I married a Dominican and don't know how to get him here

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Scrammy520

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Feb 9, 2005
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Last summer I got married to a Dominican and now we need to start getting our stuff together so that he can move in with me in Chicago. If anyone else has been through this process of getting visas and passports and so on, I would appreciate any advice/information on procedures. I am at a loss and I have no idea where to start. Also, I know it will take a while for the whole process to even get started, but my brother is getting married in Belize sometime next year and I would love it if my husband could be there- what is the scoop on Domincans traveling. My husband seems pretty stuck on the idea that he won't be able to get a passport just for leisure traveling. Is this true? if not, what does he have to do/who does he need to talk to in order to be able to go to Belize?
 
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andrea9k

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Scrammy520 said:
Last summer I got married to a Dominican and now we need to start getting our stuff together so that he can move in with me in Chicago. If anyone else has been through this process of getting visas and passports and so on, I would appreciate any advice/information on procedures. I am at a loss and I have no idea where to start. Also, I know it will take a while for the whole process to even get started, but my brother is getting married in Belize sometime next year and I would love it if my husband could be there- what is the scoop on Domincans traveling. My husband seems pretty stuck on the idea that he won't be able to get a passport just for leisure traveling. Is this true? if not, what does he have to do/who does he need to talk to in order to be able to go to Belize?
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I have no idea about how to get a dominican passport, I am sure dominican DR1 fellows can help you about that.

To get your husband to the US, you should start by deciding which spousal visa type suits better for you. You can read about them here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?pg=compare

Your options are K3 or IR1/CR1. K1 is for engaged couples, and DCF is not available in the DR.

In the same website you can find the process description and detailed instructions.

Good luck :)

Jess
 
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Mr_DR

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May 12, 2002
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Scrammy520 said:
My husband seems pretty stuck on the idea that he won't be able to get a passport just for leisure traveling. Is this true? if not, what does he have to do/who does he need to talk to in order to be able to go to Belize?
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That's a big lie, even a pet monkey can get a passport there as long as the necessary fees are paid.

To obtain a visa to Belize from DR should not be too much trouble since he is not traveling to a first world country.

Here is the address and telephone number of the Belize Embassy/Consulate in the DR

Mr. R. Eduardo Lama S.
Ave. John F. Kennedy
Edificio Benanza
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Tel.: (809) 565-2478,567-1217
Fax.: (809) 566-1087, 567-6974
 
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rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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Scrammy520 said:
Last summer I got married to a Dominican and now we need to start getting our stuff together so that he can move in with me in Chicago. If anyone else has been through this process of getting visas and passports and so on, I would appreciate any advice/information on procedures. I am at a loss and I have no idea where to start. Also, I know it will take a while for the whole process to even get started, but my brother is getting married in Belize sometime next year and I would love it if my husband could be there- what is the scoop on Domincans traveling. My husband seems pretty stuck on the idea that he won't be able to get a passport just for leisure traveling. Is this true? if not, what does he have to do/who does he need to talk to in order to be able to go to Belize?
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Consult with an Immigration Lawyer. They will be able to give you all your options and also will be available if anything goes awry. Find a lawyer with experience, ask for references. There are plenty of lawyers who will misled you, especially in the immigrant communities in the US.

I think you already might have made one mistake. It might have been quicker to get him into the US with a K1 visa rather than getting married. Also, your husband is correct, it will be very difficult for him to get a visitors visa. He needs to have assets in the DR, a good job, and strong reasons for him to return to the DR.
 
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AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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Hlywud said:
trina, she can give you details
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This lady is from the US. Although Trina knows a lot, I'm sure it's not US immigration laws.

She's kind of busy right now with the new baby ;)

I'm going to move this to legal section.
 
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stewart

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He has to have a passport first. They won't even talk to him without it. He can get it from any government office. It shouldn't take long either. Especially if the "rght" price is paid.
Once he has it, you either need to go to your nearing immigration office and start the paperwork to request a visa for him. Or go to the DR and take him to the conulate in SD. That is the best option. You can start by applying for a tourist visa. He won't be able to work or leave the US until it's changed to a residency. But he'll be with you. Applying for a residency takes longer. But he will hit US ground ready to work etc.
As for Belize...
 
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stewart

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Anna Coniglio said:
And for info on a visitor's visa to the US

http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html

But unless he's very well off he doesn't have much of a chance.

He should get a Dominican Passport to start with. Info in Mr Dr's post.
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I disagree with that. My wife didn't have 2 pesos to rub together when her tourist visa was approved. And I can count a few other firends in the same situation that had a tourist visa approved in as little as 1 week. The hook is that we, and they, were married already. That puts them in an entirely different category in the eyes of INS.
 
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AnnaC

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stewart said:
I disagree with that. My wife didn't have 2 pesos to rub together when her tourist visa was approved. And I can count a few other firends in the same situation that had a tourist visa approved in as little as 1 week. The hook is that we, and they, were married already. That puts them in an entirely different category in the eyes of INS.
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Thank you for pointing that out. Nice to hear it for a change. Wonder if they treat women differently than men? Are your other friends men that married Dominican women?

Just wondering.
 
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stewart

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Anna Coniglio said:
Thank you for pointing that out. Nice to hear it for a change. Wonder if they treat women differently than men? Are your other friends men that married Dominican women?

Just wondering.
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Yes they are all men. I would be interested to see if they treat it differently if things are sitched around. My dealings with the consulate there have shown they it is a dirt bag agency that makes deisions based on the whims and moods of its agents on any given day. Pretty arbitrary.
 
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Criss Colon

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yahoomail.com
Many People say,"Passport",when they mean "Visa"!

A "Passport" is issued from your "Home" country,and is usually not hard to obtain.A "Visa" is issued ,and recorded in your passport,by the country where you want to go,and may be difficult,if not impossible,to obtain.Dominicaans find it difficult to get "visas" to most countries for "reasons" that have been discussed here many times.Lets just say they have a poor track record of returning to the DR when their visa "expires!
 
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Pib

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stewart said:
Especially if the "rght" price is paid.
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I don't know what you meant by "right", but getting a passport is easy, insofar as you can present the right documents and pay the posted price. I never had a problem to get (or renew) one.

However, the OP's husband may be right about his difficulties to get a passport as more than one Dominican don't have the necessary documentation to get a passport (namely cedula and/or birth certificate).
 
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Pib

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stewart said:
Once he has it, you either need to go to your nearing immigration office and start the paperwork to request a visa for him. Or go to the DR and take him to the conulate in SD. That is the best option. You can start by applying for a tourist visa. He won't be able to work or leave the US until it's changed to a residency. But he'll be with you. Applying for a residency takes longer. But he will hit US ground ready to work etc.
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I agree with the majority here that most of my fellow citizens seem to be turned down for tourist visas. Even some that would seemingly comply with the obvious requirements.
 
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rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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stewart said:
I disagree with that. My wife didn't have 2 pesos to rub together when her tourist visa was approved. And I can count a few other firends in the same situation that had a tourist visa approved in as little as 1 week. The hook is that we, and they, were married already. That puts them in an entirely different category in the eyes of INS.
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I do not doubt you, but it sounds like this is a special situation. I've had a bit of experience with people that have tried to obtain "tourist visa's" and unless they were minors (I think under age 21) with a parent living in the US or previously had a visa, it is very difficult to get. It was easy to get an interview, but not the visa.

Regarding being married first, I was told that made the process longer (presumably because INS would need to investigate the legitimacy of the marriage). It's possible that things have recently changed. What year did you bring your wife to the US? I would love to hear more details about your experience. Feel free to send a PM if you don't want to post more information on the board.
 
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Scrammy520

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Feb 9, 2005
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thank you

Thanks everyone for your help. I know that the process will take a while- we weren't expecting it to be quick. However, we're dealing with it and seeing as I'm still in school and probably wouldn't be able to support two people off my income, it would be tough anyways for it to happen right now. I just wanted to get started and maybe give him a little vacation. As far as Belize goes...has anyone (a Dominican citizen) had any experience getting a passport in the DR, and if so, any dififculties? Obviously the process is different going to another Latin American country as opposed to the US, so all he has to do is go the consular and pay the price and give the required documents? In your opinion do you think my husband would run into any obstacles as a student who is not working?
 
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AnnaC

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I think the answer was given above. He needs a birth certificate showing he was born in the DR or a cedula.

He doesn't need to be going anywhere to obtain a Dominican passport.
 
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