Costa Rica

Slideshow: 

The pilot program to launch the first outbound exchange of American Immigration Council affiliates occurred January 16 & 17, 2007 in Costa Rica.  The group met with Costa Rican attorneys to discuss recent changes to the Costa Rican immigration laws, including employer sanctions on the hiring of undocumented aliens to perform low-skilled labor.  It was remarkable how many similar the Costa Rican and broader Central American immigration debate currently raging in the United States.  Such similarities were further emphasized during visits the group made to the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights and the Nonimmigrant Visa Section of the US Consulate in San Jose.  The expatriate Costa Rica Resident’s Association added an interested perspective on retiree and permanent legal resident issues.

Breaking away from discussions focused on immigration and emigration, the group visited Volcan Paos, an active volcano at the edge of Costa Rica’s central valley.  Another cultural excursion introduced participants to the last remaining water-powered traditional ox cart factory in the country.  The factory is a relic of Costa Rican tradition and has been operated for many generations by the Alfaro family in Sarchi.  No visit to Costa Rica could be complete without a lot excellent Central American food and a bit of rain.  We packed a lot into two days and came away wishing we had more time in this incredibly beautiful and hospitable country.