Why the DR is showing preference to its foreigners with residency

etolw

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Oct 6, 2018
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Good news, cool!

As a foreigner with family here, house and bank account, and where I spend my stable income, I sense a good appreciacion on what I contribute to the DR.

She says that DR will further streamline and make the application for residency easier, as they realize how important foreigners who live here are for the economy.

Now might be a good time to apply for residency, but I have to wait until I get to my home country, probably next year.
As Norway do not have an DR consulate, I have to send everything to Sweden to apply. Which has been a show stopper for me.
Wish I could have applied from here. Everything goes by postal services anyway.
 
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Big

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Apr 24, 2019
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The D.R is unique from other smaller islands in that it has a huge mining manufacturing and agriculture base. They still need and rely on tourism
 

melphis

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Apr 18, 2013
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Its this type of thinking that destroys economies. The only thing she is missing is her rose colored glasses. The last count in 2018 there where over 80,000 hotel rooms in all the DR. Probably closer to 100,000 now. Prior to the pandemic lets say the ran at 70% occupancy (which is low)on a year round basis.

So 70% of 80,000 rooms = 56,000 rooms per day x 2 people per room = 112,000 people. Average them at a 10 day stay per room so the yearly turn of these people is over 5 million visitors per year. (The DR tourism office says 6.5 million but I'm shooting low here) That equals hundreds of thousands of workers. Think gardeners, maids, cooks, airport staff, food production, farmers maintenance workers and the list goes on and on. It also equals billions of dollars of revenue per year.

Now don't get me wrong the expats (of which I am one) contribute a lot to the DR economy but even the most creative accountant in the world cannot compare the expat/ immigration group with tourism and say its equal to or better. That's insane. I will make a note of the firm this woman is with and vow to never a spend a dime with these people. There lunatics' and the last thing I will ever willing do is encourage stupid.

If this is her plan on how to get business from people trying to immigrate here run for the sake of your wallet.
 

Andre14615

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May 31, 2019
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Its this type of thinking that destroys economies. The only thing she is missing is her rose colored glasses. The last count in 2018 there where over 80,000 hotel rooms in all the DR. Probably closer to 100,000 now. Prior to the pandemic lets say the ran at 70% occupancy (which is low)on a year round basis.

So 70% of 80,000 rooms = 56,000 rooms per day x 2 people per room = 112,000 people. Average them at a 10 day stay per room so the yearly turn of these people is over 5 million visitors per year. (The DR tourism office says 6.5 million but I'm shooting low here) That equals hundreds of thousands of workers. Think gardeners, maids, cooks, airport staff, food production, farmers maintenance workers and the list goes on and on. It also equals billions of dollars of revenue per year.

Now don't get me wrong the expats (of which I am one) contribute a lot to the DR economy but even the most creative accountant in the world cannot compare the expat/ immigration group with tourism and say its equal to or better. That's insane. I will make a note of the firm this woman is with and vow to never a spend a dime with these people. There lunatics' and the last thing I will ever willing do is encourage stupid.

If this is her plan on how to get business from people trying to immigrate here run for the sake of your wallet.
You didn't understand a word she said. Right now the economy is already destroyed. What she noted is that foreign residents kept the economy from totally collapsing. Therefore the Dominican Republic will look for ways to attract more foreigners and make the residency process easier. They have learned the value of their foreign residents.
 

NanSanPedro

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Apr 12, 2019
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Boca Chica
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You didn't understand a word she said. Right now the economy is already destroyed. What she noted is that foreign residents kept the economy from totally collapsing. Therefore the Dominican Republic will look for ways to attract more foreigners and make the residency process easier. They have learned the value of their foreign residents.

That is pretty much what I got out of what she said. I view it as a complement to the AIs and not competition or an either/or.
 

melphis

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Apr 18, 2013
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You didn't understand a word she said. Right now the economy is already destroyed. What she noted is that foreign residents kept the economy from totally collapsing. Therefore the Dominican Republic will look for ways to attract more foreigners and make the residency process easier. They have learned the value of their foreign residents.
I went back and watched it again. I still stand by what I said. There is no way the resident base here can sustain the economy. Its sputtering along but unless tourism comes back the DR will suffer greatly. As will most countries until the fear mongering of covid stops.

Her saying that the now is the time to apply for residency is ridiculous at best. When I did my residency from scratch the DR had a pretty good system. Not perfect but a hell of a lot better than it is today. Serious changes have to be made to it. I'm sure she makes a good living off the current system but in the past you didn't need to spend thousands with companies like hers. In my opinion the current system was set up to help these "immigration experts" make money off people trying to get residency. Just another form of corruption but as I said that's my opinion.

Either way I hope common sense takes control soon and things can get back normal.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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When I see evidence of what she has said, then I can agree. When banking, the residency process, etc, actually become easier in the future as she suggests, then I would agree residency will have a higher priority. The number of residents is insignificant when compared to the vast numbers of AI tourists.

At the moment all government actions have been in regaining AI tourism and not attracting residents.

(Normally the naysayers would jump all over this by saying that she is an immigration attorney trolling for clients.)
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Outside the AI tourism is minuscule... TINY!!

Think about it
6-7M tourists.... $10 in - $20 on exit..... do the math

Our little group contributes = Yes
Supports anything significant?.........No

But certainly, the banking, driving, and who knows what else become easier....
 

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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Cabarete
It seems to me that the video is rather counter-productive. She says there are all sorts of measures coming, that she can't discuss, that would make getting Residency easier. So instead of the conclusion that she reaches, that now is the time to apply for Residency, it seems that really it would be better to wait until the proposed measures are actually in place. That's assuming that they will actually ever happen.
 

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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It seems to me that the video is rather counter-productive. She says there are all sorts of measures coming, that she can't discuss, that would make getting Residency easier. So instead of the conclusion that she reaches, that now is the time to apply for Residency, it seems that really it would be better to wait until the proposed measures are actually in place. That's assuming that they will actually ever happen.
Yes, I agree that there seems to be "Part Two" and I wonder what is her motivation? Why the urgency? Like buying a "hot" stock? LOL
 
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GusFring

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Apr 15, 2020
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You didn't understand a word she said. Right now the economy is already destroyed. What she noted is that foreign residents kept the economy from totally collapsing. Therefore the Dominican Republic will look for ways to attract more foreigners and make the residency process easier. They have learned the value of their foreign residents.
Explaining this to the spewcrew is a waste of breathe.
 

XTraveller

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Aug 21, 2010
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If Dr really wanted to make residency easy you would not need a lawyer for the process. Their would be clear instructions online and a resource centre to help you with the process.

That said they did improve a lot with the online system, just missing a resource centre to help people with the process.
 

GusFring

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Apr 15, 2020
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If Dr really wanted to make residency easy you would not need a lawyer for the process. Their would be clear instructions online and a resource centre to help you with the process.

That said they did improve a lot with the online system, just missing a resource centre to help people with the process.
The process is a calamitous joke and this abogado in the video can do nothing to alleviate it and the RD could care less.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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History tells us the residency process is getting harder - not easier.
My 2008 experience was a piece of cake - today = 4yrs temp, and many other hurdles.

But - let's remember , this was all under the same gov't.
It may indeed happen that the new boys will simplify the process.... might, just might happen.
They have streamlined the extension program - something almot ignored up to now

We all are hoping for a brave new world
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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IMO, the new site is better
Someone worked to improve it....

Read here on DR1... too many found the March site cumbersome and hard to navigate
It was a feeble effort.....
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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While the idea seems to be a good one. The requirements and process for obtaining an extension still seem a bit too onerous to appeal to many tourists who wish to stay longer than 30 days. Paying the exit fee/fine when leaving doesn't involve a medical exam or filling out forms or having to go to a govt office. The cost of the legal extension seems to be the same as the overstay fees/fines so there doesn't seem to be an incentive to put out the extra effort. Now if tourists start getting hassled about overstaying and not obtaining an extension, that would constitute incentive and maybe then some would opt to jump through the hoops to extend. I suspect that most will not bother until there is a very tangible reason to do so.

The program indicates you can pay online, at DGM in Santo Domingo or at the airport. Anyone know where at the airport one can pay to extend?. People without a boarding pass probably can't get to the exit fee cashier window.
 
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