Residency requirements for employment?

Gadfly

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Jul 7, 2016
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I would like to work in the tourist/hotel industry there. For example the big resorts that need some good gringos with good english / people / computer skills, and good experience...
Question: Can I work with NO cedula and/or NO residency? Or will employers say 'no, can't do that anymore, gotta get your residency pal' due to recent changes in laws?
I just want a job to keep me busy, money is not as important, I have a small retirement. I would like to avoid the residency route with lawyers, gov't red tape, money/time spent in the paper chase, renewals, fees, etc.
(note: I do not want to own property, and do not want to buy a car; I'll rent and take gua guas)
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Most hotels will hire you with no Cedula and see how you do. If they are happy with you they have lawyers to get your papers.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Most hotels will hire you with no Cedula and see how you do. If they are happy with you they have lawyers to get your papers.

Interesting that most hotels would do something illegal like that.
 

SKY

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Interesting that most hotels would do something illegal like that.

I can tell you that they do. And it is not illegal if they start the process early enough. This is common in Punta Cana for high position jobs that require foreigners.

I know of GM's in Casinos that were hired this way.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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I can tell you that they do. And it is not illegal if they start the process early enough. This is common in Punta Cana for high position jobs that require foreigners.

I know of GM's in Casinos that were hired this way.

I would enjoy seeing the law that allows a visitor to work legally in such a situation. Just because you have seen it done, does not mean it is legal. This is the DR, after all.
 

SKY

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I would enjoy seeing the law that allows a visitor to work legally in such a situation. Just because you have seen it done, does not mean it is legal. This is the DR, after all.

So you think a foreign Hotel Chain spends 300 to 700 Million US Dollars to build a hotel and then they open it with only people that are either DR citizens and Residents while they wait for their real staff to jump through hoops like the people on DR1?

I was the GM in the Hard Rock Casino when they opened. I was the only person with a high paying job that was in fact a citizen. The management staff all came from other Countries and started working immediately. We have the best lawyers in the DR on retainer full time. And they are not into breaking laws.

When someone or some company spends 700 Million Dollars, as the owner from Mexico did building the Hard Rock, he is a bit different from your friends on this board. For example, try bringing in 60 Sony Bravo 40-60 inch TV's without paying one peso tax. I did, Leonel signed off on it.

The DR has a lot of Gray in it, try learning that.
 

migimi

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Mar 18, 2019
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It is very clear that with no legal Residency no work permit . This is point #1 second point is that most Companies do pay via Employee Card , it will be very difficult to get for you an Employee Card if you have no Residency and so no Cedula de Identidad . There are even more new Rules for to get a Residence Permit you will need to get a Recidence Visa at the Dominican Embassy in your Country of Origin . You will may find some small or not legally working Business who will hire you but I would stay away from them .
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
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I think Sky nailed it. If your skill set is high enough the hotels have people that will walk you through whatever process you need.
 

windeguy

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I think Sky nailed it. If your skill set is high enough the hotels have people that will walk you through whatever process you need.

I repeat, it is illegal to hire someone who works in the DR for a business like a Hotel or Restaurant without a work visa or legal residency. SKY, just because it happens and the big hotels pay officials to look the other way, it does not make it legal. A business may indeed sponsor someone, but they cannot legally work until they have the proper visa or residency. If they hire people otherwise, they had better pay off officials well and frequently or they could be shut down.
 

SKY

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I repeat, it is illegal to hire someone who works in the DR for a business like a Hotel or Restaurant without a work visa or legal residency. SKY, just because it happens and the big hotels pay officials to look the other way, it does not make it legal. A business may indeed sponsor someone, but they cannot legally work until they have the proper visa or residency. If they hire people otherwise, they had better pay off officials well and frequently or they could be shut down.


You have no idea what you are talking about. There are more than 150 large hotels in Punta Cana that CAN hire someone with NO RESIDENCY. They only have to start the legal process within a reasonable amount of time. We only pay our attorneys to take care of this.

You are not dealing with some 30 room hotel in Cabarate...............
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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You have no idea what you are talking about. There are more than 150 large hotels in Punta Cana that CAN hire someone with NO RESIDENCY. They only have to start the legal process within a reasonable amount of time. We only pay our attorneys to take care of this.

You are not dealing with some 30 room hotel in Cabarate...............

I would like to see the legal statues that allow this. Does this apply only to Punta Cana? When I see the laws allowing this, then and only then will I stand corrected.
 

irsav

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2019
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I repeat, it is illegal to hire someone who works in the DR for a business like a Hotel or Restaurant without a work visa or legal residency. SKY, just because it happens and the big hotels pay officials to look the other way, it does not make it legal. A business may indeed sponsor someone, but they cannot legally work until they have the proper visa or residency. If they hire people otherwise, they had better pay off officials well and frequently or they could be shut down.

How about 36 Russians in Boca Chica and about 70 in Punta Cana who work for Tez-Tur and work and live in this country for several years? They have a "work visa" or "legal residency"?
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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How about 36 Russians in Boca Chica and about 70 in Punta Cana who work for Tez-Tur and work and live in this country for several years? They have a "work visa" or "legal residency"?

How would I know ?

I do know that people work here both legally and illegally. In what category they fall, I cannot say.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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The more you have to lose the greater the risk when you seek to circumvent the law. There is no honor among thieves. What are you going to do, stand in front of the judge and explain that you have been giving so and so $40,000 pesos a month to look the other way?

Fly by night outfits and private individuals may hire undocumented workers just like they do in the US and elsewhere assuming they won't get caught. Doing this is a risk for the legitimate business owner as one may have to dig upwards a long way if the govt chooses to bury you for breaking the law if you are paying the wrong people or not all of the right people.

Large organizations with lots of immovable assets don't have as much leverage as they may think they do when it comes to squaring off against a corrupt government. I can certainly see foreigners working here while their visa applications are finalized. What comes first, the job or the visa? To enter the country for the purposes of work, you are supposed to have that visa in your passport when you arrive at the airport.
 
Oct 28, 2011
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Yes, you can find work around Bavaro without a cedula...some tour operators, excursion providers, etc. would hire you if you are bilingual, when are you coming?
 

Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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The fine for having a worker without at cedula is 300,000 pesos. It's called "harboring an illegal". Ministerio de Trabajo comes around to your business every few years asking for all the info on your employees and then set the fines accordingly. They give you 6 months or so to get the paper work in progress....on the first warning.
 

Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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Wow. I did not know such fines existed in the DR. That looks like USD$6,000.

They sure do exists and also strickly followed. About 5 years ago The Ministerio de Trabajo circulated to all businesses a copy of this new law. One of the bigger restaurants in Cabarete was fined for having 6 illegals. I don't know of others being fined. Most got a warning and had 6 months to take action.
 

Riva_31

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Apr 1, 2013
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San Pedro de Macoris
So you think a foreign Hotel Chain spends 300 to 700 Million US Dollars to build a hotel and then they open it with only people that are either DR citizens and Residents while they wait for their real staff to jump through hoops like the people on DR1?

I was the GM in the Hard Rock Casino when they opened. I was the only person with a high paying job that was in fact a citizen. The management staff all came from other Countries and started working immediately. We have the best lawyers in the DR on retainer full time. And they are not into breaking laws.

When someone or some company spends 700 Million Dollars, as the owner from Mexico did building the Hard Rock, he is a bit different from your friends on this board. For example, try bringing in 60 Sony Bravo 40-60 inch TV's without paying one peso tax. I did, Leonel signed off on it.

The DR has a lot of Gray in it, try learning that.

I dont think hotels directly will do that, those things can do it turism companies from outside of the hotels that give services to the hotels in diferent areas, but not the hotel directly.
 

SKY

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I dont think hotels directly will do that, those things can do it turism companies from outside of the hotels that give services to the hotels in diferent areas, but not the hotel directly.

If you had a hundred dollars for every one I personally hired with no residency or cedula at the Hard Rock you can retire................