I've been down here since May and would like to take my Tica girlfriend to Las Vegas for a couple of days. I know that Costa Ricans need a Visa and that just the application fee is $100. Is the Visa just a formality or is there the chance that she could be refused. Does anyone know anything about this. Thanks in advance.
What really pisses me off is that AFAIK this same process (and 96 days wait time) applies to transit visas -- i.e. just to be able to take a flight to Canada or Europe that stops in the U.S. Other flights that do not enter the U.S. (which ironically are often via Venezuela or Cuba) can be 3-6 times more expensive.
For this reason, however, there are now some direct flights to Canada (Toronto, none that I've seen to Vancouver yet).
Is it possible for foreigners who are in Canada on a tourist visa to apply for a temporary visa to enter the U.S. at the Canadian border?
For this reason, however, there are now some direct flights to Canada (Toronto, none that I've seen to Vancouver yet).
Is it possible for foreigners who are in Canada on a tourist visa to apply for a temporary visa to enter the U.S. at the Canadian border?
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I really ******* hate the Edit button on this forum. I accidently edit my own post instead of adding another one, then I edit it again to to re-type the post I lost and it tells me I can only edit for 15 minutes, and now I have to ******* re-type it a third time. Anway, that's why my first post disappeared, I'll add it again later.
#1 She needs to call the US embassy in San Jose for an appointment, via a special 900 toll number. Do this immediately. The embassy here has one of the longest waiting times in the world; 89 days when my wife called in August, currently 96 days.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait_result.php?post=San+Jose&x=64&y=17
Speaking of which, can Costa Ricans go the the US embassy in Managua or Panama City for a tourist visa? The wait times at those embassies are only 7 days and 24 days respectively.
#2 She needs to bring documents on home ownership, employment, children -- any and all permanent ties to Costa Rica. She'll also need 3 months of bank statements.
#3 The probability she'll get denied is substantial. No real reason other than beaurocratic whim. She can reapply once, after second denial she'll have to wait a year.
Any information others can add would be appreciated. My wife delayed her application until I establish banking and cash flow history in her name.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait_result.php?post=San+Jose&x=64&y=17
Speaking of which, can Costa Ricans go the the US embassy in Managua or Panama City for a tourist visa? The wait times at those embassies are only 7 days and 24 days respectively.
#2 She needs to bring documents on home ownership, employment, children -- any and all permanent ties to Costa Rica. She'll also need 3 months of bank statements.
#3 The probability she'll get denied is substantial. No real reason other than beaurocratic whim. She can reapply once, after second denial she'll have to wait a year.
Any information others can add would be appreciated. My wife delayed her application until I establish banking and cash flow history in her name.
96 f*cking days!
96 days appears to be the longest waiting period in the world, by a factor of 3.
San Salvador is only 2 days, Belize City is 2 days.
IMHO, US citizens in Costa Rica should start calling the State Department and complaining until they fire all those f*ckers in the San Jose embassy.
96 days appears to be the longest waiting period in the world, by a factor of 3.
San Salvador is only 2 days, Belize City is 2 days.
IMHO, US citizens in Costa Rica should start calling the State Department and complaining until they fire all those f*ckers in the San Jose embassy.
Adam, I am pretty sure that you have to be a resident of the country where you are applying for the visa
Also remember that lately Canada ALSO requires a visa to CR citizens (and get ready for the fun..........it gets processed in Guatemala......)
btw Adam, you can fly to Vancouver without going through Toronto if you fly via Mexicana with stopover in Mexico City.
Also remember that lately Canada ALSO requires a visa to CR citizens (and get ready for the fun..........it gets processed in Guatemala......)
btw Adam, you can fly to Vancouver without going through Toronto if you fly via Mexicana with stopover in Mexico City.
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if you don't have your residency in costa rica yet and she's only your girlfriend, it's going to be difficult unless she owns property, is a university student, or has a business here. even if she does receive the visa, they can still technically stop you at u.s. immigration and not let you in, but i haven't heard of that happening to anyone. the first step is to call the 900 number and get the appointment, it's going to be a few months before she even gets a date.Rambling Storm said:
What does residency and/or marriage buy you?
AFAIK:
a) Sponsorship or invitation by a US citizen will not help a non-immigrant visa application (according to the Embassy website).
b) Marriage will allow you to apply for a fiance Visa (90 days processing) or an immigrant visa (**** days processing). However, for just a non-immigrant visa the only benefit is that you can submit your bank records and last 5 years of IRS tax returns in lieu of her financial information. :WTF:
Help me if I'm wrong.
AFAIK:
a) Sponsorship or invitation by a US citizen will not help a non-immigrant visa application (according to the Embassy website).
b) Marriage will allow you to apply for a fiance Visa (90 days processing) or an immigrant visa (**** days processing). However, for just a non-immigrant visa the only benefit is that you can submit your bank records and last 5 years of IRS tax returns in lieu of her financial information. :WTF:
Help me if I'm wrong.
Fiancee visas don't take 90 days, they take a lot longer than that. Although I have heard they are speeding them up a bit. Kind of expensive too and you have to do all the work in the US, so if you are something of a permanent resident in CR it would be tough to do. They go so out of their way to make your requests hard to process, asking for weird stuff and different documents all the time. I went through this horrendous mess getting my wife here legally and the waste of time and money is unbelievable. She went to a class to take the GED in Spanish. Out of 15 people in this class, guess how many were legally in the country? And out of that my wife was the only one still not working, because she actually was bothering to be a legal worker. The system is extremely messed up.
Don't even think of going through all that just for a trip to Vegas unless you think she will have reason to return quite a bit. It just isn't going to be worth the headache I don't think unless you think you might get married and would need her to get regular access. Even then, you cannot get married under a tourist visa, they will just say you did it under false pretenses and can deport your spouse with a 10-year ban on entering. Do lots of research on these things is my advice and double any amount of time you think it might take.
Don't even think of going through all that just for a trip to Vegas unless you think she will have reason to return quite a bit. It just isn't going to be worth the headache I don't think unless you think you might get married and would need her to get regular access. Even then, you cannot get married under a tourist visa, they will just say you did it under false pretenses and can deport your spouse with a 10-year ban on entering. Do lots of research on these things is my advice and double any amount of time you think it might take.
I am just glad that the @$#@$@# visas last for 10 years..................going through this even once every 5 years would be a bigger pain in the ******
Although it COULD be a little worse, I did a little research since I have always wanted to go to Australia..........that one is scarier cause they expect me to send my passport in a fedex package to the processing center that they have in Mexico
Another fun episode were the visas to go to Antigua.........I went twice and I had to apply for each visit (interesting enough Antiguans can come here without needing a visa ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
Although it COULD be a little worse, I did a little research since I have always wanted to go to Australia..........that one is scarier cause they expect me to send my passport in a fedex package to the processing center that they have in Mexico
Another fun episode were the visas to go to Antigua.........I went twice and I had to apply for each visit (interesting enough Antiguans can come here without needing a visa ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
The thing is to make sure everyone understands that you intend to return and have no reason to stay illegally
Examples of trick questions they ask me all the time
"What do you do for a living?" Answer/ 'x' Question back "is there need for 'x' workers in 'y' place where you are going ?"
"Well probably yes, I don't know because I am not coming to work/look for a job" DUH!
I always get scared shitless on what the reaction of the immigration guy would be since my wife is from the US, the one time they caught me offguard because I wasn't expecting the US to have an immigration post in Vancouver/CANADA, the woman immediately asked "mrs wolfie , do you have residence in CR?" "Yes" Answer back "Can I see proof of that?"
Adam, if you travel with your wife to the States I suggest that you bring documents that proof that you work/live in CR, otherwise the immigration guy might claim that there is no guarrantee that she is going to return to CR and would stay in the US with you.
Examples of trick questions they ask me all the time
"What do you do for a living?" Answer/ 'x' Question back "is there need for 'x' workers in 'y' place where you are going ?"
"Well probably yes, I don't know because I am not coming to work/look for a job" DUH!
I always get scared shitless on what the reaction of the immigration guy would be since my wife is from the US, the one time they caught me offguard because I wasn't expecting the US to have an immigration post in Vancouver/CANADA, the woman immediately asked "mrs wolfie , do you have residence in CR?" "Yes" Answer back "Can I see proof of that?"
Adam, if you travel with your wife to the States I suggest that you bring documents that proof that you work/live in CR, otherwise the immigration guy might claim that there is no guarrantee that she is going to return to CR and would stay in the US with you.
