Now what??

viguy007

New member
Nov 25, 2012
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I'm a 68 year old white American male. I am retired and live on US$4000 per month from my pension and SS payments, I have never worked in the DR. My checks are direct deposits into a PR bank, since it is a US bank, and I get my money using my ATM card. I married a Dominican woman, who I lived with for 13 years, last year. My passport shows I last entered into the DR 16 months ago. I own no property here, all is in my wife's name and she drives me where I want to go, since I have no divers licence. After doing research, I have decided to not become legal, using the regularization process. I believe the worse that can happen is I am deported, to PR and I can reenter as a tourist. Am I making a mistake, what can happen to me.
 

viguy007

New member
Nov 25, 2012
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A person on this board said it was most likely that I would be busted if I started the regularization process and was never able to complete it since I speak no Spanish. I have no ear for languages
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,099
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South Coast
Well it's too late to start the 'free' regularization process, so your best bet is to sit tight and see what the government does about the overstay fees. No one can tell you for sure what will happen. Whatever it is, you'll read about it here.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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wait wait, i believe you said before that you did not have much money and you lived in the campo but 4k dollars a month is more than enough to pay for a regular residency process. and for that you really need zero spanish.
 

viguy007

New member
Nov 25, 2012
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If you made your life here, why do you not want to do the regularization process?

This is just getting really annoying people not doing it and asking what will happen to them!!!! Now I just hope all gringos who ask this get deported!!!

Nobody would give me any information about what is involved. I went to the office that does this, they said don't worry and gave me a nice pamphlet which was in Spanish.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
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If you made your life here, why do you not want to do the regularization process?

This is just getting really annoying people not doing it and asking what will happen to them!!!! Now I just hope all gringos who ask this get deported!!!

So sorry it annoys you, SHEEESH!
Log off for an hour a day, it's good for your soul.
 

viguy007

New member
Nov 25, 2012
33
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0
If you made your life here, why do you not want to do the regularization process?

This is just getting really annoying people not doing it and asking what will happen to them!!!! Now I just hope all gringos who ask this get deported!!!

Nobody would give me any information about what is involved. I went to the office that does this, they said don't worry and gave me a nice pamphlet which was in Spanish.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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Someone who is deported...will be barred from reentry for a period of time. Could be a short time, could be a long time. It's common sense.
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,504
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dr1.com
Your wife is Dominican. Apply for provisional residency. You"ll have to go back to yourhome ountry and start the lrocess and pay your overstay fines. There is very littlechance you will be deported.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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Nobody would give me any information about what is involved. I went to the office that does this, they said don't worry and gave me a nice pamphlet which was in Spanish.

couldn't your wife translate it for you?
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
8,215
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What has ended is the fast-tracked free regularisation process. The normal procedures for foreigners to legalize their status continue. If you are married to a Dominican, you can apply for Dominican citizenship. I understand this procedure is simpler and easier than applying for residency. If you have plans to continue to live in the Dominican Republic, you should legalize your status.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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If you are married to a Dominican, you can apply for Dominican citizenship. I understand this procedure is simpler and easier than applying for residency. If you have plans to continue to live in the Dominican Republic, you should legalize your status.

one cannot apply for citizenship without being a legal resident first.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
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viguy007,

You are an adult. You are more than capable of dealing with your situation without sounding like a youngster that has just been scolded...but...but...but...

Even if you did nothing else but grab a beer or two and start reading these forums, you would very quickly learn that you need to:

1) Contact a DR embassy in your home country and get a list of what you need to apply for residency. Yes they speak English.
2) Do what the Embassy tells you.
3) Get your residency visa
4) Get an immigration lawyer to help you (because you speak no Spanish) file the paperwork here in Santo Domingo

If you aren't a mass murder or drug king-pin, based on your pension, you should have no problem qualifying as a retired person for the purposes of residency.

The process will take somewhere between 8 - 12 months to fully complete. From the time you deposit your application in Santo Domingo you are protected from any nasty Dominicans who might want to throw you out.

You of course will have to leave the DR, pay your overstay fine at some point and re-enter using the residency visa that the Embassy stamps in your passport. You cannot apply for residency if your status in the country is not legitimate.

Expect to spend around $2500 USD for a lawyer and fees. Getting documents, airline flights translation services etc are extra.

There. Was that so hard?
 

viguy007

New member
Nov 25, 2012
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0
My wife is a simple country girl, she does not read very much. A nice pamphlet which was in Spanish did not help very much. I do not like compilations in my life, I like to keep it simple. I do not even own a cell phone, although I did own an original Apple ][ in the real world and made a ton of money writing software for it and the PC when it came out. But that life is behind me, and is the reason I retired to the Caribbean before I was 40. I first spent twelve years in the USVI, which is the home they would deport me to. This would be much harder on my Dominican wife, then it would be on me.

I have two heavy duty laptops here, but I do not Social Network (Twitter, Facebook). I am basically a loner. My wife and I communicate without words, so we have no problem. This Government program "Regularization" has been a major pain in the a$$, and is ruining my life in my tropical island paradise..
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
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I wouldnt fret out, really.........
Sounds if u live in a campo...... the time directives and stuff filter down to ure place....... u still have many peaceful years in perspective.
If the locals have adopted u, no ennemies to denounce u....... no bother.

But for ure own tranquility, start the process..... u'll sleep better.

I dont like leaving my tiny village ( or not to often at least ) , I hate having to go to town and leaving my comfort zone ( where people know u), and I get ulcers every time I have to deal with any administrative problem........ so I feel for u.:laugh: