Thanks for your post, Josh. Just know that opening a bank account as a foreigner is typically really difficult or even impossible in many countries, so your situation is very common.

That being said, we can actually probably still help you get online on Stars & FTP to play poker and open e-wallets so you can deposit/withdraw without having a bank account in the meantime. Each situation is different but we can usually achieve this.

Feel free to PM or email kristin@pokerrefugees.com and we'll see if we can get you back online!

Kudos on learning Mandarin btw!

^K

For anyone looking for a rental for the start of 2015, a friend of ours has a 1BR condo in downtown Toronto available beginning in January as she continues to travel the world. PM us for details. Some photos below. It's been tested and approved by 2 different poker player tenants over the past year. Rate CAD$2200 all-inclusive

Description:
Stylish, fully furnished and immaculately clean suite with everything you could possibly need for an amazing stay in Toronto. The price includes hydro, water and high speed wifi. The Success Tower Residences At Pinnacle Centre - 12 Yonge Street. Located next to Maple Leaf Square, UNION station, waterpark place and the Gardiner Expressway entrance. It's ideal if you're planning on relocating to Toronto temporarily or permanently

Also new on the Poker Refugees Blog, based on popular demand, we have 2 new posts about the complex dynamics of property searches and finding a rental property abroad and how we navigate these for our relocation and property search clients: http://blog.pokerrefugees.com/

Poker Refugees is a fantastic all in one service and resource for relocation, they exceeded my expectations in every aspect. Kristin is smart, reliable, a pleasure to work with and gets the job done expeditiously...Kristin understands how important it is to get online as soon as you have relocated. She made sure we were up and running on the various platforms by the first night in our new home. There is NO WAY I would have been able figure all this stuff out on my own without losing weeks if not months of playing time. Poker Refugees is a valuable resource for all players - there is no point trying to do all the hard work on your own because Poker Refugees rates are affordable. Working with them feels like family.

Thank you randomsasha for the kind words! We are so happy to have been able to assist in your relocation and help make it a positive and easy experience!

We actually become friends with many of our clients over the long term and have helped some players up to 7 times in the past 3.5 years with their various relocation needs. It's an honor to help people with such a significant undertaking as moving around the world and traveling the globe.

When possible, we try to do videos and interviews with players in order to share their real life experiences with the online poker community.

Here are some short YouTube videos posted this month about moving to Malta and Costa Rica for anyone interested!

Costa Rica luxury "poker cribs" edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJSgIt5yLwY

Move to Malta for Online Poker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNAO_8o8NM

News of the month (January 2015):

Free discount 1st/business class flight booking service launched; save up to 40-70% on flights: http://www.ionlyflyfirstclass.com/refugeeflights




New videos on YouTube including a Costa Rica Poker House/Poker Roommates Tamarindo episode: https://www.youtube.com/PokerRefugees



Player Testimonials from January:

Rosarito, Mexico:



Playa del Carmen, Mexico:



Total number of poker players relocated from countries worldwide since Black Friday: 462

Hey Kristin,
I want to relocate to Malta. I am from Bangladesh. The problem is that there is no Embassy for Malta here. Will that be a problem for paperworks? My potential relocation time is May/June.

Hi Maverick,

If it's a visa issue, you can probably apply online or by mail. You shouldn't have to go to an appointment in person, although I don't have specific past experience with entry to Malta for citizens of Bangladesh. It also depends on the type of visa you are going for. As a general rule of thumb, you can apply up to 3 months before your trip.

Most foreigners are coming for 3 months in a 180 day period, which is the Short-stay “C” visa (Schengen): "These visas allow the holder to transit through or remain in the territory of Malta and all other Schengen Member States for a maximum period of three months (90 days) within a period of six months (180 days) from the entry date into the Schengen area."

It's usually not possible for poker players to get approved for a long term work visa because of the nature of the "work" being poker. A study visa could be possible.

Here are general reqs for a tourism visa from Malta's ministry of foreign affairs website:

General Documentation Required (by purpose)
TOURISM

In addition to the visa application form, a valid travel document and two (2) passport-size photographs, applicants need to produce the following documentation:

a valid return ticket or a
a certificate of a reserved and prepaid journey
cash in convertible currency or
traveller's cheques or
cheque books for a foreign currency account or
credit cards
or any other means that guarantees funds in hard currency.
hotel reservation or reservation for a similar establishment or
where a third-country national states that he/she shall stay at a person's home or in an institution, the applicant must present a written declaration by the host which vouches for the host’s commitment to accommodate. The diplomatic mission and consular posts will verify such declarations, where such checks are necessary;
a valid individual or group Travel Medical Insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid throughout the Schengen Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s stay. The minimum coverage is of € 30,000.

If you are planning to stay permanently or semi-permanently in Malta, that would likely require the assistance of a residency attorney. We can refer you to someone, just PM us or send an email through our site for more info.

^K

Okay. Thank you very much for all the information.
I actually want to stay for at least 5 years in Malta. For that I am okay with either permanent residence permit or work permit.
Just to let you know, I hold a degree of Bachelors of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. However I don't have any work experience. If I want to apply for a day job related to my degree, will that make it easier to get a "work" permit? And will you guys assist me to find a job there before I move? I'll cover you the cost of doing that if required.
Now it'll be very helpful if you can provide me the most suitable route of how to apply.
Btw yeah you also responded to me in my gmail. I've stated my budget there.
Thank you

Okay....I've changed my mind about the location. It'll be Roserito, Mexico instead of Malta. I am on a very tight budget. My monthly expenditure budget (including rental costs, utilities, I mean everything) cannot exceed $900/mo. And ignore the work permit part; I am okay with renewing my tourist visa as long as I can renew per 180 days just by reentering and as long as I can play on stars.

Ok; yes this is a good idea because you can't re-enter to a Schengen country like Malta and the cost of living is higher than Mexico as well.

A cost-of-living budget in Rosarito, Mexico of $900/month is attainable if you keep a very basic lifestyle without much entertainment (or drinking). It is possible to find cheap studios to rent on a long term basis for $250-500/mo plus very basic utilities and food. Of course, locals live on much less and raise families on even more limited budgets, but usually poker players are accustomed to a higher standard of living. It's possible but you have to be very strict with spending to make it on <$1k/month.

A work permit is not needed to play poker or enter on a tourist visa for 180 days at a time. Re-entry is a common practice among foreigners.

You can play on Stars from Mexico at this time, although with the online gaming industry, future changes are always possible. However, many players spend a year or so in one destination then change to another one. Such as Mexico, then Costa Rica or vice versa as one example. You can always update your address if you move at a future date.

Thank you very much for these info. Another thing I need to know about the reentering thing. Is it possible to renew my tourist visa in mexico without returning to my home country? What I meant to say, for example, while I stay in Mexico I apply for a tourist visa for Costa Rica, stay there for three months (the max possible I guess though I am not sure) and then reenter Mexico for another six months and this cycle will go on.
Also I need to know if I can extend my duration of tourist visa beyond six months without moving out from Mexico.
You know I'll have to consider these factors since the plane fares to Bangladesh from Mexico would be riidiculously high. So can't make frequent flights to and from there.

Yes, it is possible to renew one's tourist visa without returning to his home country. There are no specific stipulations on which country you visit before re-entry, as long as you don't overstay the# of days given (that is not recommendable in any country). In Costa Rica for example, if you overstay there could be fines and other penalties.

To renew a tourist visa in Mexico or Costa Rica, many people take a flight or the bus to neighboring countries in Central/South America and the Caribbean, or of course the USA. This is a widely accepted practice amongst foreigners that has been going on for decades, however sometimes countries speak of cracking down on "perpetual tourism", which is the common title of this activity. In the meantime, it works for likely tens of thousands of foreigners on tourist visas in this region.

If you do plan to stay for the foreseeable future (years) in one country like Mexico, Panama or Costa Rica, it's not too much of a hassle to obtain temporary legal residency so you don't have to leave the country every few months. It's a process that can take up to a year and cost a few thousand dollars, but it could be the right choice for foreigners planning to stay long term.

We have residency attorneys in every country we offer that we refer our players to, and now have clients with legal residency status in Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Okay. So how long can I stay with that temporary residence permit in Mexico, for example?
And another thing, I will purchase a specific monitor (ACER B326HK) as soon as I reach there, but cannot find any online shop in Mexico which has it. How will I manage it then? I iterate, it HAS to be that monitor. The last thing I will want is to wait for my right gear for days to start grinding. :/
Btw if you are wondering, the place will be Rosarito.

There are many different categories of residency permits for Mexico for people who want to remain legally beyond 180 days (without re-entry). Usually they can be from 1 up to 4 years. One important note about legal residency in Mexico is that you can't apply from within Mexico - you have to do it from your home country. This means either before you arrive in Mexico for the first time, or you can arrive and stay a few months. Then in the future: leave, apply, and come back later.

Regarding the monitor: We tell all of our clients to bring all the electronics equipment they need in oversized or checked luggage. Usually the luggage fees are a fraction of the cost of shipping something internationally, and it's faster to bring it on the plane. You can get exact fees with your airline directly or on their website (baggage policies). Additionally, it can be hard to find specific electronic items in stock and at the same price point you may be used to in your home country because of inventory and import tax reasons. For that reason, if it's something you need, we recommend to bring it with you in the original packaging or pack it well. In some cases, you may have to pay additional customs at the airport but usually minimal and depends on the value of the item.

Please let us know any other questions!

Okay one last thing. I guess I read it somewhere that it is possible to travel to Mexico without any visa if I have a valid US Travel visa with me. Just want to make sure if this is true.

Residents from many developed countries only need a passport in order to travel to Mexico. I don't think that a US travel visa would have any bearing on travel to Mexico unless your passport is from the US or you have a green card or residency in the US. However, this is a situation we have not been confronted with yet for any of our 500 clients, so additional research would be needed to confirm the validity of a US travel visa for entry to Mexico.

The list of countries whose citizens need to apply for a visa to visit Mexico is located on this government site: http://www.inm.gob.mx/index.php/page...s_visa/en.html

You can look up the requirements for your country here: https://mexico.visahq.com/

If you do need a visa, it's most likely that you will need to do so with the Mexican Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

There are many sites online through Google with the contact info and address of Mexican embassies in many countries; we can point you in the right direction if needed.

Hey looking for help with setting up in Costa Rica or Mexico coming from the US. Will have everything ready for Mid May. But want to get things started now so I know whats needed. Will be my first time.

Anybody have any news on new Mexican anti online bills being pasted? Or if any will in the near future

Hi Jarryd,

Moving to Mexico or Costa Rica for the first time involves a lot of planning, steps and details. I have been helping foreigners accomplish this since 2005, and poker players/sports bettors since 2011 upon founding Poker Refugees. In sum, I've personally relocated thousands of people to Central America with the help of my international team.

Our proprietary system involves 3 major phases: Pre-planning, Arrival Prep, Post Arrival Follow Up.

Within each phase there is a long check-list of items for us to accomplish for each client. It's about 4 pages long so it's very difficult to sum up here in 2+2 but I'll send you a DM so we can get in touch on email.

The bottom line is that we take the uncertainty and risk out of the equation, so EVERY poker player can benefit from a smooth, worry-free relocation with our process that has been proven over 500 poker relocations. Whether you are applying for a passport for the first time or have already traveled abroad extensively as a live pro or WSOP ME champ, all types of players have used our service and all obtain the same successful result.

You are contacting us at a good time, as we usually prefer to have 1-3 months in advance of the relocation date for planning.

We can definitely have you set up by May and you'll be playing poker likely within just a few hours of arrival.

We look forward to speaking with you!

^Kristin

We have been wary to speculate on this bill since the beginning, as we have decades of experience residing in Mexico/Central America and are very familiar with how things go.

Just to paint a picture, imagine how onerous the US political system is and the pace at which regulation changes, then double or triple it for developing countries. In one country we work in, it took >35 years for legislation to pass for construction on a coastal highway. It was finally completed in 2010. This is just one all-too-common example.

In another Central American country, new laws were passed regarding banking that were not enforced until 4 years later.

In Mexico, we have watched many deadlines come and go without any action, just the same. When people are least expecting it, something will be announced without any notice. That's just how things work in this region.

Our consistent advice to all inquiring players and clients is not to waste energy worrying or speculating, or change your plans until something actually happens, and there is a concrete announcement.

We are used to working within the constant, dynamic changes in the gaming industry and have found that the best strategy is to stay informed and react as needed, but not overreact unnecessarily.

There are too many factors involved and too many potential outcomes to be able to predict one, including appeals and delays, plus how the poker sites will interpret the legislation and how it will ultimately affect professional poker players, if at all.

We hope this helps and are sure that once concrete changes are made, we will all find out about it very quickly and have a timeline of at least a few months to take any necessary action in response.

^K

Everyone who is looking for a place for SCOOP: We hear you. Let us know.

We put together poker houses, find rental properties and match roommates together. We charge very low fees and sort this out for hundreds of players per year. These are regular Poker Refugees services.

Last year we did a special SCOOP package but ended up doing more custom packages so that's what we are doing this year instead. http://pokerrefugees.com/scoop2014

SCOOP and WCOOP are times when there are never any extra rooms available in poker houses because there's too much demand for the same thing at the same time. A different approach is required.

Why waste time asking around in Skype chats or Facebook groups?

Hit us up on 2+2 or email info@pokerrefugees.com

What about Canada? I want to know the types of residency permits I can apply for, their duration and the possibility to take an appointment of one of your attorneys as soon as I arrive there. I'll prefer not to be a frequent traveller. In the distant future I am intending to bring my whole family there as permanent residents.

Disclaimer: We are not Canadian, lawyers or residency attorneys. This information should not be used to make a legal decision. You should always hire a lawyer before making a decision concerning your residency status in Canada. The following is info gained from the Canadian governmental websites all available publicly online or are derived from my personal experience.

Because Canada is a 1st world, high demand, developed country, their immigration policies are generally perceived as stricter than those of 3rd world, developing countries whose top industry is usually tourism. In countries like Mexico and Costa Rica, it can cost a couple thousand dollars to apply for and obtain temporary residency and there are many categories. Panama even has a fast track for foreigners from Panama-friendly countries, like the US and most 1st world countries.

In Canada, the options are quite limited and expensive. The most realistic option is to get a study permit, but if you don't plan on going to school, that would not be very helpful.

In general cases, a US citizen can remain in Canada up to 180 days per calendar year on a tourist visa without applying for an extension (granted for 1 month and must apply and be approved first). Subsequent extensions are unlikely.

A work permit is generally not possible for online poker players because online poker is not really considered a job and also does not require a specific trained skill (like a doctor or scientist) nor does it positively impact other citizens or the country as a whole. For these reasons and more, we've been told many times it won't qualify.

Another option would be to apply for permanent residency in one of the categories. Poker players don't really fall into any of them besides professional athlete, and only the top 1-2% of pro poker players can attain residency status this way. It's also not a guaranteed model and it's over $10,000 in legal fees just to apply.

You can find out more and check your eligibility here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp

Hey PokerRefugees,

After some searching and recommendation of this specific thread I'm so glad there's a resource like this to help poker players.
I'm a profitable part time player in the U.S. but feel I'm ready for the switch to full time and have already secured a visa and ticket outside the country to play on Stars. I'm set on visa and living arrangements but have questions about setting up a account on stars; how to get the best bonus' and rakeback? how "skrill" works? and just in general advice or tips you have for a new player on that site. Hope this isn't far fetched and you could answer those questions.

thank you

Hi there,

Thank you for the kind words. We are happy to be of help. Poker Refugees was born out of a moment on Black Friday 2011 when I realized, this is going to be a big headache for poker players for the foreseeable future... and I knew I could make it a lot easier on you guys. So here we are today, nearly 4 years later. We have been able to relocate nearly 500 poker players and sports bettors from various countries and while each person has unique needs, everyone also shares common goals and similar plights. In short, your situation and questions are completely normal; not far fetched at all

That being said, the answers to each of your questions are quite layered and depend on a lot of individual factors, types of games you play, bank roll, as well as your city and country of destination (especially). I think this specifically would be best addressed with a phone call or some email correspondence so we can learn more about your situation before making any blanket recommendations.

Feel free to PM us here on 2+2 or send a message to info@pokerrefugees.com; we'll also reach out

^Kristin