There are students of 49 nationalities in the country, Listin Diario reports. These have received student visas that need to be renewed every year for up to six years. The students need to provide proof they are enrolled in the university of choice.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations says that citizens worldwide who wish to study in the Dominican Republic need to apply for the student visas at consulates abroad. But Haitian students were awarded an exception due to the situation in Haiti.
Foreign students in the Dominican Republic are news after the Dominican government announced that there would not be automatic renewals of student visas, referring to Haitian nationals. The Dominican government is concerned that criminals could enter the Dominican Republic under the coverage of a student visa. The Dominican government said it would not be issuing new visas to Haitian nationals while the institutional and security crisis continues.
“Student visas are issued to those who demonstrate their status as students, and that they have been accepted by Dominican educational institutions where they are going to study. The visa is renewable every year and the interested parties must comply with the requirements,” indicates the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Once the student visa has been granted at the Dominican consulate abroad or at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the foreign student is issued a temporary residence card by the Migration Agency.
Listin Diario reports that the new restrictions put a stop to the practice that had allowed Haitians to study here with but a tourist visa. A source said that what is happening now is that most Haitians in Dominican universities have but tourist visas.
A Haitian student said the practice was for them to arrive as tourists, enroll and then go to the Ministry of Foreign Relations to apply for a student visa. Once obtained, the student then proceeded to the Migration Agency to get the student residence permit.
A statistical overview with data from 2005 to 2017 published by the Ministry of Superior Education for the years 2005 to 2017 reveals that 1,970 of 49 nationalities were enrolled in the Dominican Republic as of 2017, with the largest group being from Haiti.
There are students from Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, United States, Russia, South Korea, St. Martin, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam, among others.
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Listin Diario
8 November 2021