By: Garland M. Baker B.
Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica
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Most people have heard the Costa Rican dream story. A tourist comes for vacation, falls in love with Costa Rica or a Costa Rican, goes back home and sells everything or ships it down here to become an expat. This usually applies more to men than to women. Often, older men find younger Costa Rican women, some with children from former relationships.
In numerous instances, the Costa Rican counterpart, whether it be a wife or a husband, does not want to live here but wants to live in the United States and, most importantly, wants to be a U. S. citizen. Some even believe it as something of a prize they need to win to be happy and constantly pressure the expat to repatriate — go back to the United States to live— so they can get their citizenship.
Getting married by itself does not give a Costa Rican wife or husband U. S. citizenship. This is true for both expats and Costa Ricans who want citizenship in either country. Many expats do not want to go back to the United States, but some concede to do so for their new spouse.
