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Question about trips to CR
https://forum.costaricaticas.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45470		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  rq_cruiser [ Fri May 09, 2014 10:43 am ]
Post subject:  Question about trips to CR
Hello Gentlemen,

I used to be here under a long forgotten email and user name. I'm in a situation where I need the wisdom and opinion of the board members here. I have, in past, benefitted greatly from advices that iI received here.

Here is the situation:

I have applied for a job that I really like. It's with a company in private sector but their biggest client is the government of USA. The company's background check is more thorough than the government itself.
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Yesterday, I received the offer letter but it's contigent upon successful background check. Attached with the letter is a questionnaire. One of the sections is about my trips outside USA and the purpose of the trip. There is going to be a background check interview after I submit the questionnaire.

So. I have visited CR three times in four years. All trips were short, 3/4 days. What can be a plausible explanation for such short vacation trips?

Thanks in advance.
Author:  Gringotim [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
I think you're worrying too much. If you're over 50 or so, just tell them that you were thinking of retiring there, and were checking out the housing options. If you are 'younger', tell them you were thinking of buying a condo there for investment or vacation purposes. Nothing remotely illegal about that.
Author:  Flabuck [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Dental work is always a good one
Deep sea fishing
Author:  Attila [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Tell them the truth, you were on holidays. Just don't tell them the whole truth and don't write them a trip report :)
Author:  Orange [ Fri May 09, 2014 12:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Vacation. Is it not allowed to go overseas on vacation? Like others have said, no need to tell them you stayed at Del Rey or went to mp's. :lol:

I think if your overseas trips were to North Korea, Russia, and Iran, they would probably want details. I don't think they want to know more beyond "vacation" for Costa Rica.
Author:  BashfulDwarf [ Fri May 09, 2014 1:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
TREAD SOFTLY!

What clearance level do you meet? Anything CS/OS and above requires SSBI.

This requires documented proof of financial activities outside the US. This includes looking for property/business investments. Additionally, 'dating' foreign nationals is also problematic. If you go these routes you could get caught short, and blow it.

Mongering is red-listed. Do you live near a beach? If not, go that route. You may need to supply frequented hotels. No way around it. They have them all listed. If you stayed at different places each stay, then forgo remembering any specific ones.

They take this stuff overly serious. I had a dated OS that was rescinded due to a reported 'incident' in CR last year. I was no longer active, so that may have weighed on the decision.
Author:  rq_cruiser [ Fri May 09, 2014 5:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Thank you gentlemen for the wisdom. I expected nothing else.

BashfulDwarf, thanks but its a couple of notches below CS (eequivalent to "Control Unclassified") o there is very little chance that they would ask me any documentation.
Author:  BangBang57 [ Fri May 09, 2014 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Costa Rica is known world wide as a country with beautiful scenery, mountains, beach resorts, volcanoes, a thriving medical/dental tourist industry, etc. Mongers account for LESS THAN 5%of the total tourists who come here!! That's right guys, we are not nearly as important as some would like to believe!!!!!! There are hundreds of reasons for coming here other than mongering! Just decide which one or ones fit your lifestyle best and stick with it!!!! There is tons of info on the net about any of the different areas for you to read and get info to back up your story if needed!!

Don't know how old you are but normally only old farts like me with 2 passports full of stamps in and out of the country are looked at as "sex tourists"!!
Author:  BashfulDwarf [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
BangBang57 wrote:
Costa Rica is known world wide as a country with beautiful scenery, mountains, beach resorts, volcanoes, a thriving medical/dental tourist industry, etc. Mongers account for LESS THAN 5%of the total tourists who come here!! That's right guys, we are not nearly as important as some would like to believe!!!!!! There are hundreds of reasons for coming here other than mongering! Just decide which one or ones fit your lifestyle best and stick with it!!!! There is tons of info on the net about any of the different areas for you to read and get info to back up your story if needed!!

Don't know how old you are but normally only old farts like me with 2 passports full of stamps in and out of the country are looked at as "sex tourists"!!

BB, when I got back from CR after my 'incident' I got sequestered in Immigration at FLL, and bullied for an hour at least. At one point the GI (administrator for security violations) asked me what my business was in CR, and after I told him all the scenic stuff, he looked at me in the face and said "Bullshit! You're going down there for the girls!". He then cut off my clearance.

Bottom line is, the 5% means jack-chit to CA's. If you go to Colombia, yer running drugs. If you go to CR, yer a pervert. If yer going to Ecuador, you must be seeking asylum for something. That's how they think.
Author:  BashfulDwarf [ Fri May 09, 2014 11:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
rq_cruiser wrote:
Thank you gentlemen for the wisdom. I expected nothing else.

BashfulDwarf, thanks but its a couple of notches below CS (eequivalent to "Control Unclassified") o there is very little chance that they would ask me any documentation.

RQ, the audit requirements are the same for SSBI and all verification files below. They *CAN* require receipts and documents from travel, especially if they are under pressure from auditors. Just hold yourself in readiness with solid story, and if they don't ask, all the better.

I went under with a buddy 1 month apart, and they held him accountable because he traveled to Mexico (pre-NAFTA) ... yet I was breezed through even though I had CIS-country stamps in my book. There was an audit running during his entry, and not for mine.
Author:  JazzboCR [ Sat May 10, 2014 2:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Wasn't there a guy who had a little business ginning up fake seaside/fishing pix? You provide 2 or 3 different outfits and he'd have fake or real fish and the appropriate background setting (dock, boat, etc.). Or is this just a figmo of my imagination?
Author:  Chilimike [ Sun May 11, 2014 10:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
don't quit you present job quite yet
Author:  Rac [ Sun May 11, 2014 11:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Jazz...........

I also remember a post on CRT about a guy, maybe based in Jaco, who would photoshop you into whatever environment you needed for "cover." I'm glad that I'll never need him. :D
Author:  JazzboCR [ Sun May 11, 2014 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
Rac wrote:
Jazz...........

I also remember a post on CRT about a guy, maybe based in Jaco, who would photoshop you into whatever environment you needed for "cover." I'm glad that I'll never need him. :D

Thanks for the back-up, Bro Rac--I thought maybe it was just time to change my drool cup...
Author:  BashfulDwarf [ Sun May 11, 2014 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Question about trips to CR
somehow, the idea of submitting doctored photos as proof to US security clearance auditors seems to me a bad idea.

YMMV.
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