On January 20, 2012 the Community Action Alliance hosted a delegation from the U.S. Embassy at the José Figueres Cultural Center in San Ramón for two workshops: one for U.S. Citizens and the other for Costa Rican Citizens. The U.S. Citizens Workshop titled Reaching Out to Build Community focused on services offered by the U.S. Citizen Services Department in the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy.  The Costa Rican Citizens workshop titled Demystifying the U.S. Visa Application Process was conducted to help demystify the Visa application process.  This workshop provided an overview of Work and Tourism Visas as well as the underlying law. 

U.S. Citizens – 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Costa Rican Citizens – 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

José Figueres Cultural Center
San Ramón de Alajuela

RSVPs are not required but are appreciated to help ensure we have enough meeting space for everyone: mike@styles.com.

U.S. Citizen Services Workshop (in English):
Reaching Out to Build Community
U.S. Citizens – 10:00 am to 11:00 am

This workshop will focus on services offered by the U.S. Citizen Services Department in the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy. Services that will be covered AND PROVIDED include Voter Registration, Passport Renewal and Notary Services. See below for more information on what you must bring with you if you wish to take advantage of any of these services.

In addition recent changes regarding the Embassy appointment system, new passport usage and other updates will be covered. The new American Citizen Services Newsletter will also be introduced. Note that there will be some time for questions however the focus should be on U.S. Citizen Services. This workshop and commitment to updating U.S. Citizens residing in Costa Rica is part of the U.S. Embassy’s community outreach efforts.

For voter registration: People only need to know their previous U.S. address. The U.S. Embassy will provide the forms, envelopes, and voting guides. No postage needed,

For passport renewals: You will be able to renew your passport if -

• you bring 2 passport-size (2X2 in) photos
• your last passport was issued when they were 16 or older (no kids or first adult passports)
• you bring their most recently issued passport (no replacement of lost/stolen passports), and
• you let the U.S. Embassy take it for processing, or bring a photocopy that we can certify and take back with us

Processing time is around 2 weeks, and you can pick up the new (and old) passports at the embassy.

Costs:

• Passport renewal is $110 (CRC 56,100).
• Notary services are $50 (CRC 25,500).
• Will be accepting cash (USD or CRC) and exact change only.

Costa Rican Citizen Workshop (in Spanish):
Demystifying the U.S. Visa Application Process
Costa Rican Citizens – 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

This will be an informational workshop the objective being to demystify the Visa application process.  The workshop will provide an overview of Work and Tourism Visas as well as the underlying law.  Frequently Asked Questions will be covered along with several case studies.  For Costa Rican Citizens interested in applying for a U.S. Visa this will provide you direct access to U.S. Embassy representatives and will help answer any questions you may have about the application process.  As a courtesy to others in attendance we ask that questions not be personal in nature, i.e., please focus on questions of interest to the audience at large.  We appreciate your help in getting the word out to any Costa Ricans that may have questions about applying for a visa to the U.S.

Embassy Delegation

• Johnathan Roy, Vice Consul
• Cynthia Wong, Vice Consul
• Celeste Sibaja, Citizen Services