www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Do a search and you will find this has been discussed many times on this board.



Exactly the same situation for a Tica.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

The US is very tight on giving out visitor's visa's to economically disadvantaged countries. The assumption is that the person is only getting the visa to get in to the US, but they will never leave. The potential visitor has to prove categorically that they WILL return to their home country, and doing so is almost impossible. If they happen to get a consular agent on a good day, I suppose it's possible, but it doesn't happen much.

Now, Fiance Visas are a different thing. While there are still some (many) hoops you have to go thru, the US cannot legally deny you without good reason. This is assuming that you have met your fiance, spent time with her, and you can provide evidence that you are in love and want to marry (love letters, pictures of you together, etc.). You DO have to convince the CIS (formerly INS) that this is a legitimate romance, and you aren't just doing this to get the woman into the US. When I went through this process, it took 6 months to get a Fiance Visa, even though they were advertising that it only took 3 months.

J.

On my recent return trip from Cali Colombia I sat next to a Colombiana lawyer. We talked for many hours. She married a gringo from Los Angeles
8 years ago and now works as a high profile immigration attorney. She said the best way to get someone into the country is to sponser them. Essentually, you promise our government that you will be sole financial provider for the person as long as they stay in the country. She said that 75% of these requests are granted as long as you meet all of the financial requirements. I believe she said your annual income must be double the current years poverty level line, which I believe is $10,000. You must also disclose any assets you have etc. She said the paperwork is relatively easy to fill-out. Once they are here, if the relationship turns serious, then you can think about visas, green cards, etc.

ICE

This topic reminds me of one of my favorite CR stories. My friend, Bob, is now 63 three and lives in Moravia, Costa Rica outside of San Jose with his 36 year old Tica wife. He is a retired attorney and building contractor from Ft. Lauderdale who has lived in CR for 9 years. He started visiting CR back in the 1970s.

We were trading stories one day, and Bob told me when he was 40, he was practicing law in Ft. Lauderdale, but had an 18 year old girlfriend in San Jose who wanted to live with him. She had recently graduated from high school with good grades. He helped her apply to a college near his home. She was accepted and received a student visa. She never went to class, but lived with him for one year before returning home.

I don’t know if that’s a true story, but it’s a good one, and it sounds like a viable strategy if you can find yourself a smart girl right out of high school.

these are a few things i believe can help you sponsor a Tica so she could visit the USA.

1. open a bank account under her name and deposit about $2000 cash.

2. have her sign up at the university for classes, which will be paid for.

3. register her for an english course at your local university in the US.

4. make sure she has a legit job back at home.

5. talk to an attorney in CR who is connected, this will help you out more than anything else. they will take the menudo if offered up correctly, this is known as bribes in the US.

6. prove that you will be her caretaker when she visits the US.

that's about it.... any other suggestions?

TP is right - his way isn't a sure thing but it is the fastest way. This is your first step and if it doesn't work then you have to consider other very much slower ways to get her approved. Anything short of a fiance visa probably won't work if TP's suggestion doesn't work.

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/fiance.htm

The following is the link to the US Embassy in Costa Rica web page that spells out requirements for a Tico to get a visa.

http://usembassy.or.cr/consnonimmigrant ... savalidity

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine