VZCZCXYZ0024
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #1837 2841617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111617Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9021
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0139
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0081

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 001837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, EAP/CM AND CA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CS CVIS PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA TIGHTENS PREVIOUSLY-LOOSENED VISA 
REQUIREMENT FOR CHINESE BUSINESSMEN 
 
REF: SAN JOSE 1783 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (SBU) On October 4, GOCR Immigration Director Mario Zamora 
told us that the previously-eased visa requirements for 
Chinese businessmen seeking to travel to Costa Rica had been 
discontinued. Zamora explained that due to GOCR  concern that 
proving  "businessman" status would be a relatively easy task 
that would invite fraud, the Immigration Department decided 
to eliminate the "businessman" privilege. 
 
¶2. (SBU) This places most Chinese visa applicants back in 
category 4, the toughest Costa Rican visa category, which 
requires permission from Immigration to issue a visa. 
Chinese travelers with valid US or EU visas, would  continue 
to be admitted under the lighter category 2 requirements, 
which permit entry into Costa Rica, visa-free, for up to 30 
days.  Zamora said the GOCR remains  concerned that illegal 
travelers may obtain fraudulent US or EU visas to enter Costa 
Rica and then continue their trek to the US from here. 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT:  This is a step in the right direction. 
The "businessman" clause allowed for easy forgery of 
documentary evidence and placed the GOCR at a disadvantage. 
In fact, our Consular Section already received one patently 
fraudulent letter from an alleged Chinese labor syndicate 
inviting Costa Ricans to visit China via the US.  Had the 
businessman rule not been reversed, we might have seen many 
more such attempts.  Despite the warmth surrounding the 
establishment of Costa Rican-Chinese relations, Zamora, who 
remains a staunch and honest advocate of proper immigration 
protection, was able to push back to address this concern. 
BRENNAN