Dominican Abroad and working

Chris_NJ

Bronze
Dec 17, 2003
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Good idea for a forum.

I'll ask a question that I was pondering this morning. My girlfriend in the past month has fallen into the category of "Dominican abroad." She is about to start studying here in US with a F-1 student visa which technically does not let her work. She found and started a cash/under the table job last week as a bartender/waitress in a Cuban bar/restaurant.

My question is what is the likelyhood of her being caught and deported for working illegaly? I initially was not worried at all as there are millions of people working illegaly and I would hope that INS is more worried about catching terrorists than with restaurant workers. The place that she is working seems ok with respect that it looks like there are no problems with drugs, fights (ie things that would draw police attention) and it is in a town (Union City, NJ) where a large percentage of workers are Hispanic and not working legally.

The only thing that slightly worries me is that she does serve alcohol and obviously without a bartenders' licence. Obviously, there are many people working in this situation for many years but after the all the hard work for her to get here it would be horrific for her to be deported for making a couple hundred a week.

Should she be worried and try to find a job elsewhere or are her chances of being caught 1 in a million? Does anyone heard of specific cases of people sent back to DR or other Latin American countries for simply working illegally (not other crimes).

Thanks - Chris
 

lensky

New member
May 17, 2004
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HMMM, I Think you in your quest to help your friend you just increased her chances to get "caught" by revealing the town where she works, the type of business she works at, the job she is performing....Anyplace where there is a big concentration of hispanics there is always danger of being question by INS.
 

deelt

Bronze
Mar 23, 2004
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Fyi

INS no longer exists as an entity. It is now called BCIS, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

lensky said:
being question by INS.
 

FuegoAzul21

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Jun 28, 2004
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If the place seems pretty safe , as in no fights ,prostitution, or any other crazy stuff , she should be alright and the authoritys really only do those types of searchs in bars/restaurants unless there is something really serious goin on .As someone who has lived in union city most of his life ,I'D have to say that if the authoritys here were into catching illegal immigrants ,85% of the city would be deported
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Ahhh, Berganline Ave in Union City

The only place you could get good latino food back in the 60s...and 70s. The Cubans rejuvenated that town and made it a great place to visit.

Actually, I think you can work on a studen visa, but just a few hours per week. I know my wife worked at FDU when we were doing our graduate studies. She had a Social Security number and everything.

However, it is difficult to imagine that she would be hasseled on this. One thing, if the new agency is looking for illegals, Berganline ave is one good place to start...

Better check with the new agency on what she can and cannot do....

HB :D:D
 

Chris_NJ

Bronze
Dec 17, 2003
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Hillbilly said:
Actually, I think you can work on a studen visa, but just a few hours per week. I know my wife worked at FDU when we were doing our graduate studies. She had a Social Security number and everything.

From what we have read, after the completion of 1 semester the student can work 20 hours/week on campus (at this time one can get social security card). My g/f can do this in January. Until then, it will have to be cash jobs.

FYI - Bergenline now has restaurants from almost every Latin American country in addition to Cuban - there is Columbian, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Salvadorean, Dominican, etc.
 

Chris_NJ

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Dec 17, 2003
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FuegoAzul21 said:
If the place seems pretty safe , as in no fights ,prostitution, or any other crazy stuff , she should be alright and the authoritys really only do those types of searchs in bars/restaurants unless there is something really serious goin on .As someone who has lived in union city most of his life ,I'D have to say that if the authoritys here were into catching illegal immigrants ,85% of the city would be deported

This was my rational - so many people are working like this so I would think as long as there are no serious problems the BCIS would have "bigger fish to fry."

And now she is doing manicures/pedicures - so at least there is no alcohol involved.
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
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Chris, she is not the only one that is working w/o papers there. I can assure you that all the cooks and bustboys are working in the same manner as well - not only in her restaurant, but also the one next to it and the one in front of it. Tell her to keep her eye out and if the her fellow servers see something fishy, they will tell her.

Lastly, you mentioned that she is doing manies and peddies now - if she is working at a hair salon, there is a bigger chance of her getting caught w/o a Cosmetologist license there and getting the owner as well as herself into trouble. If she is in fact working at a salon, they should have her work after 3, which is the time the inspectors stop visiting salons. This is the general rule for working w/o a license at hair salons.

Check your PMs...
 

Ricardo900

Silver
Jul 12, 2004
3,269
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As long as she has a visa to be here, they won't bother her too much. There are thousands of illegal mexican working freely, she just need to find other working dominicans who know the game and can school her as to where and when to work. Now just marry her and get the ball rollin ;)
 

nycgirl

New member
Jul 12, 2004
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don't worry about it.

Chris_NJ said:
Good idea for a forum.

I'll ask a question that I was pondering this morning. My girlfriend in the past month has fallen into the category of "Dominican abroad." She is about to start studying here in US with a F-1 student visa which technically does not let her work. She found and started a cash/under the table job last week as a bartender/waitress in a Cuban bar/restaurant.

My question is what is the likelyhood of her being caught and deported for working illegaly? I initially was not worried at all as there are millions of people working illegaly and I would hope that INS is more worried about catching terrorists than with restaurant workers. The place that she is working seems ok with respect that it looks like there are no problems with drugs, fights (ie things that would draw police attention) and it is in a town (Union City, NJ) where a large percentage of workers are Hispanic and not working legally.

The only thing that slightly worries me is that she does serve alcohol and obviously without a bartenders' licence. Obviously, there are many people working in this situation for many years but after the all the hard work for her to get here it would be horrific for her to be deported for making a couple hundred a week.

Should she be worried and try to find a job elsewhere or are her chances of being caught 1 in a million? Does anyone heard of specific cases of people sent back to DR or other Latin American countries for simply working illegally (not other crimes).

Thanks - Chris



Hey Chris,
first- you don't need a bartender license to bartend here. second, even american citizens that bartend, work mostly off the books.
 

blondedominican

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Apr 2, 2005
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Dominican Republic Woman With Bachelors Degree Of New York University In Germany

Your 5 mins of fame are over....
 
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Tvagyok!

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Jan 27, 2005
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Tony feels proud for thee, blondedominican

After reading your post, I can feel more pride that I already feel for another fellow quisqueyano/quisqueyana who is intelligent and a good person. Being humble, respectful, and hard-working are the true values that define our people. My parents, family and I have all given an example of those values. My parents and family immigrated to this wonderful land and started struggling for a piece of the American dream. My siblings and I have been brought up as decent, humble, and studious people.
The Grand Apple (New York City) witnessed our births, and also brought us up in a society of open-minded people and
acceptance of many different cultures. As far as the Dominican ethnicities, thera are many (the light-skinned, dark, Taino, and others), and my family is an example of the three main ones-Spanish influence (light-skinned), African/Caribbean Indian influence (light brown to dark-skinned), and now others with my nephew and niece, who are both Korean-Dominican born in N.Y. Also, and most importantly, my family and I have discovered a life in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is a life of serving the Lord by helping other people and living a decent life, as well as attending mass every week and reading the Bible. They live their lives doing their responsibilities, but always place the great Lord first in all their deeds.
And just like you mentioned about being a 100% Dominican, the same applies to my family and I. We are 100% from Quisqueya, as well as from the great city of "Santiago de los Caballeros", more specifically, the "Cibao" (or a city there called Sabana Iglesia).
We have never been your average Dominicans, and thus people have often thought that my siblings and I were either Italian or something else.
So it's good when good Dominicans like us can give a good name for the old country. I'm American and I draw the land and flag, but I'm also Dominican, and draw that land and flag, since I like sketching.
I like my cheeseburgers and fries, but I also fancy the native "mang?", which comes from the English words "man and good", and can be called "mangood." I also like the other foods like "pl?tanos fritos", "lech?n (sometimes)", and the "habichuelas con dulce" and "dulce de leche (my most favorite)."
To conclude, "que viva Quisqueya la bella, hoy y siempre!"
I haven't gone in a while, but I hope to go the capital Santo Domingo next year which my parents and brother, and stay in a nice hotel, as well as go to Santiago and maybe other cities. I have some family overthere, but they are mainly in the "campos" of Santiago.

So blondedominican, I wish you all the best in your life and the lives of your family, and now Tvagyok! (which means "Tony I am" or "I am Tony" in the Hungarian language, since I like studying languages) says:
Peace and sunshine!
 
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