Job opportunities for bilingual (spanish-english). M.S. in Agronomy

Hi Kygirl,

You could post an advert in the Jobs in Costa Rica section of the website for better visibility.

Also, have a look at the different articles under the Work in Costa Rica section of the Expat Guide, you will find several tips.

All the best,
Bhavna

You are required to have a work visa ( very hard to get), be a permanent resident  or work on line to work legally here.Suggest you read the info on this website. While being bilingual will definitely help, it won't necessarily make getting a job a 'shoe in' when there are locals who can do the job.

Work online,,,,but from your home,,,,is about it,,,if you can find that,,most posti gs for such are just to get your info and emai,,,,,a call center in c.r. cannot hire you if your not legal I.E. ha e perm residency,,,,,most will hire locals,,,,even when their English is basic to poor,,,,as they detest giving work to a non tico,,tica,,,,,been told hundreds of times at job apps,,,THIS JOB IS FOR TICOS ONLY PERIOD,,,,also now c.r. is in a recession,,,many out of work,,,,not the best place to come to,,,,and then there's the crime,,,,women,,,,girls just ARE NOT SAFE HERE need to have an escort at all times,,,,and even then,,,,,,an Italian man was just murdered in sabana park,,,,so...........

Hi kygirl,

I am pretty much in the same situation. I spent the majority of the past seven years as a zoology student and researcher in the Zona Sur (BSc & MSc, publications, book). I miss my old life there like crazy and that's understating things- I consider CR home.

All my friends are ticos and they are like, 'casete, casete' but I am averse to just go out and find a woman to marry very quickly that I haven't know for a longer amount of time. Also, I have had bad experiences dating women who don't have at least a bacherillato, would prefer if she had a bachelor title. I have been back in Austria since a year, trying to figure things out.  I lived a very basic life in the rural parts of the Zona Sur and always felt very safe (I am a man though). Safety is a regional thing.  I travelled all over the area by myself at night, by car, motorcycle, bike and on horseback. I grew up in Austria and KY, speak English, German and Spanish on an almost equal level so was thinking of trying to get a teaching job. I know it's very hard to get even a temporary work permit at the moment, but it could be worth a try if you are in country as you do have teaching experience.

If you happen to be single, I would give the UCR Alumni meets a shot and see if you perhaps meet somebody there. I have quite a few tico friends (guides & biologists) that are married to German and Austrian women and appreciate their modo de ser (no kids yet though mid-20ies, etc).

Good Luck.

If anybody has some advice for me I am all ears.

immigration will 'grill' you when applying for residency based on marrying a 'Tica'. Proof of an ongoing relationship prior to marriage is required. It will still take many months to be granted if indeed you are successful, however in the meantime, you can't work.

Thank you for your advice.  I think that Migración rightfully 'grills' people that try to get residency via marriage as it has become a business venture to some people, including shady lawyers that also offer other illegal avenues to gain residency.  I too require a relationship prior to marriage, personally and as a moral obligation to the country. I would never pursue illegal roads to residency and have turned down all offers of this nature.

Funny thing, at Migración, I had a female employee complementing me on my Spanish and telling me to try to find love upon learning that I still didn't have residency.
The mixed nationality couples I know found the process tedious, but certainly not insurmountable. Things can get problematic if the age gap between the partners is conceived as too large.

Does anybody have experience gaining a temporary work permit for teaching a language, such as German or English? I also hold an MSc in Zoology, all my research was done in Costa Rica.  I have been spontaneously offered teaching positions (public and private), but these were obviously retracted when I said I didn't have a work permit.

Very difficult for an expat to get a work visa, but to teach a second language, virtually impossible.

Recently, it was announced that work places must be up-to-date with their payment with all taxes, CAJA, INS's etc before they can apply on your behalf for a work visa.

I grew up bilingual (English/German), but hold an Austrian citizenship, so German would technically be my first language, I guess? I have a US high school degree, but the majority of my education took place in Austria.
I was born in Austria (my mother is a US citizen, my father an Austrian citizen). Do you think this might make the possibility of teaching German more feasible seeing that I have an Austrian citizenship?

I had to renounce my US citizenship due to false information I received from the MP when I was drafted into the Austrian military.

I guess the only way to find out if I stand a chance is to actually give it a try.