Residency - updates and changes 2024

1. From when you receive the visa

2. Yes you can stay while waiting

@wondering9 good day!

the validity of the visa begins when is stamped in your passport. Once you enter you will have to apply for the residency card within 30 days and you can stay in the country while your application is being reviewed.

if for some reason you can’t meet those timelines, they will accept the application with a expired visa charging you a small fine.

@Melisa_Emigrate

When you say you can stay while your application is being reviewed, does that mean you've submitted the physical application, met with Migracion, and had your physical? Or does that also cover the sometimes months it seems to be taking for some people to have their prelminary online submission approved in order to get their appointment and submit the physical file?

@ddmcghee

Once you submitted the application online, you have met the obligation and the time they take to review it is not your fault. So you can show that you have already apply. Either way, we always need to follow up and go personally, because if not, it will take months to get an appointment or a revision.

Setting an appointment on-line (including scanning of documents) and actually going in person to submit any physical documents, take the medical exam, etc. are two very different things. However, there is no problem with your status if you are inside the country awaiting for the entire process to be completed. Of course this only is an issue or concern for those people that might have grossly over stayed their existing visa but even so waiting for the residency process to complete is not usually a reason for deportation.  In addition, before you even get to the point of applying for residency inside the country you should have obtained an initial residency visa (usually only valid for 60 days) from the Dominican Consulate from your home country which is NOT residency but rather a precursor step allowing you to follow up for the immigration residency application process once inside the country. The “residency visa” from the consulate is issued by the Dept. of Foreign Relations which is a different govt. office from the Dept. of Immigration itself. But the point is you should already have a file in the system at the Dept. of Foreign Relations before you actually start the process with immigration (should anyone ask or question your status).

@AttyLishali2

To qualify for residency under the investment of real estate purchase 200k and above

Can it be any real estate purchased at 200k and above to qualify - or does it need to be a certain project associated as a CONFOTUR development

An investor visa for residency requires an investment that creates business and jobs.  Investing in real estate does not qualify by itself.

Recently it was announced an investment associated with CONFOTUR qualifies.  That appears to be an informal change and as such could change again.

@planner

Hi Planner thanks for the info

So if i made a purchase of a re-sale condo in a pre existing development

that has staff employed in reception,restaurant,security,maintanace

this would meet the current criteria

No because you are not creating employment. The development created employment.  That won't qualify.

@rob jl

Yes. Now, buying a property on a Confotur project does qualify you to apply for residency.

What are the chances this will change back? Any best guess?

@planner

The law has always indica that the investment could be done in property purchase, but they did not apply that.

Hopefully, it will remain been accepted. This government implemented that, so at least is valid for the next 3 years.

If they implemented it then they can remove it.  What they changed is the amount of CONFOTUR investment that qualifies.

No. They simplified it. Before you could apply by being a direct investor in the project through the company. Now, by simply buying property you can apply.

Either way. If any of you need more details or have more specific questions, please feel free to reach out ( no strings attached).