Costa Rica Opens Legal Status Window for Thousands of Long-Resident Migrants
From September 1, Costa Rica's DGME accepts applications for a two-year renewable status for Nicaraguans, Cubans, Venezuelans and Colombians with ties to the country. The post Costa Rica Opens Legal Status Window for Thousands of Long-Resident Migrants appeared first on The Rio Times .
Costa Rica is set to grant a two-year, renewable legal status to thousands of migrants with pending or denied asylum claims, as of September 1, 2026. The new designation, called Categoría Especial Temporal Complementaria (CETC), targets Nicaraguans, Cubans, Venezuelans, and Colombians with long-term ties to the country. These migrants must have filed their asylum claims between June 1, 2014, and May 7, 2026, and either have an unresolved application, one declared unfounded, or one definitively denied.
Eligible candidates must provide proof of their ties to Costa Rica, such as enrollment in educational programs, active coverage with the national social security system, and a birth certificate, among other documents. Applications are accepted by appointment at the immigration authority's San José office between September 1, 2026, and September 1, 2027.
Approved applicants must keep their social security coverage active to remain eligible for renewal. Costa Rica's refugee system has been overwhelmed, with hundreds of thousands of pending applications. The CETC aims to clear long-stalled files, provide legal status, and bring people into the formal economy, benefiting both migrants and the country's tax base.
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