Visa thoughts

[lucybelle]

I'm on a tourist visa here. That means I have to leave every 3 months for 3 days to continue to renew it. It means I can't work unless I get sponsored for a work visa or have residency. I'm worried I won't be able to find a job to sponsor me. Which means in order to work I need residency. The only residency I could work with, or even apply for, is to be married to a local. If I get residency by marriage I still won't be able to work for 2 years because we have to prove it's a "real" marriage. So now I'm worried about finding a job, and if I can't then what am I going to do? It makes me think we should get married NOW just in case I can't find a job to sponsor me. That way the 2 year wait period starts now. I could even go back to the States for a year to work (in order to keep marriage residency you just have to visit once a year). I'm a teacher and the only places that will sponsor you to get a visa mostly require you to have 2 years experience. Well I have 1 year so most don't even look at my application. There is one school that interviewed me and everything earlier (didn't get the job, but the headmaster really liked me and said he'll let me know if anything else opens up), so I'm basically hoping that they'll have positions open in January and will hire me.

Anyways.. any thoughts? Ideas? Lectures? Should I just wait to see if I can get sponsored? I think all this free time is making me think too much...

[snow_girl]

Visas suck! I would hold off a little longer and see if you can find a sponsor. How long are you willing to do the 3 months in 3 days out thing? It's great to be with your SO but if you are just sitting around twiddling your thumbs its not really being productive. I've had to think about that as well if I job doesn't come up. Is it worth being with him if you can't work? I would consider going back home to work and save up, LD sucks a big one but at least you could be contributing to your futures.
I think it was you that just posted (or I read it somewhere) that a wedding wasn't even in the cards for you at the moment. I wouldn't get married just cause it would help the visa along. It seems like the easy thing to do but if you wouldn't marry him now being close distance, I wouldn't do it just to start the two year countdown.

[books]

I would wait for the new school year to begin and see if you can get sponsored. Does CR do tourist visa extensions like Nica? I stayed in Nica for a long time, something like 19 months, doing 90 day extensions on the 3-month tourist visa and reduced the exit requirement that way.

Aside from that, I would say if it's lack of experience that you feel is holding you back, then going back to the US to work wouldn't be a bad idea tho. How would this work, being that the school year has already started here? Can you go back to your old district no problem? This is more or less what I'm doing now, I came back to the US specifically to work to save money/clear debt so that when I finally do move to Nica to close the distance I will have a lot of the financial stuff behind me.

I'm sure it must be harder to land a position in CR b/c there are SO many foriegners that want to live there. Have you thought about seeking out a teaching position in another Central American country in order to still be close(r) to your SO and gain experience that way? I know I've seen a few ads online for teachers in Guatemala & Honduras. Of course, you wouldn't make there what you'd make in CR, but you'd be occupied and working in your field. I've heard in Panama it is super hard to land a work visa and in Nica there is really a lack of any kind of paid opportunity.

[ioanna]

hey there!

first of all congratulations on making the move i can relate so much to your post, as it mirrors the chaos in my head right now.
i don't really have much of a solution, but i thought maybe you can look into working for an NGO? i did a quick google search for NGOs in CR, and these two sites came up, but i'm sure there's a lot more
can part time employement be enough for a working visa?

https://ifrevolunteers.org/internshi...a_teaching.php

https://ifrevolunteers.org/internshi...nservation.php

https://www.wango.org/resources.aspx...=13&col=51ae63

having time on your hands indeed makes you rmind go on overdrive. have you tried seeing if there's any interresting workshop you can take part in where you live, or groups with a particular activity you can join?

wish you the bets of luck!

[Sera]

You don't actually need to wait 2 years to start working. You are granted a visa for a "probationary period" of 2 years, during which you can work in the UK, but must be living with, and still married to your husband.

[snow_girl]

You don't actually need to wait 2 years to start working. You are granted a visa for a "probationary period" of 2 years, during which you can work in the UK, but must be living with, and still married to your husband.

She is a long way from the UK