Donna H. Says:
I’m thinking about moving to Panama. I am 70 and draw SS benefits, so I’m sure I would qualify for a Pensionado visa. However, my daughter is 46 years old and disabled. She draws $1,200 a month in disability. She would be living with me. Could she get a visa?
Thanks for your help,
IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch Says:
Hi Donna,
You’re correct, with a Social Security pension of at least $1,000 a month, you’re a prime candidate for the Pensionado program. As you know, the program confers more than the right to legal residency. Benefits also include a wide range of government-mandated discounts. Expats here save money on prescriptions, power bills, and more, just by being pensioners, or pensionados.
Generally speaking, you can include a spouse or dependents on your pensionado application with an additional pension amount of $250 per dependent. If your pension is shy of that amount, there is another alternative: You can set up a Panama bank account to hold a certain amount of funds per dependent. (It’s around $2,000 per dependent at time of writing, but check with your Panama attorney when you’re ready to apply.)
Panama attorney Rainelda Mata-Kelly says that your daughter could apply independently instead of as your dependent. Which option makes the best sense for you both may depend on the precise nature or degree of disability.
You should also consider that Panama isn’t always the best option for certain types of disabilities, such as mobility-related ones. The country has made some progress… everywhere you go you’ll see blue wheelchairs painted on parking spots that have been set aside for persons with disabilities (at malls and supermarkets there are also often pink storks for pregnant women).
Ramps should also be provided, but in reality, many buildings and venues are simply not accessible. Uneven sidewalks, open manholes, and uncovered parking are just some of the difficulties faced by anyone using a walker or a wheelchair. It’s a challenge that can affect people with a wide range of disabilities (or anyone texting while walking, for that matter).
If you decide Panama fits your needs, the good news is that few desirable countries make it as easy to obtain residency as this one. Whether you come here as a pensionado or on some other residence visa, Panamanian immigration law allows you to bring your daughter, regardless of age, if you are the caretaker. So as you can see, you and your daughter have quite a few optio
You can talk to Rainelda’s team, send in your paperwork, and settle on a course of action. Here’s how to get in touch:
Rainelda Mata-Kelly, Mata-Kelly & Partners
From the U.S./Canada: (011 507) 216-9299
Dialing in Panama: 216-9299
rmk@mata-kelly.com
www.mata-kelly.com
Remember, before you travel to Panama to apply, you’ll need to obtain time-sensitive documents. Contact your Panama attorney at least six months ahead of time so she can talk you through it.
One step at a time, you and your daughter can prepare your paperwork and apply. And once you become pensionados, you’ll enjoy full access to all the discounts that come with it, plus the right to live here as long as you like.
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