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Banco Santa Cruz in Cabarete.

Hilda1959 wrote:

Not sure if I should post this here but it is part of getting your residentia.  Had an appointment at the bank this morning to open a bank account, and walked out with debit card in hand.  Done in about an hour.

Wow!!  That is astoundingly fast!!   Ours, with Banco HD Leon at Bella Vista , took multiple visits and aboyt 10 days, IIRC. 

Yes, Hilda1959, please share the name of that bank!!

AND...did they have decent English-speaking staff? 

Jim
ExpatRusher

David - yes you can. 

Awesome. On the bank account. I assume you had all the documents needed for residencia with you at the bank!   That is a huge help.  And I also want to know which bank!

There must not be any check back with Canada before opening an account like there is with the US! That normally takes a couple of days in addition to the bank’s due diligence for compliance with the local anti money laundering laws.

I don't know about that but we brought everything ee could possibly need.  Passports, 3 months bank staments, letter from bank in Canada, proof of pension from government and our house contract to show that the larger transactions in our bank account were payments for our house here.

The process is a bit different  for Canadians. ITs less onerous.

Canadians don't have to deal with the IRS so the Dominican banks have an easier time with us, eh?

yes I know we call it here Big Brother ? I am happy for you all that have a bank account

Thank you for the information about owning property through a company. If a couple buys a property via a company and each owns half of the shares and one person passes, do the shares of the deceased spouse pass to their descendants (children) or can the surviving spouse be designated as the beneficiary of the shares of the deceased?

Gracias

That is handled inside the corporation.   IT all depends how its written.

Hilda;

Good to read your post.....we are coming to Sosua in March and will need to open a bank account...you made it sound easy.  May I ask which bank and what docs/paperwork you need to take with you.

I am coming from the US but have an English passport if that makes any difference.

Finally, did you need an interpreter or did the staff speak enough English to make it all work?

Many thanks,

Simon

Is anyone in the process of getting a residency visa? I have my certified documents from local government, but I'm trying to understand the apostille process and I'm not sure who does it. Is it something a lawyer would handle? I haven't contacted one yet.

The consulates usually publish a last of who translates and apostilizes documents.  Some so it at the consulate.

Always best to ask the lawyer.  Her number has been posted a number of times here.

My next renewal is my 5th and is makes my temporary residency to permanent.  Then i need renew in two years. My lawyer Sylvie Vanvousett heloed with the whole process. Original cost was 1500 to start

Thanks for the info, I'll look for it on the website

Glad to help.  We just picked up our Cedulas and Residency cards on 8th Mar, got back to US this afternoon.

1.  If you have a lawyer assisting you, you should ask them about which documents need to be apostilled.  If no lawyer, check DR consulate or embassy websites -- info should be on there somewhere. 

2. My best memory is that we had to get our birth certificates, wedding certificate, income statements and FBI reports apostilled.  BUT CHECK DR WEBSITES TO BE SURE.  It doesn't matter what we had to do in September 2018 -- only what the FR Gov and/or Ministry of Immigration requires NOW!

3.  Each State and the Federal Government have well-established processes to provide Apostilles. 
>> Feds do it through the Department of State in DC.  Go to , do a search  for Apostilles, and you'll get to the right place. 
>> States usually have their Secretary of State or equivalent do Apostilles.  Go to the States you need, search their websites. 

4.  Generally, Feds/State Department will Apostille your FBI Investigation Reports. 
>> In our case, they also had to Apostille our income Statements, as they came from the military (thus, Federal sourced).
>> Be sure to READ the instructions carefully.  Then read again.  Then comply exactly.  Don't forget to include payment. 

5.  STATES generally deal with anything non-Federal,  including Birth Certificates, Wedding Certificates, non-Federal income sources and the like. 
>> Again, USUALLY the State-level Sec of State does Apostilles, but some states do it differently.  Again go to the official State government website. Search for Apostille. Follow instructions precisely.  Include payments.
>> In our cases, we had to first get "official, raised-seal" birth certs from a different part of Kentucky's State gov, then submit again for the Apostilles.  Plan accordingly.
>> Our marriage license and certificate (a combined doc) had to be Apostilled in Arixona, where we were married.  In AZ, wedding certificates are obtained from COUNTY governments, then submitted to the State for Apostille.  Plan accordingly. 

6.  General tips:
>> Follow instructions EXACTLY, or your request is bounced and you must resubmit -- after losing weeks, perhaps even a couple of months.  >> Most States and Feds don't charge for the bounce,  but some do.  Do it right the FIRST TIME...we speak from experience.
>> WARNING:  COVID-19 has generally doubled, tripled or even quadrupled State  Dept and Federal processing times for Apostilles.  This can cause problems -- depending on the country, the docs may have a timeliness criteria.  Usually, that impacts at least the FBI reports -- some countries require they be processed by NLT six months FROM THE DATE THE REPORT WAS ISSUED, not the date of Apostille.  I don't recall DR's timeline, but I strongly suggest automatically assuming six months for ALL documents 
>> What that means is that you DO NOT have much, if any, time margin to sit on your key documents once you receive them.  ACT ASAP!

7.  Consider ordering several extra certified docs for birth certs, wedding certs, income forms even FBInrepoets.  AND get them Apostilled, too. 
>> We did so on pure intuition -- and good thing we did.  We had severe problems with our first lawyer, and had to part ways 13 months into it.  The terminated lawyer would NOT send back any of our documents -- indeed, ignored all emails texts and calls.  IF they even picked up the phone, they just hung up instantly. 
(Just another example of the lack of professionalism from this lawyer and firm.)
>> We were able to find a GREAT new lawyer (Lishali) thru expat.com, but the only thing that saved a comple restart from scratch, was that we already had all of the docs certified with seals AND already Apostilled. 
>> If you have any qualms about the lawyer, or your own ability to navigate the DR's byzatine immigration system, I'd recommend getting the extra docs and Apostilles in hand.   Money well-invested.
>> It's a situation where the money isn't as critical as the time you might be saving yourself, especially if you have a need for the residency sooner rather than later.
>> Decide for yourself -- your individual situation and priorities may not warrant the extra costs.

Best of luck...keep us updated on your progress -- we love to see folks succeed! 

Jim
ExpatRusher

Hi Remy.  I'm Canadian so slightly different rules but it was easier for me to let the Dominican embassy in Toronto complete the translations and legalization (apostles) altogether.  They love the extra cash and that helps the process to go that much faster and smoother.  Avoid 3rd parties when you can.

My visa was approved and I arrived here in March of last year. The migration website has been showing everything paid and completed as of June 2020. I'm growing very frustrated because I still do not have an appointment and we are well past the 100 business days they claim it will take. I've called multiple times and I have even gone in person and have not been able to get appointment.  . I anticipated this would take longer due to the pandemic but in 3 more months it will be a year since everything was turned in for my residency. Is anyone else going through this? Does someone know if there is a jefe here that I can contact?  I'm starting to wonder why I bothered going through this process if they don't plan on ever giving me an appointment. What on earth could they possibly be doing  with my paperwork that they can't give me an appointment? I know everything here is manana, manana but this is just ridiculous.

Hello there,

I believe I can help you to understand the Apostille process.

I sent you a private message.

Best regards,

Lishali Baez

That is why I am waiting now to after covid to revisit, it is a frustrating process in general and can only imagine it being much worse now.

I can give you lots of details....and the 1st thing you need to do is get a local lawyer...we have used Lishali Baez (Lily - and on this site).  She is excellent.  WhatsApp is 809-860-1231

Expect to spend about $3,000 on lawyer fees (per person) and about $1,000 at the consulate.

It is a long and arduous process....allow 6 months and you should be pleasantly surprised.

Documentation is detailed and crucial....Lily will help you through it.

The consulate will Apostille your docs....but some of them will also need notarizing and seals.

Docs will include medical (healthy and no COVID), financial (bank statements showing at least $2,500 per month for the last 3 months, retirement/income letter), fingerprints, original birth certificate (must be a certificate issued within the last 20 years - irrespective of when you were born), passport....I am sure that I am forgetting something

I kid you not when I say that docs are very specific and numerous.

When you get to the DR, you then need to open a bank account (again specific docs) and show a monthly deposit of at least $2,500..and then the bank needs to give you a letter to show to the DR residency folks at the DR interview....

Good luck

In the US, all state-level documents must be apostilled by the state! This includes birth certificates and marriage certificates. As far as I know, the consulates in the US do not take on this task, even for a fee! I was born in Texas, my husband in Ohio, and we were married in NC, so those docs had to be sent to three different Secretaries of State to be apostilled.

Don't frustrate yourself trying to understand the "why" behind some of the requests - some will never make sense! Contact Lily and follow all of her advice and you'll be just fine! We received our Residency Visas in 4 weeks last year.

I second the advice for anyone & everyone to contact Lishali for immigration assistance.  She is an exceptional person, not just a great lawyer.  I recommend her without reservation.

For EXPATCAPITALIST:  NO, it should not have taken this long to get your appointment and approval.  I'm sending you a private message, to provide further enlightenment. 

Best,

Jim
ExpatRusher

GOOD NEWS
As of Monday (March 22) the gov't returns all departments to full staff levels

Diario Libre
The Presidency ordered public employees return to the normal working hours. Public employees had been the exception and were working only until 3pm, with 40%of staff teleworking. As of Monday, 22 March 2021 employees are ordered to return to their offices and workspaces.

Through Decree 174-21, the Government instructed the institutions to maintain and adopt the appropriate sanitary measures in their respective work areas, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Social Assistance.

People have been predicted changes for years.  Hasn't happened.  Just left a few weeks ago and paid the usual 4000 pesos.  They didn't say anything or bat an eyelash. It's the system, they one they set up.

Now let's see what happens the next time you try to get  back in!!!

Confirmed at least two cases of americans who overstayed previously denied entry at the airport in USA!   Both told to contact the Dominican consulate for residency!

Ill report in if it happens to me.

Perfect

How does it work for residency for married couples when one is retired and the other is still working in the states (work can be done virtually)?  Would they both qualify for the Pensionado visa since one is retired?  Would only one qualify for residency?  What is the best way to approach that situation?

YOu both qualify   for residencia if the  pension income qualifies you both.  Then one or the other can work remotely or here!    For a couple I believe the  pension income must be  US 1,750 or equivalent per month.

Thought this would be helpful to share here!



(I'm not endorsing Casa Linda, but I do endorse Lishali!)

good morning all-
My situation is:  retired from US govt with pension (would be eligible for pension visa/residency) but also married to a Dominican...but also may be coming to the DR to work (would be sponsored for work visa by US corporation operating in DR).
What is the best way to get residency and be able to work in DR?

thanks for any help/advice

Hello pareilly2000 - Based off what you're saying if you meet income requirements you may qualify for pensiado or family reunification residency. Whatever you're considering be prepared to wait a long time. I have been waiting since July of 2020 with all documents turned in and medical exam (last step) completed.

expatcapitalist wrote:

Hello pareilly2000 - Based off what you're saying if you meet income requirements you may qualify for pensiado or family reunification residency. Whatever you're considering be prepared to wait a long time. I have been waiting since July of 2020 with all documents turned in and medical exam (last step) completed.

Hello,
did you use an attorney or did it by yourself?

First of all you are married to a Dominican,  you qualify for residency  by  reason of family reunification. Its probably the easiest way.

Contac Lishali our expert legal advisor on this.  Her whatsapp and phone is 1-809-860-1231

Do yourself a favor and get an attorney if not it will cost you much more in the long run I had no idea how many obstacles and I'll say it politely bologna you will run into you need someone that knows what they're doing trust me I went through it. If you use somebody that knows what they really need and the shortcuts you'll be much better off.

We LOVE Lishali's work as an immigration attorney!!!  She bailed us out of a difficult situation with our residency application.
>> i do not say this lightly.  She saved us well over $2k in additional expenses plus the cost of an additional trip (for us, easily over $2500 by itself)......by recognizing a GROSS administrative error and persuading the Investment Department in the Ministry to waive inappropriate additional fees.
>> SAVED THE DAY!   Not to mention effectively reimbursing all of our fees to her with that one move.
>> Now, that won't happen with every client -- ours was an extra-difficult application with certain land mines left by  our previous attorney.
>> MY point here is that Lishali is likely to avoid/prevent/defuse YOUR land mines before they occur.  That's why new Residency Applicants should seriously consider hiring this particular immigration lawyer (Lishali).

Now, no immigration abogado -- not even Lishali -- can make filet mignon out of hamburger.
>> You still must meet the income requirements for whatever type of residency you choose.
>> You still must have a clean background check (with some wiggle room, but check with a lawyer on that).
>> You must still obtain the approriate Apostille'd documentation for citizenship, income, bank statements, etc.

But Lishali can make the best of whatever you bring to the table.

In the video linked to by ddMcghee, Lishali mentions the MANY options available for pursuing DR residency. 
>> Many other abogados -- and definitely the others we have personal experience with -- just shove you into the ressidency  process that is easiest for the lawyers to process, without considering your unique situation or goals.
>> Lishali DOES do that.  I only wish we had found her earlier, BEFORE we wasted so much money and time with an earlier, less-capable lawyer. 
>> Importantly for us, Lishali's ethics are definitely top-drawer.  She stoutly defended OUR interests when push came to shove, taking a very real career risk for herself, because SHE KNEW HER OBLIGATION WAS TO PLACE THE INTERESTS OF HER CLIENTS ABOVE HER OWN.  Such strong ethics and integrity are rare anywhere, in any career field.   But in the DR?  A rare gem, indeed!!

Bfinally, besides all of her expertise and strong ethics, Lishali is just plain NICE person and fun to talk with!!   A wonderful person doing a wonderful job for her clients.

I predict she will be the #1 Immigration Attorney in the entire DR within a very few years. 

Best to all!!

Jim
ExpatRusher

ddmcghee wrote:

Thought this would be helpful to share here!



(I'm not endorsing Casa Linda, but I do endorse Lishali!)

That's a hell lof an endorsement!

I had lunch with a friend that I referred to Lishali. A previous lawyer totally messed this guy up.  Lishi got it fixed.  He is now on his way to residency as a rentista!   Lishali is quite amazing.

Thanks for your insightful post.  I am extremely happy for your positive outcome!!!  Can you give me a ballpark figure of how much her services will cost to process my documents for a temporary visa?

She doesn't process the documents for temporary visa, you do that in your home country. She guides you through that based on the residency qualifications needed.  Then she will file everything when you are here for the residency.