Permanent Residency

My temporary residency is up 10/07/2002. Does anyone know what I have to do to get the permanent card? Can it be done without a lawyer? My lawyer always makes EVERYTHING so complicated! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[hansbert]

Permanent residencies to foreigners are granted by the General Migration Direction in Santo Domingo usually (but not in each case due to special conditions prevailing in the DR)) within 3 months as from the filing date.
Documents necessary to support such an application are:
-A sworn declaration signed by two Dominicans or foreign permanent residents and legalized by a Notary Public to the effect that the applicant is a morally respectable person and did never infringe the laws of this country
-A letter of guarantee signed by a person with economic solvency
(Dominican or permanent foreign resident) and legalized by a Notary Public to the effect of making himself responsible for the moral and economic conditions of the applicant and of declaring to be prepared to pay for the costs a deportaton may cause.
-A certification of the National Police to the effect that the applicant did not infringe the DR laws
-Provisional residency card
-6 photographs, size 2X2
-Results of a medical check-up perfomed in a clinic indicated by the authorities
- A filled form containing all the pertinent personal data
If anybody needs some more detailed information and support questions may be asked to hansbert@tricom.net
Regards
Hans

.....but that sounds just like what I had to do to get the "temporary" and my cedula. I have both. So, I have to go through the whole thing again?????? I thought I would just have to renew it or something???

[Ken]

Stephen,

I think hansbert is correct. But someone from Fabio Guzman's office should get to your question during the coming week. He is on vacation, but his associates are answering legal questions during his absence.

If you have had a good record during your provisional period, you should have no trouble. But since the permanent residency has more significance, the government will want to be even more certain that you have a good police record, have no health problems--especially TB and AIDS, and that have sufficient financial resources to become a permanent resident.

[hansbert]

In fact, if you want to obtain your permanent residency you have to go through the procedures described above.Only to renew your permanent residency expiring after two years it will be a simple administrative process not including any police certification nor any medical check-up but only paying a government fee.Check with one of the associates of Fabio Guzmán and you will see that I am telling you the truth.

[Ken]

hansbert is correct that renewing your permanent residency once it is granted is an easy process. In fact now that the office that renews residency is in its new quarters, it is much faster than ever.

[Fabio J. Guzman]

The required documents for a permanent residency application are:

• Two photocopies of the residency visa;
• Provisional residency card and three photocopies of the same.;
• Affidavit by two residents of the Dominican Republic regarding the good morals and good behavior of the applicant;
• Notarized letter of guarantee from a Dominican person or corporation or a permanent resident;
• A certificate of good behavior from the Dominican authorities;
• Medical exam performed in the Dominican Republic ((blood test and chest x-rays);
• 4 photos 2 x 2 (front);
• 2 photos 2 x 2 (profile);
• Completed application forms.

It is basically the same procedure all over again and can be done without an attorney.

Julio & Chris

[arroyodmb]

Yep Stephen, back to do the same old jumps through the same old hoops. I just deposited the documents that you now have to look for again. You have my sympathies.

I am awaiting a 'decent' time period to look for my approval of my permanent residency, it was supposedly to be four months!!!

[Jan]

I just got my temp. residency today. So your saying in 1 year I have to do it all over again with the same expense? Will the paper that my guarenteer signed in the beginning be good or does he have to do it again? Will it all cost the same amount or is it cheeper? And since it takes the same amount of time to have it completed cn you start 3 months ahead of time or should you wait til the temp. one is a few days from expiring?

[hansbert]

Upon expiration of a temporary, provisional residency (after one year and not before) the holder of the provisional residency permit may apply for a permanent residency. Documents to be submitted to the Migration Dept. are mentioned in detail above in Fabio Guzmans thread and alo in mine. The costs will be the same as for the provisional residency. Among the documents required there are two declarations duly legalized by a Notary Public and signed by two resp. one person as indicated above. The letter of guarantee used in the application for provisional residency cannot be submitted again unless the same person makes the same declaration again at a latter date.