Rethinking Permanent Residency

The yearly renewal serves the Governments right to extract more money from you. No other reason..................Stay off the merry go round unless you intend to get Citizenship eventually.

I cannot answer your question but do sympathize. We will start the same residency journey next year and will most likely hire and attorney. It's a gut punch to pay the attorney so much money; but, we would otherwise go insane trying to get through it.

Your original thinking is laudable. The fact that you do not live here full time changes things a bit. Yes the renewals are a hassle, but as with anywhere else, the rules whatever they may be are the rules. I think a reasonable person that lives in the DR full time, can take comfort in being legal - one less potential problem someday.

The way the system works now, unless you apply for residency as a retired person/investor, going straight to permanent (yeah right) status, and actually live here more than elsewhere, it may not be worth the hassle to get temporary residency and climb that ladder for six or seven years.

For those residents who are not classified as pensioners/investors clearly the govt wishes to keep close tabs on you and likes to see you every year until you satisfy them with your intentions, economic suitability and propensity to remain conviction free.

Sure a lot of it is about the fees that people have to pay but there is some element of data gathering and control mixed in as well. The govt just hasn't figured out how and when to use the data it collects nor have they figured out that their definition of permanent is completely opposite of how most define that word.

You've come this far for so long, that to quit now might not be the most prudent option. After next year, it's every two years and that renewal schedule is 100% better than what you have suffered through all these years.

Like you, I am loathe to endure the foolishness. I pay someone to do all that for me. All I have to do is show up when told, and get it all done in a day. All it takes is me emailing some documents to my person and of course paying, but that's it.

Yeah, if I had to renew every year and do the whole thing myself, I doubt I would have lasted this long just because I don't need to suffer a process that poisons me against where I wish to live and I really, really, really hate the bus ride to SD.

You probably qualify for citizenship soon. Have you looked into that?

When do you qualify for four-year residency?

The issue with the citizenship route from the US perspective...someone correct me if I have it wrong...is the US does not recognize dual-citizenship except is certain situations like marriage. If you do not qualify for an exception, you have to surrender your US citizenship.

Maybe playacaribe2 can offer his legal perspective since he's dealt with both sides.

cobraboy said:

When do you qualify for four-year residency?

The issue with the citizenship route from the US perspective...someone correct me if I have it wrong...is the US does not recognize dual-citizenship except is certain situations like marriage. If you do not qualify for an exception, you have to surrender your US citizenship.

Maybe playacaribe2 can offer his legal perspective since he's dealt with both sides.

Click to expand...

Absolutely wrong. I hold dual Citizenship in the DR and US, born in the US. The US allows this and you get no problem of any kind from the US or the
DR. And I am nor nor have ever been married to a Dominican.

cobraboy said:

When do you qualify for four-year residency?

The issue with the citizenship route from the US perspective...someone correct me if I have it wrong...is the US does not recognize dual-citizenship except is certain situations like marriage. If you do not qualify for an exception, you have to surrender your US citizenship.

Click to expand...

Methinks you are wrong.

U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. ... Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country.
Dual Nationality - Bureau of Consular Affairs - Department of State
https://travel.state.gov/...of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html

Matilda

cobraboy said:

When do you qualify for four-year residency?

The issue with the citizenship route from the US perspective...someone correct me if I have it wrong...is the US does not recognize dual-citizenship except is certain situations like marriage. If you do not qualify for an exception, you have to surrender your US citizenship.

Maybe playacaribe2 can offer his legal perspective since he's dealt with both sides.

Click to expand...

The US has never formally recognized dual citizens. But on the other hand, they have taken no official stand against it.

Lots of US citizens are dual citizens.

One important point for those of you who are legal residents and or also citizens of the DR, and are also US citizens.

If you need or request certain intervention assistance from the US embassy based on your US citizenship, be aware that because of your status as a resident or citizen of the DR, they may decline to intercede based on the fact that you are a resident or citizen of the DR and should avail yourself within their judicial structures.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

Any American expecting help from the US Embassy will be greatly disappointed. You cannot get ice in the winter there. And Playa is totally wrong about them not intervening on your behalf. When I killed the guy that attacked me many years ago in Sosua. Bill Kirkman came to the Police Station as a Rep from the US to help. Never gave him a chance though, as my lawyer chased him.

We did fine without the Embassy help.

SKY said:

Any American expecting help from the US Embassy will be greatly disappointed. You cannot get ice in the winter there. And Playa is totally wrong about them not intervening on your behalf. When I killed the guy that attacked me many years ago in Sosua. Bill Kirkman came to the Police Station as a Rep from the US to help. Never gave him a chance though, as my lawyer chased him.

We did fine without the Embassy help.

Click to expand...

I stand by my comment.

As a citizen, they may well visit with you as part of protocol, that is part of their job. But as to intervening, my comment above still stands....

"they may decline to intercede."

And another important point for those residents and citizens of both the US/DR US entering the DR..........be careful as to which Passport you enter with.

But of course since, according to SKY, I am wrong about the first issue, perhaps SKY can explain why lol.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

Playa, do you even live in the DR? I doubt that, but if you do have you had any experience the sort that I had? I was there, you were somewhere else. And Bill Kirkman was actually someone I knew well from Sea Horse Ranch. He never mentioned dual citizenship problems or anything else like that. So keep sprouting your nonsense, and I will stand on personal experience.

SKY said:

Playa, do you even live in the DR? I doubt that, but if you do have you had any experience the sort that I had? I was there, you were somewhere else. And Bill Kirkman was actually someone I knew well from Sea Horse Ranch. He never mentioned dual citizenship problems or anything else like that. So keep sprouting your nonsense, and I will stand on personal experience.

Click to expand...

Twice your personal experience.......but what do I know............except that "they may decline to intercede."


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

The US takes a dim view of those acquiring citizenship in another country, but there's not much they can do about it.

playacaribe2 said:

Twice your personal experience.......but what do I know............except that "they may decline to intercede."


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

Click to expand...

A motorcycling friend is currently a Big Cheese in security at the American Embassy. He rotates out in two years.

He states the Embassy "rarely" gets involved with American citizens when they get into trouble in the DR beyond telling those citizens the Embassy/Consulate won't get involved.

DR1er tflea ussed to be a regional rep on the North Coast for the consulate. Maybe he can offer his experience.

cavok said:

The US takes a dim view of those acquiring citizenship in another country, but there's not much they can do about it.

Click to expand...

When I inquired about this topic, I was told they'd like for you to abandon your US citizenship, unless it was for marriage. Not mandate, but I got a clear message they aren't particularly happy about it.

As far as abandoning US citizenship, if you have any money to speak of you have to wait 10 years to do that. Does not matter if dual or regular. US law.

I know many, many US dual citizens....

As Playa points out -- you MUST use the US passport on entry to the US

cobraboy said:

When I inquired about this topic, I was told they'd like for you to abandon your US citizenship, unless it was for marriage. Not mandate, but I got a clear message they aren't particularly happy about it.

Click to expand...

There are quite a few countries that, if you want to become a citizen there, you have to renounce US citizenship. I think the US should do the same.

Abandoning the US citizenship is quite complicated....look into that

Even forfeiting a Green Card is hard
They want to shadow you for a while