My wife is a citizen of Guyana (I am Canadian). Since theoretically a Guyanese cannot enter the DR with a tourist card, we applied for and received a Tourist Visa for her from a DR consulate overseas. The visa stamp in her passport was issued in July 2002.
We entered the DR in July 2002 and my wife has not left the country since then. They let her through immigration fine, although they scratched their heads quite a bit at the Visa and about 4 Immigration officers ended up looking at it before they gave her an entry stamp and waved us through. In hindsight I suspect that they would have let her through with just a Tourist Card, but who knows for sure.
Anyway we do plan to stay here and are getting our act together to buy a home and also to apply for permanent residence.
My question is if she were to leave the DR now for a short trip abroad, can she expect any problems in Immigration upon returning? Would it be better to make a trip AFTER starting the application process for permanent residency? IF she does make the trip, what are your opinions on whether she should buy a Tourist Card at the kiosk, stuff it in the page after her Tourist Visa stamp, and just see what happens?
There is no expiry date on her Tourist Visa. It does say "La Senora xxx pueda realizar un viaje a la Republica Dominica", so I suppose that could be interpreted to mean she can make 'only' one trip.
Another question regarding permanent residence. I do plan to make the application through a lawyer, though I haven't selected one yet. But does anyone have any recent experience? Specifically is it currently possible/advisable, as I have read in other threads here, to apply directly for permanent residency without going through the process of getting a residency visa?
Thanks in advance for any and all input.
We entered the DR in July 2002 and my wife has not left the country since then. They let her through immigration fine, although they scratched their heads quite a bit at the Visa and about 4 Immigration officers ended up looking at it before they gave her an entry stamp and waved us through. In hindsight I suspect that they would have let her through with just a Tourist Card, but who knows for sure.
Anyway we do plan to stay here and are getting our act together to buy a home and also to apply for permanent residence.
My question is if she were to leave the DR now for a short trip abroad, can she expect any problems in Immigration upon returning? Would it be better to make a trip AFTER starting the application process for permanent residency? IF she does make the trip, what are your opinions on whether she should buy a Tourist Card at the kiosk, stuff it in the page after her Tourist Visa stamp, and just see what happens?
There is no expiry date on her Tourist Visa. It does say "La Senora xxx pueda realizar un viaje a la Republica Dominica", so I suppose that could be interpreted to mean she can make 'only' one trip.
Another question regarding permanent residence. I do plan to make the application through a lawyer, though I haven't selected one yet. But does anyone have any recent experience? Specifically is it currently possible/advisable, as I have read in other threads here, to apply directly for permanent residency without going through the process of getting a residency visa?
Thanks in advance for any and all input.