| How to Work in Costa Rica Posted: 12 May 2021 05:00 PM PDT Costa Rica is full of immigrants who travel to the country for its beautiful environment and high quality of life. If you want to stay there, however, you will run into the difficult legal obstacles surrounding employment. The Costa Rican government does not make it easy for foreigners to get their work permit, but there are several loopholes and paths to success that apply to people in different situations. [Edit]Can I get a job in Costa Rica? - You can work remotely from Costa Rica without a work permit. The most straightforward option for many immigrants is to work online for a company based outside of Costa Rica, or to work as a freelancer for foreign clients. You do not need a work permit for this as long as your work is unrelated to Costa Rica.[1]
- You still need to apply for a residency permit to stay in Costa Rica once your visa expires (30–90 days for a tourist visa, depending on your nationality). The big advantage is that this does not need to be a "permanent residency permit," which is notoriously hard to get. As long as you earn at least $US2,500 per month, you can get a permit as a rentista.[2]
- Work permits are only given to irreplaceable workers. Work permits are extremely difficult to get, as Costa Rican law requires employers to hire Costa Rican nationals if possible. If you have specialized or high-demand skills and can find an job offer in Costa Rica, you and your potential employer can apply for a work permit through the Dirección General de Migración. This process may take months, and will likely fail if the job could reasonably be filled by a Costa Rican.
- You are allowed to travel to Costa Rica before submitting the application. Request a provisional visa from the Costa Rica consulate in your country.
- There is an exception for Canadians under 35, described later in this article.
- You may own a business, but not work in it. If you have the funds to run a business, you are legally allowed to hire Costa Ricans, oversee operations as manager and owner, and receive an income. This is possible under any kind of temporary residence permit, such as the rentista permit. However, you cannot participate in any of the day-to-day labor; this must be done by Costa Ricans or people with permanent residency.[3]
- You gain the right to work through marriage or three years of residency. A permanent residency permit allows a foreign citizen to work any type of job in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, this has strict requirements. To apply for this status, you must hold a temporary residence permit (not tourist visas) for three years.[4] If you are married to a Costa Rican citizen, or have a Costa Rican parent or child, you can apply for a temporary residence permit as a spouse or relative. Unlike normal temporary residence permits, this one will allow you to work.[5]
[Edit]How can I work in Costa Rica as a Canadian? - Canadian citizens aged 18 to 35 may qualify for an easier application. The Youth Mobility program is a special arrangement between the two countries that makes it much easier to work in Costa Rica for temporary stays (up to one year). Besides meeting the citizenship and age requirements, you'll need the following to qualify:[6]
- Possession of CAD$2500 to cover your own expenses at the start of your stay
- A clean Canadian police certificate (criminal record check), usually obtained through local police services or an accredited fingerprinting company[7]
- Health insurance for the duration of your time in Costa Rica, including coverage for hospitalization and repatriation
- No dependents that would need to accompany you to Costa Rica
- Send your documents to the consulate first. Before you travel, the Costa Rican consulate in Ottawa will need to legalize the documents proving that you meet the qualifications listed above, including a birth certificate demonstrating your age. Check the consulate website for up-to-date forms and processing fee amounts for the "legalization of documents" service (typically US$40 as of March 2021).[8]
- These documents will also need to be translated into Spanish by an official translator for the Costa Rican government, but this can be done once you are in the country.
- You do not need a visa or job offer to travel. Young Canadian workers can enter Costa Rica on a tourist visa (good for 90 days), which is granted when you arrive in the country. Unlike most tourists, you can then apply for the right to work as soon as you find a job offer. To do this, bring your legalized, translated documents to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería in San José. The exact process may depend on which category of work you are applying for, but your future employer can accompany you and help you through the process.[9]
- Because of the special agreement between the two countries, you do not need to go through the usual work permit requirements. Most importantly, your employer can hire you for any job, not only jobs that cannot be filled by a Costa Rican citizen.
- Students, volunteers, and researchers are eligible for a special visa. The Youth Mobility program also covers young Canadians looking for internships, work placements, or academic positions (as a student, teacher, or researcher) in Costa Rica. Unlike people looking for work, you will need to get accepted into a program before you travel. Once you do, send the work contract or letter of acceptance as part of a request for the "Provisional Visa Special Category for Canadian citizens under the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Youth Mobility." Once this has been approved, you can travel to Costa Rica and finish your application for temporary residency under the same category, at the Dirección General de Migración in San José.[10]
- If it is difficult for you to travel to Ottawa to apply for a visa at the consulate, you are allowed to enter Costa Rica as a tourist and change your immigration status once you are there. This still requires you to legalize all your documents in advance, and will cost an additional US$200.
[Edit]How much do workers earn in Costa Rica? - The average household earns about US$530 per month. This is based on 2020 data, and is around ₡326,500 in local terms.[11] Keep in mind that this survey covers the whole country; wages are higher in the cities and lower in the countryside.
- A middle-class salary starts at around US$1,200 per month. This is based on 2018 data of about ₡743,000 as average for the middle quintile of earners.[12] This is roughly the monthly wages of, for example, a full-time English teacher at a private school. Upper middle class workers such as IT professionals can earn twice this amount.[13]
- Minimum wage law in Costa Rica is based on the level of skill and education required for your field of work. If your job requires a 4+ year university degree, you cannot legally be paid less than 682,600 colones per month (about US$1,100).[14]
[Edit]How much money do you need to live comfortably in Costa Rica? - A comfortable lifestyle will run you around US$1,000 per month. If you are a middle-class immigrant from an affluent country such as the US, this is a realistic budget for the kind of lifestyle you are probably used to. This means a decent apartment in the city, and room in the budget for dining out and entertainment. Many immigrants spend more like $1,500 on a less frugal lifestyle.[15]
- The bare minimum essentials cost about US$300 a month. Research from 2018 suggests that minimum monthly costs fall between 145,000 and 210,000 colones (roughly US$240 to 340) for a single person, or ₡400,000–560,000 (US$650 to 915) for a family.[16] This covers only the cheapest adequate housing, food, health care, and transport. Note that this budget will be easier to live on in rural areas of the country.
- Housing costs are especially low in Costa Rica. Compared to the many cities suffering under sky-high rents, Costa Rica has cheap housing even relative to other costs of living. For example, rent in San José, Costa Rica is about ¼ the cost of rent in Los Angeles or London, even though most supermarket goods are about ⅔ the price.[17] If you are moving from one of these cities, you may find your new wages go even further than you expect simply because of the massive difference in rental cost.
[Edit]What jobs are in demand in Costa Rica? - Technical positions are in the highest demand. Engineers, technicians, and skilled tradesman are some of the most in-demand jobs in Costa Rica.[18] If you are trying to get a work permit as a foreigner, your chances of success are much higher if you have this kind of technical experience and education.
- Call centers, English teaching, and tourism offer low-entry work. If you don't speak fluent Spanish or have specialized skills, the job market in Costa Rica will be tough. It is easier for English-speakers to find work in these fields, but you'll still be competing with many other applicants, and won't necessarily get paid great wages.[19] Still, this is a way to pay your bills while you're getting on your feet and taking Spanish classes.
- Note that working these jobs still requires a permanent residence permit or a work permit. In most cases this will be extremely difficult to get, and accepting the work without one is illegal.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make a Loaf of White Bread Posted: 12 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT A simple loaf of white bread is a great recipe to have in your baking arsenal, and you'll love knowing how to make bread anytime you might want it. It's a fairly straightforward process to form the dough, and you don't need any special equipment. From beginning to end, it shouldn't take more than 3 hours between proofing the yeast to pulling 2 freshly-baked loaves out of your oven! [Edit]Ingredients - of warm water
- 2 teaspoons (6.2 grams) of active dry yeast
- of milk
- of melted, unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of sugar
- 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt
- 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups (660 to 780 grams) of all-purpose flour
- Neutral oil, like canola oil
- Cooking spray (optional)
Makes 2 loaves of bread [Edit]Mixing the Dough - Proof the yeast in warm water for 5 minutes. Use the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one; if not, any large mixing bowl will work. Add of warm water and sprinkle 2 teaspoons (6.2 grams) of active dry yeast over the surface. Set a timer for 5 minutes.[1]
- This process gives the yeast time to dissolve and activate.
- The water should be warm to the touch, but not hot. Stick your finger in it before adding the yeast—if you can't leave your finger in there for a few seconds, the water is too hot and needs to cool down a bit more.
- Combine the milk, melted butter, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl from the proofing yeast, add of milk, of melted, unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of sugar, and 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt. Stir them together.[2]
- For this recipe, you can use any type of milk. Keep in mind that if you use something like vanilla almond milk, your loaves will take on some of that flavor.
- It's a great idea to use a digital scale when baking bread if you have one. It helps you measure exactly the right amount of each ingredient.[3]
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the activated yeast. Carefully transfer the contents of the bowl with the milk into the bowl with the water and yeast. Stir them together with a wooden spoon.[4]
- It's okay if not all the sugar, salt, or yeast have dissolved. They'll incorporate during the kneading process.
- Add 1 cup (120 grams) of flour to the liquid to form a loose dough. This step begins to bind the ingredients and makes it a lot easier to add the rest of the flour. Don't worry if the dough doesn't exactly look like dough at this stage.[5]
- If you don't have a digital scale, use the spoon-and-level method. Instead of dipping the measuring cup into the flour, which can overly-compress it and add more to your recipe than you need, spoon the flour out of the bag into the measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a clean knife.[6]
- Stir an additional 4.5 cups (540 grams) of flour into the dough.[7] Add the flour slowly so that the dough can absorb the flour and not get overly dry. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything until the dough becomes shaggy (lumpy, but mixed well). It's okay if all the flour isn't yet incorporated—it will come together during the kneading process.[8]
- Don't put your flour away just yet! Once you get to the kneading process, you may need to add a little more to get your dough to the right consistency.
- Shaggy dough is mixed well so there aren't any visible dry spots of flour, but it won't look like a smooth, round ball yet.
[Edit]Kneading and Proofing - Use a dough hook, on a stand mixer if you have one. Attach the bowl to the mixer and put the dough hook in place. Set the speed to medium and let the dough knead for 8-10 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. If the dough looks super sticky, add 1 tablespoon (8.5 grams) of flour at a time until it starts pulling away from the walls of the bowl.[9]
- Test the dough by poking it. If it springs back, it's good to go! If it doesn't, knead it for another minute before testing it again.
- If the dough sags through your fingers when you pick it up, that's another sign that it's not ready yet. It should hold its shape pretty well.[10]
- Knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes if you don't have a stand mixer. If the dough is incredibly sticky, add 1 tablespoon (8.5 grams) of flour at a time until it's easier to handle.[11] Push down on the dough and stretch it out with the palm of your hand. Fold the top of the dough back on itself, then press and stretch it again. Repeat this process for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough makes a smooth ball.[12]
- At the end, the dough should spring back when you poke it.[13]
- If you need to, let the dough rest for 5 minutes after adding some extra flour. This gives the flour time to absorb moisture from the dough, making it easier to handle.[14]
- Place the dough in a buttered bowl and let it rise until it's twice as big. Use either butter or a neutral-tasting oil, like vegetable oil, to coat the bowl so that the flavor doesn't impact the taste of your bread. Place the dough inside the bowl, turning it a few times, so it's entirely coated in the grease. Cover the bowl with either plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set it to the side for about 60 minutes.[15]
- If you used a stand mixer, wash and dry that same bowl and use it for your proofing process to make fewer dishes for yourself.
- When you use yeast in a recipe, the dough is going to rise and spread. The yeast essentially eats the flour and releases carbon dioxide, creating air bubbles and making your dough rise.[16]
- At the end of this process, the dough should not spring back when it's poked. If it does, it needs more time.[17]
- Keep in mind that bread rises faster in a warm environment and slower in a cool one. If your kitchen is super cold, you could even turn your oven on low and set your dough nearby.[18]
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal sections. Sprinkle a little flour on a clean countertop, then gently dump the dough out of the bowl. Use your hands or a bench scraper to cut it in half. If you want to be super precise, use a food scale![19]
- A bench scraper is a baker's tool used to cut and manipulate all different kinds of doughs.[20]
- Shape each section of dough into a ball and let them rest for 10 minutes. These balls can be loose—there's no need for them to look perfect at this stage! Just gently roll them or tuck the dough so that they resemble a ball, and leave them on the counter for about 10 minutes.[21]
- When you divided the dough and formed the balls, you created a little bit of tension in the dough. Letting the dough relax releases that tension, which means it'll be easier to do your final shaping. Easier shaping equals better bread![22]
[Edit]Shaping the Loaves - Grease 2 loaf pans that measure . Take a few seconds to prep your loaf pans while your dough is resting on the counter. The next stage requires the dough to go into those pans, so it'll be nice to have them ready. Use cooking spray if you want, or just lightly coat them with oil or butter.[23]
- You could also use pans.[24]
- Flatten the dough into a rectangle and fold the bottom 1/3 up. If the dough seems like it's a little too sticky and isn't coming away from the counter easily, sprinkle a little flour underneath it. Use your palms to spread the dough ball into a rectangle, then fold the bottom 1/3 up to the middle.[25]
- The folding technique here is similar to how you would fold a letter.
- Fold the top 1/3 of the dough down and pinch the dough closed. Bring the top of the dough down, so it covers the bottom section that you already folded up. Use your fingers to pinch the seam closed all around, including the sides.[26]
- Your loaves will look much more professional with closed seams.
- Create more tension by folding the dough in half a second time. Gently press down on the middle and bring the sides together. Pinch the seams together again.[27]
- This entire process creates surface tension so that the loaves rise well and keep their shape.
- Place the dough into the loaf pans and let them rise for 30-40 minutes. Set the dough into the pans seam-side down. The dough should start to peek over the edge of the pan once they've grown enough.[28]
- If you use larger pans, the dough will rise to be about level with the tops of the pans rather than peeking over the top.
[Edit]Baking Your Bread - Preheat your oven to . Position a rack in the center of the oven, making sure to remove any racks above it. Otherwise, there won't be enough space for your bread to grow![29]
- Score the top of the dough before putting it into the oven. Use a sharp, serrated knife or a lame (pronounced "laahm") to make a long, deep slash down the length of the dough. You could also do 3 diagonal cuts across the width of the dough if you prefer.[30]
- For an easy variation on this classic recipe, brush the top of the scored dough with beaten egg white and sprinkle sesame seeds overtop.[31]
- Put the loaves in the oven and reduce the heat to . Bake both loaves at the same time. The high heat helps the dough rise and creates a nice exterior, and the lowering temp ensures your loaves will keep cooking through without getting overly brown on the outside.[32]
- If you forget to reduce the temperature, do it as soon as you think of it.
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, until it's golden-brown on top.[33] Test the bread by carefully tipping it out of the loaf pan and tapping the bottom—if it's done, it will sound hollow. If it needs a little more time, pop it directly onto the rack instead of placing it back in the loaf pan.[34]
- You could also use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should read when the bread is done.[35]
- Wear oven mitts when handling the hot pans and bread!
- Let the loaves cool on wire racks for several hours before you cut them. Cutting bread while it's still hot is, of course, super tempting—who doesn't love fresh, warm bread? But doing so compresses the bread and ruins all of that beautiful volume you spent so much time developing. It's best to let it rest until it's cool to the touch before diving in.[36]
- You'll at least get to enjoy the smell of your bread while it's baking and resting, even if you have to wait to eat it.
- Save your bread for a few days on the counter by wrapping it in foil and plastic.[37]
- Freeze uncut loaves of bread by putting them in a sealed plastic bag. Use them within the month for the best taste.[38]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Stand mixer with a dough hook (optional)
- Large bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Digital scale (optional)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen towel
- 2 loaf pans
- Serrated knife or lame
- Wire rack
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Cook Nigerian Fried Rice Posted: 12 May 2021 01:00 AM PDT If you enjoy the flavor of traditional Nigerian cuisine, give Nigerian fried rice a try! Parboil the rice for a few minutes before you cook it in chicken stock. Then, fry the mixed vegetables in seasonings, stir the cooked rice into the vegetables, and fry the mixture for about 5 minutes. Serve the fried rice immediately for the best flavor and texture. [Edit]Ingredients - 2 cups (356 g) of parboiled basmati, jasmine, or white rice
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) of chicken or turkey stock
- Vegetable oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 cup (128 g) of diced mixed vegetables
- 1 cup (128 g) of cubed beef liver (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of thyme
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of Nigerian or Jamaican curry powder
- 1 stock cube
- Salt (to taste)
- Chopped scallions to garnish
Makes 5 servings [Edit]Making the Rice - Rinse the rice with cold water and pour it into a large pot. Place 1 cup (178 g) of dry rice into a fine mesh strainer. Run cold water over the rice and use your hands to gently rinse the rice. You can use basmati, white, or jasmine rice for this recipe.[1]
- Traditionally, Nigerian fried rice is made with parboiled long grain rice.[2]
- The recipe calls for 2 cups (356 g) of parboiled rice. 1 cup (178 g) of dry rice makes about 2 cups (356 g) of cooked rice.
- Add 2 cups (473 ml) of water to the large pot. When parboiling, use twice as much water as you do rice. In this case, use 2 cups (473 ml) of water since you're parboiling 1 cup (178 g) of dry rice.[3]
- Boil the mixture over high heat for 5 minutes. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Then, start your timer and let the rice boil for 5 minutes. Keep the lid off of the pot while the liquid heats up so it doesn't boil over.[4]
- Transfer the rice to a fine mesh strainer. Turn off the heat and hold a fine mesh strainer over your sink. Pour the mixture into the strainer to drain the water from the rice.[5]
- Place the strainer in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Put the fine mesh strainer into the bowl of water so the rice can soak for several minutes.[6]
- Rinse off the rice with cold water. Take the strainer out of the bowl of water and rinse of the rice again with cold water from the faucet. At this point, your rice is parboiled and ready to use in this recipe![7]
- Put 1/2 cup (118 ml) of stock in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Nigerian fried rice is traditionally made with chicken or turkey stock. Add 1/2 cup (118) of the stock to a large pot or saucepan. Let the liquid come to a full rolling boil.[8]
- In traditional Nigerian recipes, rice is always cooked in meat stock (unlike the rice in Chinese fried rice, which is cooked in plain water).
- If you prefer, use beef or vegetable stock instead.
- Add the parboiled rice and boil the mixture for 25 minutes. Carefully put the parboiled rice into the boiling stock. Boil the rice until it absorbs all of the stock, which usually takes around 25 minutes.[9]
- Take the rice of the heat and fluff it with a fork after 5 minutes.
[Edit]Frying the Veggies and Rice - Sauté the onions for 1-2 minutes. Pour 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vegetable oil into a large skillet or wok and turn the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot and shimmers, add the diced onion and saute for a couple of minutes.[10]
- Stir in the mixed vegetables, stock cube, and seasonings. Add 1 cup (128 g) of diced mixed vegetables to the skillet. Then, stir in 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of thyme, 1 teaspoon (5 g) of curry powder, and 1 stock cube.[11]
- For an authentic Nigerian flavor, saute 1 cup (128 g) of cubed beef liver with the veggies.[12]
- You can use frozen mixed vegetables straight from the bag while they're still frozen. If you prefer, chop and dice your own mixed vegetables. Try a mix of carrots, corn, green beans, and peas.
- Fry the vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Stir and cook the vegetable mixture over medium heat until the vegetables are heated through. Avoid overcooking the vegetables or they'll lose their shape and vibrant color.[13]
- If the vegetables stick to the skillet, add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of cooking oil.
- Add the rice and fry everything together for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the rice to the skillet with the seasoned vegetables and stir the mixture until it's combined. Stir-fry the mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously.[14]
- Turn off the heat and serve the fried rice immediately for the best flavor.[15]
- Put any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 5-7 days.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and cutting board
- Spoon
- Large skillet or wok
- Fine mesh strainer
- Saucepan with lid
- Oven mitts
- Airtight container
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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