Obtaining a cedula/residency?

Like Planner said the US embassy wont be able to do much for you

Bob K

Congrats Luis  Will you be living there or moving back to the states? Tell us a bit more about your story. Best of luck and please come back and share the process with us. I will send you a PM.

I have a few questions. How hard is it for a americian to get a job in the DR. How hard is for children to adjust and how hard is it for them to go to school.?

Now can someone please explain what is the process for a Domician who has limited transportation get a visa to come to the u.s to visit

Nikki first off welcome to the forum.

Here is some info for you.
1.. It is very hard for an American to get a job here unless you have a particular skill that is needed.  You also need your residency and Cedula (national Id card) to work legally.
2.  Most American kids go to private schools and that can get expensive.  Public schools here are a joke and not much education gets done.  It is improving but has a LONG way to go.  Kids seem to adjust pretty well.
3.  It is next to impossible for a Dominican to get a visa to go to the US with lots of rules.  Including money the bank, own your own home, have a job (long term), have ties to the community. You must prove that you plan on returning and have a reason to return.

Have you been here before???

Bob K

I second the welcome. Bob is giving you good information.  As an American moving here you need to jump through lots of hoops to get your residencia and cedula, then you can get a job.  Depending what area of the country that is hard to do.  At the very least you can get a job in a call center,  can you live on  US 500 or US 600 a month??? IT is hard.

As for getting him there -  even harder.  IF he has no transportation then it tells us a lot.  He will be VERY unlikely to qualify and you will be wasting money. They only other way is to marry him - but that is a whole other discussion! 

Read the threads here to get a better sense of things, then come on back with your questions,  start new threads, or post in threads with subjects that you are asking about.

Yes I been there twice. I met someone and I really like him and been twice. It is very time consuming to go vIsit all the time because I have a job .  He wants to come visit not stay because he wants to see how it is. He has asked me to come but I cant leave with 3 kids who speak no spanish and I wont have a job

I understand no transportation but he has a job he works in punta cana  at the hotel. No need for transportation when you live. So he still cant get a visa

You are going down the path of destruction.  My advice.....Forget him he is a skanky and is going to end up using you and costing you$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

You and your three kids should get on with your life back home.

Sorry for the brutality but that is honestly what happens 99.9999% of the time when you "meet" a hotel worker on vacation.

RUN and run away quickly before you get in any deeper.

Bob K

Hi, My name is Lisa and I am a U.S. Citizen who is married to a Dominican man and we have a U.S. Citizen daughter who is 6 years old.  We moved here in the summer of 2014 with neither of us speaking Spanish.  We moved to Jarabacoa which is in the province of La Vega (midway between Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata.  All that being said,  it can be very difficult not speaking Spanish but that also depends on where you live (based on my experience).  There is a large expat community here in Jarabacoa and the local people are quite nice.  My little knowledge of Spanish from high school, many moons ago has helped me out for sure but I do rely upon my husband quite a bit who is fluent in Spanish.

As for the kids, my daughter has adapted pretty well, but again she is 6.  She attends Doulos Discovery School in Jarabacoa which is a fraction of what the other American schools charge here on the island.  Here, the students are taught in English and also receive Spanish class and Dominican Social Studies but also pay tribute to the local community learn about the culture, sing the National Anthem etc.  The kids receive both an American and Dominican Diploma.  They have a website you can check out ( www.doulosdiscovery.org )  So far, so good.  Most of the teachers are from the U.S. and are very nice.  My daughter has an amazing 1st grade teacher and she loves it.  Most kids speak English, some not as well as others but they are super sweet and are used to expat children joining their classes.  We are very involved at the school and they welcome it.  We even meet our daughter daily for lunch as many other parents do as well.

As for jobs, Bob K hit it on the head.  In my opinion, there are more people here not working than working as they rely on money from family in the states or other countries.  You definitely need a special skill to be able to make it.  I think that goes for anywhere on the island. 

Transportation- We only have 2 pet assola's which we purchased here during the summer.  You can get one new for about 40,000 pesos or under $1000 (of course here in Jarabacoa).  In regards to getting around, most people use mopeds or motorcycles since to purchase a car here is like taking on a mortgage.  OUTRAGEOUS PRICES!!!  You can use Caribe Tours to go from larger town to larger town, the guaguas (smaller buses) or taxi.  I just took Caribe tours from Jarabacoa to Santo Domingo then a taxi from the bus stop to SDQ airport for $34 U.S. and that was about a 3 1/2hr trip.  There are definitely ways to get around.

As for the residency or Naturalization, I made a long post earlier on this thread.

Hope some of this helps.

Bob K wrote:

You are going down the path of destruction.  My advice.....Forget him he is a skanky and is going to end up using you and costing you$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

You and your three kids should get on with your life back home.

Sorry for the brutality but that is honestly what happens 99.9999% of the time when you "meet" a hotel worker on vacation.

RUN and run away quickly before you get in any deeper.

Bob K

YES, Bob is right!!!!!  When you make a life changing move like this, especially with kids, it needs to be SERIOUS!!!!!  My husband and I have been together for years and are each others Best Friend.  Life apart was not an option.  You have to be a strong couple to make it through some of the challenges here.  Yes, it is beautiful but there is a reason many live in poverty and want to leave.  You do not live at the beach every day nor is it all roses.  Life sets in. Kids want to eat, need clothes etc.  Food here, clothing etc is expensive as they are imported so you need to realize that, not to mention the rediculous 18% tax etc.  This is a move you make that has been planned out, not on a whim.  THINK CAREFULLY!!  Also, just so you know, if you petition for him to come to the U.S. and he gets a Visa or greencard, you are financially responsible for him FOREVER!  If you break up or he cant get a job there and files for medicaid etc, you are responsible to provide financial support for him.  You cannot get out of that.  It is written right on the forms that even divorce does not nullify the agreement.  My suggestion... speak to a lawyer both in the U.S. and D.R.

I think Bob K.  may be on to something A few folks call this the land of the replacement killer. Make friends and keep them close at heart and where you find them. Brutal but honest.

Remember this is a "middle aged woman" with three kid  who fell in love with is suspect a 20 something hotel worker.  And she want to take him to the US.  His chances of  getting a visa to visit the US are just slightly worse than the sun not coming up tomorrow.

And her moving here with her family and no job is absolutely INSANE

Bob K

Saad but  true, you need to listen to Bob. I agree with him 100%%%

Oh I do hope she sees the light

Bob K

Hello Planner ,, is there a difference between a residency and a  retirement special status  recidencia ? What are the steps to obtain the latter?  Thanks Debra

Normal residency is temporary residency which is renewed anually.

The “special status” residency which retirees who receive over US$1,500 a month qualify for grant your permanent residency which comes with some tax breaks.

This type of residency costs more and is renewed on the first year and then every other year. Applicants also must have a Dominican bank account before submitting their application to Immigration.

The retirement residency  is a classification of residency and you qualify for it.  So the requirements are similar to regular plus proof of income - specific types qualify - and you need a bank account which is not a big deal.

Perfect thank you 

We are in Washington DC today to turn in our residency paperwork as  retirees. The most challenging part may be the proof of income. In our case we do not have a traditional "pension", yet they still require this. How many US employers today carry pensions? Not many. So, our attorney advised us to get creative. That's all I'm saying about that.   ;0)

Yes the idea of a traditional pension is changing, buy not the rules here!

You are correct not many companies offer pensions any more. My husband has a pension, but very small! We are using his Social Security benefit to get residency when we go.....please don't tell me they don't except social security??