MIAMI, United States. — The General Directorate of Migration and Aliens of Costa Rica (DGME) reported that as of today Cuban citizens who have applied for refugee status in that country will be able to obtain a Special Temporary Category for migrants.
The new measure, which will be extended to migrants from Nicaragua and Venezuela, will benefit “people who have an application for recognition of refugee status”, regardless of whether it has been approved or rejected.
According to the digital newspaper CRTodaythe appointments to obtain the Special Temporary Category will begin on April 15 and will take place in the place provided by the DGME for it.
The state entity indicated that those who receive the benefit “may perform any paid work activity or on their own account or in a relationship of dependency, as well as leave the country at the time they require it.”
Migrants who apply for the Special Temporary Category must meet several requirements: have made a refugee application between January 1, 2010 and September 30, 2022; have resided in Costa Rica from the time the refugee application was made and up to the date the application to the Special Temporary Category is submitted; that the refugee application is pending or has been firmly denied on the date of entry of the Decree; not have any other category of permanence in the country approved.
Applicants must also present several documents: filiation form, legalized or apostilled birth certificate, legalized or apostilled criminal record certification, photocopy of the first page of the passport or identity card from their country of origin and proof of fingerprints.
The DGME of Costa Rica stressed that a rigorous review of the criminal and police records of the applicants will be carried out through national and international databases, and that the final decision of the immigration authorities will be subject to that review.
