Costa Rica Seeks to Improve its International Competitiveness

La Nacion Newspaper reports that corporations that require bringing foreign executives and technicians to work in Costa Rica will be able to make immigration procedures quickly through the Internet.


Through a pilot program of the Ministry for Competitiveness and the Costa Rica Immigration Office, intends that applications for residence permit for these workers to be processed in 10 days.


The Pilot Project will start on Tuesday with participation of four companies: Intel, T Menos Costa Rica, Ericsson and Surf Factory.


The initiative unveiled yesterday Jorge Woodbridge, Minister of Competitiveness, and Mario Zamora, director of the Immigration Office.


To make the online transactions interested companies need to register and subsequently include the data and documents of workers who they want come to reside here. Once immigration officials to analyze the roles and approve the residency cards will be sent by courier to the respective companies.


Although the pilot starts with four companies, and there are 58 companies registered to use the system, said Zamora.


The head of Immigration said the unit daily receives about five requests for multinationals to bring in workers from other countries.


Alejandro Rodriguez, a lawyer representing T Menos (banking software company), Ericsson and Surf Factory, said the digital system will allow companies to save time and money on immigration proceedings.


Woodbridge said this is an additional step by the government to “eliminate unnecessary an bureaucratic procedures”.


“For businesses, time is money and this step will improve Costa Rica’s competitiveness,” he added