Yikes! I really do have a huge Problem

V

viguy007

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Nov 25, 2012
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As I explained in the posting below I am a 68 year old US citizen who has overstayed my tourist card by 13 years. I have been retired and on pension all this time, so I never had to work in the Dominican Republic. I married my girlfriend, nine months ago. I had lived with her for 13 years and raised her three children as my own. The children are now all over 18, my wife has now gotten her passport and we would like to take a cruise which leaves from San Juan, PR.

Just a small problem, I wanted to go on a cruise with my wife, and I had questions about the Exit Fee. But in the answers people talked about my being illegal, and having until June 16th to get documented and after that date the police and elements of the armed forces will be used to repatriate those living here illegally. They will place me on a plane and deport me back to the US Virgin Islands while my wife and family remain in the Dominican Republic. I knew nothing about this until I read it here.

Please explain to me what is going on, what must I do and how much will it cost? I do not think any of my friends know about this. Thank you
 
T

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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viguy007 said:
As I explained in the posting below I am a 68 year old US citizen who has overstayed my tourist card by 13 years. I have been retired and on pension all this time, so I never had to work in the Dominican Republic. I married my girlfriend, nine months ago. I had lived with her for 13 years and raised her three children as my own. The children are now all over 18, my wife has now gotten her passport and we would like to take a cruise which leaves from San Juan, PR.

Just a small problem, I wanted to go on a cruise with my wife, and I had questions about the Exit Fee. But in the answers people talked about my being illegal, and having until June 16th to get documented and after that date the police and elements of the armed forces will be used to repatriate those living here illegally. They will place me on a plane and deport me back to the US Virgin Islands while my wife and family remain in the Dominican Republic. I knew nothing about this until I read it here.

Please explain to me what is going on, what must I do and how much will it cost? I do not think any of my friends know about this. Thank you
Click to expand...

you have allowed the inscription period for regularization to elapse. lawyer time.
 
D

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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viguy007 said:
But in the answers people talked about my being illegal, and having until June 16th to get documented and after that date the police and elements of the armed forces will be used to repatriate those living here illegally. They will place me on a plane and deport me back to the US Virgin Islands while my wife and family remain in the Dominican Republic. I knew nothing about this until I read it here.
Please explain to me what is going on, what must I do and how much will it cost? I do not think any of my friends know about this. Thank you
Click to expand...

the deportation thing is very much exaggerated. but do you ever read any newspapers here? watch the news? take any interest whatsoever in the country you live in now? how could you not know about plan de regularizacion? nothing, really? neither you nor your friends have ever heard of this? i have no words.

rather long discussion on this can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/legal/149448-you-have-until-16th-june-get-legal-status.html
read it and take what you want out of this.
 
J

ju10prd

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Don't panic.

Act quickly.

You appear to have a number of options.

But the Regularization Plan ceases in a couple of weeks and appears to be the route for you. It is there for people like you so act quick and don't panic.

Options are to consult with lawyer specializing in Immigration or head down to Immigration or one of the Regularization centres with your wife.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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dv8 said:
the deportation thing is very much exaggerated. but do you ever read any newspapers here? watch the news? take any interest whatsoever in the country you live in now? how could you not know about plan de regularizacion? nothing, really? neither you nor your friends have ever heard of this? i have no words.

rather long discussion on this can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/legal/149448-you-have-until-16th-june-get-legal-status.html
read it and take what you want out of this.
Click to expand...

It happens dv8. A friend of mine lived in DR non-stop for 19 years, never became fluent in Spanish, never watched local news or read local papers, no computer, watched US news on cable. Active in International Woman's Club, etc. Hadn't left DR for over 6 years. Totally clueless. I mentioned the regularization in passing to her last February and she was shocked, she didn't have a clue. We got together for a day in March [the day I met bigbird], she had begun to collect her paperwork, and then she died suddenly a week later.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Nov 4, 2012
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It's an easy answer if you are that nervous, go to a lawyer and start the process!

I don't know how anyone could live here and not know about this either but it clearly happens!

People are freaking out and it reminds me of people scared about the year 2000. It came and nothing happened!
 
D

Domdream

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Jul 26, 2014
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Just go before June 16th to your nearest naturization office and start the process. That will keep you from being deported. In my opinion we will never see them deporting expats. Just do it for piece of mind.
 
Conchman

Conchman

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Wouldn't it be better to leave the country before the 16th, pay the fine, and come back as a visitor and then start the residency process?

Or dont leave, and wait until process gets to Temporary Residence, and then leave for a vacation.

But don't wait until after the 16th to leave the country, without having proper documents.
 
C

Criss Colon

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AlterEgo said:
It happens dv8. A friend of mine lived in DR non-stop for 19 years, never became fluent in Spanish, never watched local news or read local papers, no computer, watched US news on cable. Active in International Woman's Club, etc. Hadn't left DR for over 6 years. Totally clueless. I mentioned the regularization in passing to her last February and she was shocked, she didn't have a clue. We got together for a day in March [the day I met bigbird], she had begun to collect her paperwork, and then she died suddenly a week later.
Click to expand...

That was a better option than dealing with the government here!!!

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 
H

HUG

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Feb 3, 2009
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15% of the nonesense we hear from DR1 is useful info, trying to figure out which 15% is the difficult part.

It's very easy to live ignorantly in DR, they are hardly sticklers for playing by the book. I drove for over 6 years illegally, ignorant to the fact. Mind you, so were AMET and the PN on many many occasions.

So again, which 15% of the nonesense matters is the question!
 
B

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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AlterEgo said:
It happens dv8. A friend of mine lived in DR non-stop for 19 years, never became fluent in Spanish, never watched local news or read local papers, no computer, watched US news on cable. Active in International Woman's Club, etc. Hadn't left DR for over 6 years. Totally clueless. I mentioned the regularization in passing to her last February and she was shocked, she didn't have a clue. We got together for a day in March [the day I met bigbird], she had begun to collect her paperwork, and then she died suddenly a week later.
Click to expand...

Wow AE, didn't know about your friend. I do agree with you that there are expats living in the DR and are clueless to what the government is doing. When I met your friend I was shocked because of her perfect English and had the suspicion she would have trouble counting from one to ten in Spanish.

On the same note there are Dominicans living in the DR who have no clue the Metro exists.

If it were not for DR1 I would be completely clueless of a LOT of things.
 
M

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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If you have lived with your girlfriend for 13 years a lawyer may be able to argue she was a common law wife for part of that time as according to the law you cannot be deported when you have been married for 10 years nor if you have Dominican children. It is the immigration law 285-4 article 123.- Podr? no ordenarse la deportaci?n o expulsi?n del extranjero
prevista en los art?culos anteriores, de la presente ley, en los siguientes casos:
a) Cuando el extranjero (a) estuviere casado (a) con un c?nyuge
dominicano (a) por un per?odo de m?s de 10 a?os o tuviere hijos
dominicanos por nacimientos debidamente declarados.

Matilda
 
D

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i don't see it as "cannot be deported" but rather "may not be deported".
 
X

xstew

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Jul 4, 2012
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dv8 said:
i don't see it as "cannot be deported" but rather "may not be deported".
Click to expand...

i have a friend who lived here for more than 13 years. He needed to go back to the states to the V.A. Hospital. His wife went to imagration and paid for the limit i believe 5 years and they left no problem. Why not have your wife check with imagration and see what you need to pay. They will not arrest you. When you come back you are now a tourist.
 
X

xstew

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Jul 4, 2012
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Remember Migration is all about money not locking up Gringos. Call the U.S. embassy tell them you are gay !
 
J

ju10prd

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xstew said:
i have a friend who lived here for more than 13 years. He needed to go back to the states to the V.A. Hospital. His wife went to imagration and paid for the limit i believe 5 years and they left no problem. Why not have your wife check with imagration and see what you need to pay. They will not arrest you. When you come back you are now a tourist.
Click to expand...

Well the maximum time posted on the Immigration website now is ten years and at RD70,000 (as posted by AnnaC in Visa section on 15th Feb.) No idea if 13 years would attract a higher fine and not worth asking IMO.

OP can get a lot of legal and other fees for that sort of money and mindful he has wife, family and a life here, advice on regularizing his situation should be his priority rather than a cruise which may not be possible anyway as stated in CC's post above.
 
V

viguy007

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Nov 25, 2012
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dv8 said:
the deportation thing is very much exaggerated. but do you ever read any newspapers here? watch the news? take any interest whatsoever in the country you live in now? how could you not know about plan de regularizacion? nothing, really? neither you nor your friends have ever heard of this? i have no words.

rather long discussion on this can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/legal/149448-you-have-until-16th-june-get-legal-status.html
read it and take what you want out of this.
Click to expand...

I do not speak spanish, so I can not read the newspapers or watch the news on TV.
 
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