Residency visa from DR WITH papers from home! + few extra questions ;)

Arthur von Pakkas

New member
Jul 9, 2014
14
0
0
Hi!

What would be Your thoughts on obtaining DR residency visa when already in DR, with all the nescessary paperwork done, apostilled and brought with us from the original home country!

All the local law-firms I have found trough internet charge over 1,5k$ for Residency Visa for one applicant! This is bit too much for me as we will travel by three and our budget is not so big (when all other travelling costs are subtracted!). I cannot help to wonder, if it would be cheaper and easier to find help and assistance when settled down a bit?

In the Residency Visa application You have to show at least 2000$ monthly income (as one option) for over five years to apply for permanent residency. Any experiences, how the local law bends on the income amount ? Can the income be "CLSOE TO 2000$" or is it really strict?

When applying to the Resident Visa, a contract with a Dominican company for a job etc. is required. How would You comment ? We have our monthly income which we think will be enough to settle down a bit and THEN start looking for things to do ... so no contract to show when applying for the visa :S Can we still get it ?

Thank You ahead!

Arthur
 

Jaime809

Bronze
Aug 23, 2012
1,152
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36
They are enforcing the other requirements (ie, owning/investing in a business or real estate, retiring, or marriage to an RD citizen). I was also told you needed to have a contract for property in-process as of this past March. This was at the RD embassy in Chicago, but as usual, enforcement varies here.
 
Our lawyer in Sosua charged $1000US per person. There is also a thread on here about DIY residency but this would be very difficult if not fluent in Spanish and if you are new.
What location are you going to be living?
This is not a great place to come if tight on money so I hope your budget is alright!
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Hi!

What would be Your thoughts on obtaining DR residency visa when already in DR, with all the nescessary paperwork done, apostilled and brought with us from the original home country!

All the local law-firms I have found trough internet charge over 1,5k$ for Residency Visa for one applicant! This is bit too much for me as we will travel by three and our budget is not so big (when all other travelling costs are subtracted!). I cannot help to wonder, if it would be cheaper and easier to find help and assistance when settled down a bit?

In the Residency Visa application You have to show at least 2000$ monthly income (as one option) for over five years to apply for permanent residency. Any experiences, how the local law bends on the income amount ? Can the income be "CLSOE TO 2000$" or is it really strict?

When applying to the Resident Visa, a contract with a Dominican company for a job etc. is required. How would You comment ? We have our monthly income which we think will be enough to settle down a bit and THEN start looking for things to do ... so no contract to show when applying for the visa :S Can we still get it ?

Thank You ahead!

Arthur

You don't seem familiiar with what is currently happening in the DR. The Gov has recently inititated an immigrant legalization plan, targeted primarily at Haitians, but this is for all persons in the DR without residency. That is good news for you. Bring all of your paperwork and apply at a DR gov office that is co-ordinating this. The government is currently paying the cost of this process. Whether this is a temporary fix or will lead to your residency with additional costs on your part is still unclear. Are you coming here to retire? Where are you planning on living? What languages do you speak? You have left a lot up in the air and it is hard to give you answers without details
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
LTsteve the govt is not paying for new people to the dr.

My bad, if that is the case. I assumed they were paying for all ex-pats if you applied under this new law. If that is not the case than yes it will be very expensive for these 3 people to obtain legal residency.
 

Arthur von Pakkas

New member
Jul 9, 2014
14
0
0
Thank You for the really really quick replys!

I am moving to DR with my wife and younger brother hopefully in September! I currently speak few languages like English ;) Finnish, Russian and my native language Estonian BUT ... we are all learning Spanish for some time and hopefully within few months in DR it will be "speakable" ;)
As first location we plan to rent a small modest apartment in / near Santo Domingo and see from there! Our independent monthly income is close to 2000US$ / month and we do not plan to spend it in touristy areas, on amenities or just for fun. We love to cook our own food and live a simple life ... so I think it should be enough to start!
In our original homeland we had a movie special effects studio for years and my wife is a professional make-up artist so we kind of hope to find some related work in the future ... seems possible as we both have quite nice diplomas from US based famous schools etc. so hopefully we can raise the monthly budget a bit in few months.
 

jinty05

Bronze
Feb 11, 2005
925
38
48
This is definitely NOT the case....the applicant has to have been in the country prior to June 2010 to qualify and the residency given under this scheme is only good for one year..... Thereafter they have to follow the rules to obtain Permanent Residency

You don't seem familiiar with what is currently happening in the DR. The Gov has recently inititated an immigrant legalization plan, targeted primarily at Haitians, but this is for all persons in the DR without residency. That is good news for you. Bring all of your paperwork and apply at a DR gov office that is co-ordinating this. The government is currently paying the cost of this process. Whether this is a temporary fix or will lead to your residency with additional costs on your part is still unclear. Are you coming here to retire? Where are you planning on living? What languages do you speak? You have left a lot up in the air and it is hard to give you answers without details
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
The current situation (as of March 2014):

Applications for residency for foreigners who do not have legal ties to the Dominican Republic and who have not lived in the DR prior to 2011 must meet annuity, investment, work or education requirements. Applications for residency will not be approved for people who do not fall into a specifically permitted category.

Applications for residency must be initiated from within your home country. You need to obtain an entry visa specifically for the purposes of applying for residency. You may not submit a residency application if you entered the DR on a tourist visa. In effect you have to apply to apply for residency.

Best advice is to check with the DR Embassy in your home country. They will advise you of the procedure as it exists today because tomorrow it could be something different.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
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I am moving to DR with my wife and younger brother hopefully in September!

Timing is going to be tight. Very little of a bureaucratic nature moves along quickly in the DR. For you to apply and receive a temporary residency visa for your passport (to allow you to apply for provisional residency from within the DR) between now and Sept., will be quite the miracle. You indicate that you have all your documents already so that will speed up the application process. You need to get your documents, letter of intent, letter from a guarantor all translated into Spanish, submit a visa application to the DR embassy, pay the fee and cross your fingers that it all comes together before you leave in Sept.

Once you get your visa, you will have 60 days to come to the DR and submit a residency application to the ministry in Santo Domingo. If you come to the DR before you have your visa, you will have to fly home to get your passport stamped when the visa application is approved and then return to the DR to complete the process.

Good luck. Seriously, if you are coming in September with the intent to legally immigrate to the DR, call the embassy today!
 
Thank You for the really really quick replys!

I am moving to DR with my wife and younger brother hopefully in September! I currently speak few languages like English ;) Finnish, Russian and my native language Estonian BUT ... we are all learning Spanish for some time and hopefully within few months in DR it will be "speakable" ;)
As first location we plan to rent a small modest apartment in / near Santo Domingo and see from there! Our independent monthly income is close to 2000US$ / month and we do not plan to spend it in touristy areas, on amenities or just for fun. We love to cook our own food and live a simple life ... so I think it should be enough to start!
In our original homeland we had a movie special effects studio for years and my wife is a professional make-up artist so we kind of hope to find some related work in the future ... seems possible as we both have quite nice diplomas from US based famous schools etc. so hopefully we can raise the monthly budget a bit in few months.

Where are you moving to, some areas that will be enough others it will be REALLY tight, but if you truly like a simple lifestyle you may be ok. That is not enough for me and the wife to live a lifestyle that is below what we had back home but everyone is different in what way they are comfortable living.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
This is definitely NOT the case....the applicant has to have been in the country prior to June 2010 to qualify and the residency given under this scheme is only good for one year..... Thereafter they have to follow the rules to obtain Permanent Residency

Thanks for straightening me out on this. I should have known that. Didn't mean to give out bad info.
 

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
9,531
4,046
113
Cabarete
You don't seem familiiar with what is currently happening in the DR. The Gov has recently inititated an immigrant legalization plan, targeted primarily at Haitians, but this is for all persons in the DR without residency. That is good news for you. Bring all of your paperwork and apply at a DR gov office that is co-ordinating this. The government is currently paying the cost of this process. Whether this is a temporary fix or will lead to your residency with additional costs on your part is still unclear. Are you coming here to retire? Where are you planning on living? What languages do you speak? You have left a lot up in the air and it is hard to give you answers without details

it is basically worthless to most foreigners. From the Guzman Ariza law firm:

Goverment starts Implementation of National Legalization Plan
The Dominican government started the implementation of the National Legalization Plan earlier this month to legalize the status of all immigrants who entered into Dominican territory illegally, as well as of those who, having entered legally, overstayed the period of admittance.

The Dominican government will grant a special identification card to all foreigners residing irregularly in Dominican Republic, provided that they can establish that they had been residing in the country on a permanent basis before the new immigration regulations came into effect on October 11, 2011.

The ID card will be valid for one year and the holder, upon expiration, may apply for regular residency under Immigration Law 258-04.
 

karlheinz

New member
Oct 2, 2006
451
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so, if you've been staying for 8-9 months each year since 2009 but leave for 3-4 months each year then this provision is worthless??

"had been residing in the country on a permanent basis before the new immigration regulations came into effect on October 11, 2011."
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
perhaps you can argue that you live here and just take a vacation onece / twice a year

didn't we agree that the passport entries for entry/exit would tell the tale.

I would try it if I were you