http://masamorcr.com/

Freedom is one of those words politicians like to throw around without defining it because it gives everyone warm fuzzy feelings but everyone has a different meaning. In CR gay marriage, abortion, and prostitution are legal and weed is on the cusp. However if your definition of freedom involves going where you please during a pandemic without a mask you won't find that here.

Johnphd24
  7/10/2021 12:59 EST

Don't even worry about residency. We have had our expadiente status (application for temporary residency) for almost 3 years and still pending, even though we bought property over $ 200,00 but applied under Rentista Status and have had an attorney every step of the way. COVID froze everything making it much more delayed any decision.

PombinhaCoco7
  7/10/2021 19:07 EST

It's important to be a legal resident, not only in order not to leave the country every 90 days to renew your Visa or to be able to drive but also to be able to benefit from the social medical care.
Some people have private health insurance but not everybody.

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Johnphd24
  7/10/2021 22:28 EST

That is why we have our expediante (application for residency and deposit of $ 60,000) so we don't have to leave every 90 days.... very helpful as we wait for Rentista status. We wish we had applied as penisonado as we have since learned the CAJA national health care payment would be much less. We plan to change our status once we get Rentista. If we do it now we go to the back of the line!

Kohl
  7/11/2021 10:21 EST

Unfortunately, since the backlog of applications...which began long before the present covid crisis...it has been useless to pass on information on how long is 'usually' takes to gain temporary residency.

Good luck!

PombinhaCoco7
  7/11/2021 13:53 EST

I will share this experience so that other may try to get help this way.
Even though I am my husband's dependant, it was very easy for me to get Permanent Residency (after having Temporary Residency for 4 years) I tried after the first 3 years but there was a delay already.
A very well known lawyer company suggested that we would try Controlaria de Servicios and we sent them an email but they never replied.
One of our friends was also having the same problem and in the Immigration website her situation had changed from Resolucion Firma to Resolucion Notificada. However she had never been notified in 17 months.
My husband was checking his status everyday when suddenly it was changed from Resolucion Firma to Resolucion Notificada. Just like our friend he was never notified.
He called the Immigration in San Jose and they told him that he should contact Plataforma de Servicios.
He contacted them by email and explained the situation.
They replied that if he didn't get notified after they had altered his status it was his fault. They were sure that he had given the wrong email because when the status changes to Resolucion Notificada an email is issued right away.
My husband called back Immigration (regular number) and asked them to check his email address on his file. The email was correct and actually is a very easy email address because is his first and last [email protected].
So he had to humble himself and shut up.
He asked them (Plataforma de Servicios) what could he do now.
They told him to go to the nearest Immigration office and tell them that because we had given a wrong email (which he didn't) they were supposed to ask for a copy of his approval document.
So the Immigration office was able to get that copy online right away and he was able to go to the bank of Costa Rica and finish his process.
I can give you the email for Plataforma de Servicios but for the regular check ups on the Immigration website, my husband used to Google:
Check your residency status in Costa Rica.
Then he would go to that website and give the expedient number,
Here is the email for Plataforma de Servicios:
[email protected]

P.S: My husband didn't say he had given a wrong email because it wasn't true. He only said that they had forgotten to notify him.

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