Residency - updates and changes 2024

@planner

Good morning Planner,

That is correct!

How do you start?

Understand what visa you qualify for:

• Family reunification -  marriage to a DR citizen.
• Investment category - property owner and rental income in the DR
• Investment category - because of rental income abroad
• Investment category - because of dividends income abroad
• Investment category - because of bonds, stocks abroad
• Investment category - retirement income abroad
• Investment category - pension income abroad
• Business visa - for the purpose of doing business in the DR for a define period of time
• Work visa - for the purpose of becoming an employee with undefined period of time

What documents are involved overall? 

• Original copy of your birth certificate duly legalized with apostille.
• Original background check duly legalized with apositlle
• Medical letter, this should establish you are in good health-
• Guarantee letter duly legalized or apostilled
• Marriage certificate duly apostilled if applicable
• Proof of income duly legalized with apostille
• Statements of your bank account abroad
• Photos front and profile
• Visa form
• Visa letter
• Business invitation letter
• Job offer
• Contract  duly legalized

TIPS for success:

• The first document an applicant should prepare to request is the criminal record or background check, the reason for starting with this particular document it's because, this document  usually takes the longest to get and formalize with apostille. Not wait until this document has arrived in your hands before starting to prepare the rest, one should -almost simultaneously I would say- start applying for the rest of the documents you'll need to gather. 

• Do not start sending or submitting your application to the Dominican Republic consulate for the visa application before the file is solid and complete, or pending documents, this is probably one of the biggest mistakes.  You'll be requested to complete requirements or docs., while the rest of the docs. may be adding some time waiting, this could complicate things.

• The medical letter it's the only document you'll allow yourself extra time to request, as this document will be considered expired for the initial application after 3 months.

Thank you for your attention,

Lishali

@AttyLishali2

Additionally, please review this info. on property qualifications for visa application available in another thread connected to this same topic on visa and residency in the DR: 

''Hello Everyone!

In an effort to keep the expat community informed and updated, I want to let everyone know that, it is official!  The owners of properties with CONFOTUR are elegible to an investor residence visa in the Dom. Rep., and an investment residency status.

For this, it will be taken into account:

1- That the property has been effectively transferred to your name,

2- That you be the first purchaser of the property with active CONFOTUR;

3- More importantly, the price is not relevant if the property has CONFOTUR. If the property has CONFOTUR you are elegible for an investment visa even if the price wasn' US$200,000.00 plus.

Evidently, the rest of the requirements to apply for visa and residency remain valid''

Best regards,

Lishali

Thank you for the explanation that includes property bought under CONFOTUR. 

There are people that think buying any house over the threshold qualifies them for legal residency and that is not true.

Question:  Are most if not all CONFOTUR qualified purchases pre-construction ones?  I think that tends to be the case because you have to be the first owner, but can the propery actually be ready for occupancy? 

(I know several people really screwed by purchasing "pre-constrcution" and don't reommend that in the DR. )

***

Everyone has to do the residency process or work visa process.  Everyone.

@windeguy

We bought our apartment in 2017 under CONFOTUR, and it was already completed. It had been used as the model for the development. My guess is that most of the sales will be preconstruction, but there might be a few stragglers like ours.

    Everyone has to do the residency process or work visa process.  Everyone.        -@planner

Yet I know many who live in the DR illegally .  Arriving on tourist cards, driving for years on foreign licenses for years and even making money here.  There is no control of that as far as I can tell.

Any updates on time frame for 2nd step of process after submitting with DR migracions?

@DRVisitor

It really depends on the residency type and several other factors.

After your medical exam in the DR the time frame from my contact is between 2 to 4 months for DGM to complete the process.

Again it all depends on your case and residency type.

Everything is subject to change.

@CHRISTOPHER DAVID56

How about submitting the paper work to medical exam?

I would recommend seeking DR legal advise.

There is a entire process to follow once granted your VISA from you home country.

https://migracion.gob.do/en/servicios/residence/

I have friends who submitted their docs online back in June for the "preapproval" process but haven't been called in for their appointment. Evidently, the new director handling Investment residencies (including Pensionado) isn't setting appointments until they are requested in person! This means the applicant or attorney has to visit Migracion to schedule the appointment and medical.

@ddmcghee

I would think after they have uploaded all approved documents in thier DGM portal then go to the DGM.

However, I'm not an DR attorney so just assuming

@ddmcghee

Thank you trying to see current timeline of medical, review, etc

@windeguy Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

One should be aware that immigration cases are like work projects, meaning they should be analyzed case by case, respectfully, it is a common mistake to believe that one standard will apply equally for all cases, we have learned that this belief is how many applicants are disappointed soon when they start the process without help.

To answer your question:

Not every case of properties bought of US$200,000.00+ will successfully apply, yet some will, even without CONFOTUR. Again, some other qualifications may apply.

When trying to apply for the visa because of CONFOTUR the property needs to have certificate of property to your name, this tends to mean that the property has to be developed or ready, not pre-constructed.

This message is merely informative.

Lishali

@lishali can you tell us current wait times from your experience?

@planner

Hello Planner,

All Processes are in fact taking longer than the usual.

To apply for the visa and receive response of:

a) Approval,

b) Pending docs. or

c) Rejection,

I've seen cases of months, 2-3 months, which is definitely out of the usual.

To receive approval for the initial appointment, this is to say, for the residency application, which includes the medical evaluation. I've seen 30,60, 90 days.

To receive the a call or an email, to pick up the residency and cedula card, the usual was 3 months, we are looking at 3-4 months presently.

I am inclined to say that if the applicant or his attorney doesn't complaint and hold someone accountable for any delay or uncommunicated feedback it will most likely they even more time. 

This message is merely informative, not a consultation.

Lishali

Thanks Lishali

@AttyLishali2 For the property purchase to qualify someone for residency, does the property have to be in the individual's name rather than a company name? I know a lot of people use SRLs to purchase properties, particularly with CONFOTUR because they can then sell the company rather than the property, and the CONFOTUR benefits remain in place.

Good question.

Hello @ddmcghee,

This is a great question, thank you for asking.

Currently, in both scenarios the DR Govt is granting investment category to applicants when the property is under SRL and when it's not.

Thanks!

This message is merely informative

Lishali Baez

Thanks Lishali

@AttyLishali2

3- More importantly, the price is not relevant if the property has CONFOTUR. If the property has CONFOTUR you are elegible for an investment visa even if the price wasn' US$200,000.00 plus.

——-

where did you find this?

That is a recent update on the rules!

@planner Hello from Florida

In the fiscal update it is proposed to eliminate CONFOTUR.   If this is made law then obviously it won't qualify for residency.

In the fiscal update it is proposed to eliminate CONFOTUR. If this is made law then obviously it won't qualify for residency. -@planner

I am not sure why attracting more legal residents via CONFOTUR is a bad thing and woulld be eliminated.

Anyone understand that reasoning?

I don't understand  the reasoning behind most of the changes!

What I understand is the government does not feel the tax breaks provided by CONFOTUR, which is its primary reason for existing, are not necessary, and the such touristic development will continue without those tax breaks.

I suppose the minor situation of using CONFOTUR to qualify for legal residency will diappear along with the main reasons of tax breaks to stimulate such business. 

The adding of CONFOTUR as qualification for residency regardless of amount of investment is very recent.

And yes if we don't need to give concessions then get rid of them.

By the way I have been trying to create a new topic about the tax reforms without success.  Some bug is preventing me creating new threads. Hope it's fixed soon.

@AttyLishali2

I understand ALL these documents need to be translated to Spanish. can anyone recommend a good immigration attorney and average cost.,

We will be investing a property for retirement and possibly rental.

thank you in advance.

Contact Lishali directly for an actual quote based on your circumstances.  +1 (809) 860-1231

@AttyLishali2

we will contact you once we receive title under our name.

thanks for the great information.

Best,

Walter

As residency starts in your home country you may want to start earlier. 

@walter1107b

Darlene is right!  There is a lot of work that has to be done at home before you can get residency.   If you are serious, start now.

@planner

Do you think they will eliminate confotur?

any idea when they take decision on it?

@planner
Do you think they will eliminate confotur?
any idea when they take decision on it? - @honla

From what I have seen in the news,  all the changes have been abandonded 

So for now, everything remains the same.

@planner

Looking forward to it.

I have a couple of questions about timing.

(1) That preliminary visa that you apply for from your home country that is good for 60 days: when does the 60-day clock start -- when you receive the visa, or when you arrive in the Dominican Republic?

(2) That longer-term visa can take more than 60 days to approve. Is it possible to stay in the DR while you are waiting for that, or do you have to leave at the end of the 60 days?

Thanks if you can help clear up my confusion!