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#210493 06/06/04 06:12 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
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theories are just that theories - when they are no longer theories they become truisms, some good , some bad.

Use the "search" feature coolcat - TONS and I mean TONS of info and theories


_ _ _ _ _ _ _________________ _ _ _ _ _ _
But then what do I know, I am but a mere caveman
#210494 06/06/04 09:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
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ibanole, thanx....any and all input is greatly appreciated....this is definitely something that i want to do, by the books....now that i am here, i am taking it slowly....eyes and ears open...i guess only time will tell...take care... kerry

#210495 06/07/04 07:18 AM
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Kerry: what I thing would be very interesting and insightful is for you to post a "dealing with Belize officials report". Something like a fishing report that Capt Jeff does or a vacation report like so many do. Give us a running commentary or your up coming experiences. I know that would be helpful to so many who might be contemplating doing what you are. What do you think?

#210496 06/07/04 08:19 AM
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I also feel compelled this morning to give a little more of my advice, to those that can afford it, because I might not have given as complete a picture as I should in my earlier comments.
Belize has it's laws and regulations. Those are interpreted and applied based on who you are dealing with at the time. You can get one answer from, let's say a person in customs, and go back later and talk to another person and get a totally different answer. Now I am not saying that is always done intentionally. Many times is just a matter of the person looking and trying to understand a confusingly written law. And those people in charge "interpret" those laws and regulations based on who they perceive they are dealing with. Let"s face it, it is a fact of life where ever you are.
That is why my earlier advice was to get some advice., preferably the kind that is not free. Yes, you can "go by the book" and try and maneuver through the maze of laws and regulations on your own. Most that I know that have done that come away quite frustrated.
So the other two options that I see, are to hire a professional. When I refer to a professional, I mean a licensed lawyer, accountant, etc. The key word here is "licensed".
The other route, taken by many with often good results, is to hire what is often referred to as an "expediter". My definition of that is one who is familiar with the rules and knows people who can help minimize the "red tape".
The downside to that is, there are many people representing themselves as capable of providing those services that either are not capable or will take advantage of you. Due to the time I have spent in Belize and the experiences I have learned from, I would consider my self much more knowledgeable on this than many of the so called "expediters, investment consultants, buyers agent" or whatever they call themselves, and I still would not consider myself qualified to charge for that. So if you decide to go that route, make sure you know who you are dealing with and get some references from past clients. Good luck to all. smile

#210497 06/07/04 08:58 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 130
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M
Hello all ...

There have been some very good questions raised here, as well as some good advice. I don't think I can offer any advice at all, but I can relate my experiences with these issues.

We moved to SP in August, 2002, with the hopes and dreams of living permanantly in Belize. We are too young to fully retire, and planned on having some sort of small business, both to occupy ourselves and to make some money to stretch our savings to get us to the age where we can draw from our pensions, etc.

To accomplish this goal, we would need to reside here for one year, without leaving the country for more than 14 days total, in order to meet the requirements for residency. No problem. Go to immigration every 30 days and get the tourist visa stamp in the passports. Kick back and enjoy the good life for a while, settle in and get the feel of living here. After the year has expired, file for our residency and THEN we can start a business.

Things change though, and when we went to immigration to get our 10th stamp, we were told that they could no longer stamp our passports, as we had been here more than 6 months. We would have to fill out a "Post 6 Months Extension" form, along with passport photos and documents regarding financial status, and take them to Belmopan. Big surprise when we got to Belmopan (the first time), only to find out that we would also have to leave our passports there, and come back in a week to retrieve them with our 30 day stamp. Ugh.

The above mentioned rule went into effect on July 1, 2003, and is still in effect. As you might immagine, it was no fun to make 2 trips per month to Belmopan just to get a 30 day extension. We went to the trouble of making an appointment with the Director of Immigration, Mr. Parchue, to find out just what we needed to do to get to where we wanted to be. As it turned out, that was exactly what we should have done when we first arrived here. Because we had stated on our "Post 6 Months Extension" that we intended to make a living in Belize, Mr. Parchue informed us that we would be required to have valid work permits before we could apply for residency.

To make a very long story a bit shorter, we eventually got our work permits (which thankfully allow us to reside and work here for one year -- no more monthly passport stamps), and our residency application is currently being processed. We have done all of this on our own, by the book. We have had LOTS of advice from many people who have been through the process before.

I was told the other day that as of last week, Mr. Parchue is no longer the Director. I have no idea what impact that will have on the way things go in the future. I think it's safe to say that some things will change though.

The bottom line for us ... listening to well intentioned friends who had gone through the process just didn't work in the end. In my humble opinion, the best way to find out what will be required in each individuals situation is to go to the source -- get your information directly from Immigration regarding regular residency, from the Belize Tourist Board regarding QRP, and from the Department of Labor for work permits.

#210498 06/07/04 09:34 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 915
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Quote
Originally posted by MandM:
Hello all ...

get your information directly from Immigration regarding regular residency, from the Belize Tourist Board regarding QRP, and from the Department of Labor for work permits.
.....but don't think the information from all those different sources will necessarily jibe with each other! Mr. Parchue was removed because of his misconduct in the performance of his duties and Belize Immigration is rife with inconsistencies in its policies.

#210499 06/07/04 09:59 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 130
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Yes, I agree with you. I did not mean to imply that it is easy to get the information that you need, even when you go to the source. Different immigration officers have given me differing advice/requirements. That is why we made the appointment with Mr. Parchue, as he was at the time the only person who could actually approve our residency application. The labor department was no better, until I had my first application (denied) reviewed by the Commissioner of Labor, which is when I found out that the application should never have been accepted by the labor officer in SP, and I should re-apply with x y and z additional documentation. As I said, none of it has been particularly easy, and it seems that sometimes you cannot get the information you need unless you know the correct questions to ask.

The question that remains for us, is what (if any) requirements/policies will change while we are waiting for our residency application to be processed. Hey, we're in Belize ... no worries, no hurries... we'll eventually get there.

#210500 06/07/04 10:16 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
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This should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking of moving,living,working in the Caribbean. "Don't stop the carnival" by Herman Wouk. You can get it on Amazon. smile

It is a fictitious story, although surpisingly realistic, about a New York stock broker who packs it all in, moves to an island in the Caribbean, buys a resort and has to deal with the local customs, employees, goverment officials, etc.

#210501 06/07/04 10:17 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 915
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Quote
Originally posted by MandM:
[ Hey, we're in Belize ... no worries, no hurries... we'll eventually get there. [/QB]
And to live that that little idealized version of life, always, always, ALWAYS have an exit strategy.

It boggles my mind to know that scores of citizens of Latin America and the Caribbean are trying their damnedest to get anywhere to the north so that they can have a chance to do better than they've been able to do in their home country. Even if it means risking their very life to do so. And at the same time, people from the north can go to those peoples' countries and automatically be able to take up the standard of living they've left by creating their own reality.

I don't begrudge anyone their vision but I think it's important to understand the fine line of difference between vision and hallucination.

#210502 06/07/04 11:06 AM
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,364
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the likenesses in "don't stop the carnival" are uncanny. i have pointed out the characters to david that fit the bill perfectly. i have only just started it but when i am done i will pass it along under the classified section.

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