I think what has many people upset is not that the law should not but be changed but the fact that long time legal residents now have to do the same thing a first time applicant has to do. Usually, when a law such as this is changed the current residents are "Grand fathered" into the law. Why should a person who lives here permanently have to do anything but simply renew? I have been here 12 years and I have a friend who has been here 27 years and married to a Dominican and we both had to make two trips to Santo Domingo, spend all day both times, get blood tests and exrays and pay out the you know what. Of course I did it but sometimes things go too far. Hopefully sanity will prevail. I love the DR and will continue to live here.
- Thread starter Franz
- Start date
Protest actions against the new residency renewal rules (vexations)
Castle, Don't misunderstand me.
I never said the new regs were good or fair or well thought out.
I am not in favour of them but one must remember that we actually do exist/stay here at the whim of this gov't.
As I mentioned about the US. Renewing visa were sent home to renew their status.
Somewhere, somehow somebody figured out that it was onerous to leave the job for that rrenewal time frame and adjusted the regulation to allow renewal from inside the US.
We can only hope that we will enjoy a similar development.
I just renewed my residency in March - well before my July deadline- and i'm glad I did.
I am no happier with this situation than anybody else is.
I never said the new regs were good or fair or well thought out.
I am not in favour of them but one must remember that we actually do exist/stay here at the whim of this gov't.
As I mentioned about the US. Renewing visa were sent home to renew their status.
Somewhere, somehow somebody figured out that it was onerous to leave the job for that rrenewal time frame and adjusted the regulation to allow renewal from inside the US.
We can only hope that we will enjoy a similar development.
I just renewed my residency in March - well before my July deadline- and i'm glad I did.
I am no happier with this situation than anybody else is.
I am with WW on this point, although I am guilty of living here for the past 3 years without residency.
I kept postponing it... you know the tale, yes, I will start the process next month..., and something popped up, and you postponed it another month, etc...
Guilty as charged, and not whining about it...
And I can understand the new laws will be a pain in the butt for a lot of long time stayers here...
But, there are some positive developments as well...
- retirees can go for permanent residency immediately ( proving their income...)
- investors can (proving their ...)
- and some other exceptions...
All in all, the DR is still one of the most reasonable countries in the world for well-meaning immigrants.
Yes, I will have to jump through the loops, and I will have to spend some money... but guess what... the DR government is the easy part...
Me having to get my wife on my bank-account as a full partner is proving to be a lot more hassle...
And damn, ordered loads of stuff from the States, had loads of letters delivered from Europe, and guess what??? The first one ever to get lost were the apostilled papers I needed... ouchhh... Oh well, requested them again, will have them delivered to my parents house, will get a good friend, once again, to jump into her car, drive over to the government office, and then...
No, luckily this friend is coming over later this month... so no post, but she will bring them with her...
BelgianK
I kept postponing it... you know the tale, yes, I will start the process next month..., and something popped up, and you postponed it another month, etc...
Guilty as charged, and not whining about it...
And I can understand the new laws will be a pain in the butt for a lot of long time stayers here...
But, there are some positive developments as well...
- retirees can go for permanent residency immediately ( proving their income...)
- investors can (proving their ...)
- and some other exceptions...
All in all, the DR is still one of the most reasonable countries in the world for well-meaning immigrants.
Yes, I will have to jump through the loops, and I will have to spend some money... but guess what... the DR government is the easy part...
Me having to get my wife on my bank-account as a full partner is proving to be a lot more hassle...
And damn, ordered loads of stuff from the States, had loads of letters delivered from Europe, and guess what??? The first one ever to get lost were the apostilled papers I needed... ouchhh... Oh well, requested them again, will have them delivered to my parents house, will get a good friend, once again, to jump into her car, drive over to the government office, and then...
No, luckily this friend is coming over later this month... so no post, but she will bring them with her...
BelgianK
Wow, but w/ these papers you was a step ahead of me and I got my visa yesterday 
, next week to the Doc...
, next week to the Doc...Der Fish, first of all you do not need a lawyer to get residency here because all they do is charge a lot of money and then pay one of those guys that do that for a living so my suggestion to you is that if you speaks spanish go the inmigration office and get it done yourself or even better have your love help you do it. It shouldn't cost you more than 16000.00RD pesos doing it your own and if you hire a lawyer it will cost you between 1500.00 to 2000.00USD.
In the past we did it with corruption because there was no other way to do. What we want ist a legal security. Right now nobody knows what will happen in the airport in case your residencia is in process.
The most recent reliable information is legal fees, everything included, are around $1400 USD. Doing it on your own will be in excess of 16,000 RD. The fees were raised within the past few months.
I would agree it can be done on your own, but that would depend on the individual. Some just want to pay and sign while others may not mind running around doing all the paperwork. In my case it is so much easier to let the lawyer handle it. I just show up at the required times, sign on the dotted line, and Bingo..it's a done deal.
To me, it sounds like there is so much confusion that I would be wary of the DIY route.
Until we get better answers, or the system settles down, it seems like a game for the professionals.
Until we get better answers, or the system settles down, it seems like a game for the professionals.
Norberto's Change
Change how?
Don't fool yourself, my friend.
Unless you are a few million voters with some super corrupt crook leading them, you won't change a bit of the Dominican "culture".
donP
Change how?
Don't fool yourself, my friend.
Unless you are a few million voters with some super corrupt crook leading them, you won't change a bit of the Dominican "culture".
donP
When I arrive at "Las Americas" and they don't let me "IN", I'll believe it!
Until then, I'm not worried.
How many posts have you sen on DR1 so far, by "Expats" who have been denied entry?
NONE!
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Until then, I'm not worried.
How many posts have you sen on DR1 so far, by "Expats" who have been denied entry?
NONE!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
I am sorry for all of you Germans. How the Dominican government can do this to such a country with such open immigration law as Germany. Do not make me laugh please.
The last time I was in Germany, I took a train from Frankfurt to Paris and German immigration officers literally came into the train and almost gave cavity search to many of the people that did not look Europeans. Are you kidding me??? At least they are not stopping you here and returning the favor.
Different people different scenarios
Harden the F up is not what I need to hear
I live and work in Houston ,born in Germany
so flying home to start my paperwork is more than irritating and an expense and time consuming
cant call home right quick and have Mom send me some missing paperwork that needs to be ueber apostilled
but I am glad you got yours
Manu
Hmmmm... it's not such a bad time for a trip to Germany... it's freekin' OCTOBERFEST!!!! Go get your papers... drink a liter or two of good beer, and you won't care about the inconvenience. LOL
I was at Hoffbrauhause this past weekend.... gotta' love that German beer... not to mention the girls in the low cut blouses!!!!
That's what I have been looking for and not seeing, any evidence that the "rumored" change in policy on tourist card overstay has actually caused any real person any real inconvenience. As the snowbird season ramps up and thousands of non-dr1 reading folk come in on seasonal migrations with no idea anything is different...will they actually find anything is different? Will the processing of tourist card overstays of several months remain a pro forma fee as before with those folk blissfully unaware of a lot of rumors and discussion? Will real people be put on some re-entry denied blacklist for overstaying? Should know by March.
Meanwhile if like Cobraboy I had serious assets in jeopardy if denied reentry I wouldn't gamble even at good odds.
I just bought a place just before all of these changes. It is ridiculous,I am supposed to go the the Consulate in Miami, this is just a waste. Panama just changed their rules to make it much easier , this is a much better plan to bring in the incomes and technology from educated successful people. I see alot of casas sitting empty that cost too much for most locals. Where is the realestate industry?. They should be lobbying to change this as we speak. A clean record, a good bill of health and some invesment in D R should be enough. The new restrictions make me hesitant to proceed in investing more and possibly invest in another country with a positive aproach towards foreign investment and retirement..
It seems to me you have a problem with Germans? We don't speak about illegal staying in DR we talk about people who live here legal for years. In my case for 7 years. Of course I can collect my papers and apply again but its cost a lot of time and money. As they have the right to change their roles, we have the right to protest.