Immigration and Overstay Issues

Rich for now I believe that is correct. However, do not assume that any answer is the correct one coming from ANY gov't official. Often they will tell you what they THINK you want to hear.

I believe you can pay in  US cash yes!

What bank should I keep my money
-@Tchieffo2014

Welcome to the forums. I invite you to do a search on this topic please.    This thread is about immigration and overstay.   Changing the topic is called Hijacking and its frowned on.   We assume you did not know honey, all good.

Once you do a search if you do not find what you want,  open a new thread!

@AlaPlaya Hi, if I read what you said correctly we can apply online but pay when we leave instead of paying online? That sounds like the best option if that is what you mean!

@planner Sorry my post didn't follow the thread I was referring to, and my keyboard is slowly dying (typos). Someone mentioned there is a place on the immigration site to submit wishes (lack of a better word) too, We personally manage a few groups at home that try to guide municipal laws being created and we created form letters for people to submit to the council as there is strength in numbers. If someone with Spanish skills created a form letter for (snowbirds) without those language skills to submit to immigration maybe, just maybe a visa might be brought forward at some point for people wishing to stay, invest and contribute to the growth of this wonderful country but who don't necessarily want to be residents or cant qualify! There are other people on this site that don't do the heavy lifting you and the other admins do was whom I was referring to!

@michael7014 yes you can pay cash or credit card or Dominican pesos.

While I applaud the idea, in actual fact the powers that be often react exactly the opposite. They often see us as interfering foreigners!

Its a needed visa, agreed.  Would be it make  so many things easier, absolutely. Has it been  suggested over and over, yes!   Will they do something?  Absolutely no idea and I won't be betting on it.

@planner yea I understand, when is the next election... that's a time to have local developers and contractors put the spotlight on immigration needs!

@michael7014 Yes, you can. They accept cash and credit cards as far as I am aware.

@AlaPlaya Hi, if I read what you said correctly we can apply online but pay when we leave instead of paying online? That sounds like the best option if that is what you mean!
-@michael7014

Yes, any time I have applied for the extension--I have had it granted for the maximum amount of time and then I paid at the airport on departure. That has allowed me to avoid some of the other posters' issues where the airport migración computers don't show the earlier payment and they end up paying twice.

I am an American who lives here with my daughter who is also American and my Dominican husband. We have been living here in the country for the past 10 years and I tried applying twice and had massive problems with getting my residency even though I am married to a Dominican so I just plain gave up. I overstay my Visa by at least 2 years each and every time I leave and I have never had an issue. I traveled in December 2022 after 3.5 years and no one even batted an eye in Santo Domingo. They calculated how many days I overstayed, asked me to pay the fee for both of us, and we left. They didn't say anything to me either when we returned 2 weeks later. I have done this many times and it doesn't seem that they're looking for anything. Everyone that was at the airport flying on my flight did not have any issue at all.

Just chiming in to share my experience with Santo Domingo.

Can we pay the overstay fee in US cash at the airport? Thanks
-@michael7014

Yes, you can pay the overstay FINE at the airport when leaving the DR.

Thankyou for sharing your experience.

However, like the stock markets,  past performance and experiences are not indicators of future experiences!

@lmclmf2009

The previous government (Danilo, PLD) was very much attentive to immigration matters and they DID put foreign visitors that over stayed into a database, and some were refused entry that constantly violated the terms of the tourist visa.  Maybe because you were traveling with your husband they didn’t make an issue because they saw he was Dominican, but the law is the law.  The problem is they enforce the law sporadically at times and each government administration has their own priorities.  For example, sometimes they send the paddy wagon around to find and deport all the illegal Haitians and sometimes they don’t do it for a very long while.  It all depends upon what kind of mood they are in and what the public’s mood is as well.

In any event, you do have the benefit in that as the foreign wife of a Dominican citizen you can obtain citizenship within 6 months (the rules are not the same when it’s a foreign man married to a Dominican women, an old law on the books). It is a specific department of the national police in Santo Domingo that handles the naturalization process, NOT immigration.

Usually they are going to want you to obtain residency first and then apply for naturalized citizenship.  However, new government often means new bureaucratic rules, so you may want to go down there with your husband and ask what they want you to do in order to obtain citizenship as the wife of a Dominican citizen.  IF they want you to file for residency first then it’s the case of applying for a residency visa first at one of the Dominican consulates in the US and the reason is going to be “Family Reunion”.  Foreign Relations NEVER denies a visa for family reunion.  After you do that it will be the case of filing formally with immigration in Santo Domingo or another office (Santiago) but Santo Domingo is the main office.

If you don’t want to file for Dominican Citizenship for some reason that’s another matter.  But you have no negative tax consequences in doing so and dual citizenship is perfectly legal for US citizens.  You do not in any way jeopardize your US Citizenship by filing for Dominican Citizenship.

As a practical matter you MUST always use your US Passport when entering & leaving the US.  However, you leave the US on your US Passport and enter the Dominican Republic with your Dominican Passport.  If you want, immigration in the DR will stamp in and stamp out BOTH passports if you ask them too.  But this will solve your issue.

Regards,

John

The rules changed John a few years ago. Now a foreign man marrying a Dominican woman has all the same rights! 

One must get residency before applying for citizenship by marriage.

Obtaining residency BEFORE applying for naturalized citizenship is not the issue.  This is required for everyone.  Rather the issue is the time line one must wait before being eligible to APPLY for naturalized citizenship.

Regards,

John

@john-schroder Thanks for the information John. Actually I do not travel with my husband, it's just my daughter and I with no mention of my Dominican husband at all. When we go back to visit my mom and stepdad he stays behind to take care of our dogs and any dogs that we may have at our dog rescue at the time. They just allow us to pass through, PB over safety, and go on our way and welcome us back just as easily. On the trips that we've made we've never encountered any problem nor any of the other people that have traveled on our flight. I have flown in and out of Santo Domingo three times, once out of Punta Cana, and twice out of Santiago.

I am not going to bother with the naturalization process or residency at this point because we are going to leave the country. With the way things have been going the past few years neither my daughter or I,  nor my Dominican husband want to remain here in the country. Too much corruption, the games by the health insurance companies,  and and the sheer fact that they're constantly stating they are changing laws and they're going to do this or that and they never follow through. All of my husband's family also has migrated to the U.S. legally over the past number of years or were previously there for years so we're just going to head home. There's really nothing that attracts us to staying here any longer. I do however appreciate the information.

Thanks.

@DominicanadaMike

     The New makes its money on sensationalism… the talk is cheaper when the story is good…💲..🤣

    If you were to get turned away for multiple overstays, would that make it impossible to get residency once that happens? We are considering buying this year, Obviously that causes problems for home owners.        -@Mike604

I know people who have their only homes here in the DR and have US Passports.  These people come and go as they please and the DR government does not yet care about their being here illegally full time for many years.  They also drive for many months on the foreign drivers licenses, have DR insurance on their vehicles and nobody here cares at all. 

I have not heard of any recent multiple overstays resulting in people being denied re-entry to the DR.  More airlines are asking for return tickets (which was always a requirement) but that is easy to circumvent if you don't have one.

Bottom line is that the DR doesn't  seem to care if people from tourist card countries still stay here illegally. 

@windeguy

in the end they are spending money in the country ...so the government is happy about it, I guess.

Being turned away for multiple overstays should encourage you you to get residency

You are welcomed back when you arrive with the residency application

Currently the govt has bigger issues.  I think that is what's going on and I think eventually they will get to it.

It seems to me that having a legal immigration status is the right and legal thing for an expat to do. Unfortunately, the process in DR seems to be complicated. Provided that an individual meets the requirements, would retaining the service of an immigration attorney for the purpose of obtaining residencia make a difference?

I don't think the process is complicated, but it certainly helps to have an attorney who understands the system. I would

definitely not attempt to do it yourself unless you are fluent in Spanish!!   

@FatCarib it's not nearly as hard as a United States it's just easier if you get a lawyer and go through the process there is nothing hard about it it's just the process. I did it during covid which made it very hard but it was mostly the United States government for shutting everything down which is what made it hard for me.

    Currently the govt has bigger issues.  I think that is what's going on and I think eventually they will get to it.         -@planner

I have been thinking that for 20 years.  I now have no expectations that the current or  next governments will change anything regarding people from tourist card countries that overstay illegally and/or frequently.  I fully expect they will continue to get a 'free pass' to come, stay and go as they please, with the exception of paying overstay fines upon each departure,   .

Time will tell honey.   Recent change is  a bit of a game changer for those with expired residency. You have to pay  RD 7,000 either before you leave OR  get it while away in order to re enter the country!

So you are saying here than the DR authorities are sending back US citizens that overstayed in the island multiple times? Do we have cases here in the community? 🤔 just wondering! Thanks!!

Maybe they will maybe they won't - this is DR. best thing to do is get your residency but, here is the reality; if you're not Haitian and can enter the country and are from North America or Europe they don't care, why they don't care is because they know you spend money. Nothing in DR is for free from the moment you leave the airport you are paying, there is never a net negative that Dominican receives from you. There are no social programs, and hardly any publicly funded activities their economy on a small scale would shrink. I have never heard of anyone getting denied from my ten years of experience in Dominican; they can deny you if they want, important to remember with Karens and Kens.

No one is saying that honey.  We did say that it has happened that they were refused boarding when trying to fly here. I know of  2 cases personally both from USA. However both were during covid.  Not heard of any in the last year.

@planner Hello. i fly into the DR for the first time on Saturday night.  i have been reading on the overtime issue everywhere online that I could. i have gathered these few things cam you please confirm? There is a lot of stress until you have completed this issue. 

i can stay 30 days as a us citizen without going to the DR ”state department” amd getting another 30 days approved. This 60 days is the max time I can stay without a different type if visA (resident or work) acquired through the same ”state department”

60 days is the max time per year that i can stay in the country without getting preferably a

lawyer and a different visa.

is any of this true? Please advise.

Erik

You can stay  30 days on your tourist visa.  Anything after that is an "overstay". You can either  go thru the hassle of prepaying that with the DR government or simply pay that on exit at the airport. The max you can extend online is to a total of  120 days.  There is no need for a lawyer  for this.

nope, i have gone 3 times with this return to houston! I received my email that my visa was approved( 1 week from the time I submitted the last doc.

I have never had a comment or otherwise about the over stay.

Now to start my perm 1 yr visa when I return tomorrow.

ahh, I did all the paperwork myself, I think the US paperwork is more complicated but I did that as well for my wife including citizenship

piece of cake lol

@lmclmf2009 how much was your fee?

@Oscarsahony Sanchez

glad to know that citezenship paperwork for the US is doable. i am going to meet someone and i may be in the same paperwork fight that you have gone through.

i have an MBA and am

a Vet but piles if paperwork werealwaya what the

US military used to get away with stuff.

glad someone else got through this.

I think i paid 250 or around that, u talking about the DR right?

plus 70 per the docs that needed translation, 3..

Yep DR. thanks for the info!

Where did you get the translations done?

    I think i paid 250 or around that, u talking about the DR right?
plus 70 per the docs that needed translation, 3..
   

    -@Oscarsahony Sanchez

[link under review]

Trying again.  I hope this image accompanies this message.  If not I will try to add after.  A friend of mine was just passing through SDQ and got this from an immigration official.

Nope didn't post