New Immigration Charges ? or Rip-off?

[charlise]

Bob: same for Qu?bec health care benefits... But listen to my trick: If I get very very sick, I go back to Qu?bec, go to the hospital and get treated....

Who's gonna ask me if I've been out of the province for more than 183 days ??? You think they have time for that ??

The trick is to renew your health care benefits card when it's due.... That's it !

 

[AnnaC]

Bob, I can list a dozen Canadians that think there is. And they go back every year for 6 months and a day. Maybe it isn't social security they are afraid of losing, but some provincial pension. And if you don't know about it you are the only one.

Bob is right, there is no fricken way a Canadian will lose CPP or OAS by living out of the country for 6 months or more. The only thing we can lose is our health benefits and maybe the income supplements if you live abroad permanently

I wasn't even going there since I'm still waiting for the OP to tell us if it was 1000 dollars or pesos.

 

[Lobo Tropical]

Facts and Rumours

Bob, I can list a dozen Canadians that think there is. And they go back every year for 6 months and a day. Maybe it isn't social security they are afraid of losing, but some provincial pension. And if you don't know about it you are the only one.

Bob as a Canadian pensioner knows more than rumours and some US citizens.
Canadian pensions are an entitlement for resident and non resident Canadians, and are made up of Can.Pension and Old age security.
There is no requirement to return after six months, unless you resided in CAN less than 20 years after the age of 18. This is for OAS not Can Pension.

What you need to know when receiving Canada Pension Plan benefits - Service Canada

What you need to know while receiving the Old Age Security pension - Service Canada

 

[AnnaC]

I guess I did have it right. It's 212 days out of 12 month period for OHIP.

Longer Absences from Ontario - When can OHIP cover you? - Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) - Publications - Public Information - MOHLTC

 

[ramesses]

There is a place on the immigration card that you fill out before you arrive for the number of days you plan to stay. If you were to write down that you were planning to stay for 165 day...it might raise a red flag for the immigration officer when you arrive? Might be a better idea to put down 30 days?

If this becomes a trend, you book your trip for 30 days and change your return ticket once you get here for something like $50.

 

[sabra]

"The tourist card license is valid for thirty days. If tourists exceeds this time, you must pay an additional fee per stay when you leave:
From 30 days to 3 months: RD $ 300.00
From 3-9 months: RD $ 500.00
From 9-12 months: RD $ 2,000.00
From 12 to 18 months : RD $ 3,500.00
From 18-24 months: RD $ 4,500.00
From 24-30 months: RD $ 6,000.00
From 30-36 months: RD $ 8,000.00
From 36-60 months: RD $ 12,000.00
From 60 months onwards: RD $ 15,000.00"
Source: Department of Migration"

This is not the actual list. Look here:
B - IMPUESTOS POR ESTADIA PARA RESIDENCIA PROVISIONAL O TARJETA DE TURISTA
VENTANILLA EXTRANJERIA:
025 Menor de 30 dias Hasta 3 meses 800.00 -
026 Mayor de 3 mese Hasta 9 meses 1,000.00 -
027 Mayor de 9 meses Hasta 1 a?o 2,500.00 -
028 Mayor de 1 a?o Hasta 1 a?o y 6 meses 4,000.00 -
029 Mayor de 1 a?o y medio Hasta 2 a?os 5,000.00 -
030 Mayor de 2 a?os Hasta 2 a?os y 6 meses 6,500.00 -
031 Mayor de 2 a?os y medio Hasta 3 a?os 9,000.00 -
032 Mayor de 3 a?os Hasta 5 a?os 14,000.00 -
033 Mayor de 5 a?os Hasta 7 a?os 17,000.00 -
034 Mayor de 7 a?os en adelante por c/ a?o adicional 500.00 -
[/SIZE

http://www.migracion.gob.do/web/tarifas.php

 

[drSix]

This is not the actual list. Look here:
B

Thanks, I was trying to find the list on Direccion General de Migracion, but could not. I settled for the info published on the airports website.

 

[AnnaC]

So more than likely they were charged 1000 pesos in advance.

 

[LTSteve]

If it was $1000 us than something smells rotten. When you are flying into the DR you have to fill out an immigration form and it asks you the length of your stay. If you answer it honestly than perhaps customs is looking at this on the form. The gov is trying to get ex-pats to apply for temporary residency and no longer want people to come into the country indefinitely without doing so. Anyone coming in from Canada or the US receive a tourist card good for 30 days. If you are planning on staying longer i t is probably wise to pay for an extended visa through the embassy before you depart your home country. Rules are changing all around the world. You can go other places but I would check out their over stay rules before I would travel there.

LTSteve

 

[drSix]

Hmmmm... Based on the updated exit fee chart, I would have to stay here for 109 years to equal the cost of a Residency Visa (As quoted by my lawyer).

 

[Criss Colon]

This thread is,
"Much Adeu About, "NADA"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DR1 "Doomsayers" began their dire unfounded predictions about all the "ExPats" who would be left stranded at all the DR's "Points Of Entry", because they had no "Residency", or had no proof of an application pending, in their home country.
Dominican governments, are well know fot, "Cutting Off Their Noses to Spite Their "FACES", when it comes to "Taxes", Fees, Regulations, etc., but even THEY realize that "Foreigners", especially those who stay here for long periods of time, "GIVE", Much More, than we Take!
If you think that they even consider the concept of providing any "Government Services" to us, and the cost of said service, then you don't know the DR, Orrrrr "Dominicanos"!
If you believe THAT they do, call the "Policia National",....or the "Bomberos", and see how fast the arrive!
Expect 24/7 electricity, or drinkable water, IF you actually get any water!
In 28 years, and hundreds of "Arrivals" in the DR, I have NEVER been asked to see my "Ticket Out"!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 

[malko]

As cited in one of my previous threads, the carrier, ba, told me I neede visa for a 6 month stay. To cut a long story short, dominican embassy in france ( where I live), dominican embassy in switzerland ( where I work and my dominican wife has citizenship) and british foreign office ( I m a britishcitizen)all told me no need for a visa, as usal ( I ve been coming to the dr for the past 6 years). But carrier was insisting, so the law is a bit murky apparently..

 

[lumiere987]

1000.00 dollars or pesos?

US Dollars !!!!

 

[DavidZ]

Sounds like they were ripped off by a pretty believable scam...the were forced to "pre-pay" the 1000 pesos overstay fine for staying 5 1/2 months. If they had questioned it, they probably would have been shown the chart to show the fine...but they will undoubtedly have to pay it again...legally...when they leave.

***After posting this, I just read that it was $1000 US Dollars...If they paid that without questioning it, asking to speak to the Director of Immigration, a representative from the Airline, etc...they are idiots!

 

[rafael]

If it was $1000 us than something smells rotten. When you are flying into the DR you have to fill out an immigration form and it asks you the length of your stay. If you answer it honestly than perhaps customs is looking at this on the form. The gov is trying to get ex-pats to apply for temporary residency and no longer want people to come into the country indefinitely without doing so. Anyone coming in from Canada or the US receive a tourist card good for 30 days. If you are planning on staying longer i t is probably wise to pay for an extended visa through the embassy before you depart your home country. Rules are changing all around the world. You can go other places but I would check out their over stay rules before I would travel there.

LTSteve

You really do not receive anything. You pay 10 bucks walk a few meters and hand card to some guy. They give you a receipt but never ask for it on way out. I am lucky as my old passport after adding pages twice was still so full of stamps they could never figure out when I arrived so just asked me. I am also lucky in that it is rare to be there more than 15 days and super rare to be there for more than 30. In fact can't remember the last time.

I have been asked about return tix less than 3 times, probably twice. Once, years ago in MIA the Amercian Ticket agent was Dominican. Asked me for return ticket. Told her I had a flight back the following week. She looked it up and said because it was round trip, leaving and returning to SDQ, I didn't have proof I was going to leave. I told her to call the manager. Told him I live there and fly back and forth all the time. Showed him passport and he looked at her like she was nuts. Got my boarding pass and have had zero issues.

 

[Criss Colon]

David, read, BEFORE you post!
See post #35.
They must have been "French Canadians', REAL Canadians would never fall for THAT!
Right after they told you their "Tale-Of-Woe", did they ask to borrow, $3,000 dollars????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 

[DavidZ]

David, read, BEFORE you post!
See post #35.
They must have been "French Canadians', REAL Canadians would never fall for THAT!
Right after they told you their "Tale-Of-Woe", did they ask to borrow, $3,000 dollars????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

CC - that post showed up after I submitted mine...I went back and edited it....but now I actually call "BS" over stupidity...no one would be that dumb, especially if they've been here several times before...

 

[skynet]

They can do what they want...I went to Indonesia very often, maybe 15 times in over 8 Months..They started to charge me I think 500 Rupier, forget what that is, maybe 20 bucks or so..It was a visa type paper, glued it to a page in my passport, still there today. I have no idea if its only other countries coming in, but I felt the same way...Anything to make a buck off us..

 

[Uzin]

US$1000 is a lot, asked by the immigration, I would have bought a cheap ticket to leave after 30 days to a neighbouring country and said I changed my mind and staying only for 30 days !? (if that was possible to do there - via internet for example.)

Some Airlines do refuse boarding for many countries if you have no return ticket (or your return doesn't match your visa), but I think for DR they are more relaxed - I used AA this year and they didn't bother.