暗网禁区

@wondering9 good day!

the validity of the visa begins when is stamped in your passport. Once you enter you will have to apply for the residency card within 30 days and you can stay in the country while your application is being reviewed.

if for some reason you can鈥檛 meet those timelines, they will accept the application with a expired visa charging you a small fine.

@Melisa_Emigrate

When you say you can stay while your application is being reviewed, does that mean you've submitted the physical application, met with Migracion, and had your physical? Or does that also cover the sometimes months it seems to be taking for some people to have their prelminary online submission approved in order to get their appointment and submit the physical file?

@ddmcghee

Once you submitted the application online, you have met the obligation and the time they take to review it is not your fault. So you can show that you have already apply. Either way, we always need to follow up and go personally, because if not, it will take months to get an appointment or a revision.

Setting an appointment on-line (including scanning of documents) and actually going in person to submit any physical documents, take the medical exam, etc. are two very different things. However, there is no problem with your status if you are inside the country awaiting for the entire process to be completed. Of course this only is an issue or concern for those people that might have grossly over stayed their existing visa but even so waiting for the residency process to complete is not usually a reason for deportation.聽 In addition, before you even get to the point of applying for residency inside the country you should have obtained an initial residency visa (usually only valid for 60 days) from the Dominican Consulate from your home country which is NOT residency but rather a precursor step allowing you to follow up for the immigration residency application process once inside the country. The 鈥渞esidency visa鈥� from the consulate is issued by the Dept. of Foreign Relations which is a different govt. office from the Dept. of Immigration itself. But the point is you should already have a file in the system at the Dept. of Foreign Relations before you actually start the process with immigration (should anyone ask or question your status).

@AttyLishali2

To qualify for residency under the investment of real estate purchase 200k and above

Can it be any real estate purchased at 200k and above to qualify - or does it need to be a certain project associated as a CONFOTUR development

An investor visa for residency requires an investment that creates business and jobs.聽 Investing in real estate does not qualify by itself.

Recently it was announced an investment associated with CONFOTUR qualifies.聽 That appears to be an informal change and as such could change again.

@planner

Hi Planner thanks for the info

So if i made a purchase of a re-sale condo in a pre existing development

that has staff employed in reception,restaurant,security,maintanace

this would meet the current criteria

No because you are not creating employment. The development created employment.聽 That won't qualify.

@rob jl

Yes. Now, buying a property on a Confotur project does qualify you to apply for residency.

What are the chances this will change back? Any best guess?

@planner

The law has always indica that the investment could be done in property purchase, but they did not apply that.

Hopefully, it will remain been accepted. This government implemented that, so at least is valid for the next 3 years.

If they implemented it then they can remove it.聽 What they changed is the amount of CONFOTUR investment that qualifies.

No. They simplified it. Before you could apply by being a direct investor in the project through the company. Now, by simply buying property you can apply.

Either way. If any of you need more details or have more specific questions, please feel free to reach out ( no strings attached).

@AttyLishali2

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@ELIOPIPALO

Sorry this is the English language forum.

It is completely false to indicate that for the Resident Visa you have to create a business with jobs or a dedicated activity.

Totally false.

I have confirmation that setting up an investment of less than 200,000 USD on a CONFOTUR apartment and the rest in capital in a company dedicated to tourist activity or a direct rental investment link, for example, is a solution.

CONFOTUR advantage is a very recent addition!聽 So it's not false!聽 Outside of the CONFOTUR rules you must create a real company with jobs.

@Melisa_Emigrate

I recently met with an Attorney, Abreu, who said that is not the case.聽 I am really confused.

@amicably33

Oof, do some research on Maria Abreu before spending a peso. Like, even a tiny bit.

I was told today that attorney Maria Abreu is in jail. She was arrested recently and we do not know why.聽 Reminder everyone is presumed innocent. If I find out what happened I will update everyone.聽 The entire immigration department is talking about this

@Melisa_Emigrate
I recently met with an Attorney, Abreu, who said that is not the case. I am really confused. - @amicably33

She has been know by many to say what is needed to get clients! Buyer beware.

@Melisa_EmigrateI recently met with an Attorney, Abreu, who said that is not the case. I am really confused. - @amicably33

Hilarious聽 ,聽 just Hilarious.

The person you mention being in jail might provide a clue.

We had a phone consultation with Abreu early on in our research, swayed by her flashy website and loads of advertising on 暗网禁区 investment forums. Fortunately, we were able to tell that many of the things she was telling us were absolutely untrue, and we did not hire her.

There are a lot of disreputable attorneys here, and lots of people have been ripped off! I know of an attorney from the US who set up shop here, telling people that his ties to the US State Department would be a big benefit to them getting residency here because he was able to "work the system." That makes absolutely no sense because the US State Department has nothing to do with gaining residency in DR beyond apostilling federal documents! My friend who got sucked in (despite my warnings) ended up having to go to a much better attorney to complete her residency because this guy screwed it up! He also told her that she could import her container duty-free with her Residency Visa and didn't have to wait until her Residencia was approved. She didn't listen to me on that either and paid a boatload of import duty!

Before starting the residency process, hire an attorney who really knows what they are doing, has a solid reputation (confirmed by speaking with satisfied clients), and is consistent with what they tell you - meaning they don't change what they say based on what they think you want to hear, and what they tell you is consistent with what you can confirm on the Migracion site and from others who have gone through the process.

@ddmcghee

Can you recommend someone?

I used Lishali Baez for our initial residency and two renewals so far! She is excellent, and I highly recommend her. In addition to highly satisfied clients who started with her, she has "rescued" residency applications for people who started with less reputable attorneys. If you look through the forum, you will see many other members singing her praises!

I second this.聽 I have referred a number of people to Lishali, many with totally messed up applications.聽 She has fixed them all!聽 聽She knows how things are supposed to work and how they actually work. I trust her.

planner, you had a Dominican Truth in your post.聽

"She knows how things are supposed to work and how they actually work"

So often, those are two different things here.聽

Absolutely it applies to pretty much everything here

We wasted money and a year of time with Abreu. No follow through and a bunch of empty promises. We also have friends in the same boat.聽 I will reach out to this other attorney.

Thanks for the referral!

I heard one of her former business partners turned her in for fraud and misappropriation of funds, but don鈥檛 quote me on that. I heard it from a former client of hers.

Thanks for the info. If I hear anything official I will update the group

@AttyLishali2

Just note this part for the VISA

VISA DE RESIDENCIA INVERSI脫N (RS)

m. Inversi贸n en Proyectos de Desarrollo Tur铆stico: Puede ser acreditado tanto por el Centro de Exportaci贸n e Inversi贸n de Republica Dominicana (CEI-RD), como por el Ministerio de Turismo. T铆tulo que demuestre la inversi贸n, certificaci贸n bancaria y movimientos de los 煤ltimos tres (3) meses.

Very few look at the MINREX website which defines VISAS requirements. The point M defines exactly that the Ministry of Tourism can grant a Certificate, i.e. the CONFOTUR, which allows the investment to be justified.

Of course you have to put together supporting documents but it should be noted that you do not need the CEI RD or PRO DOMINICANA.

@AttyLishali2

Just note this part for the VISA

VISA DE RESIDENCIA INVERSI脫N (RS)

m. Inversi贸n en Proyectos de Desarrollo Tur铆stico: Puede ser acreditado tanto por el Centro de Exportaci贸n e Inversi贸n de Republica Dominicana (CEI-RD), como por el Ministerio de Turismo. T铆tulo que demuestre la inversi贸n, certificaci贸n bancaria y movimientos de los 煤ltimos tres (3) meses.

Very few look at the MINREX website which defines VISAS requirements. The point M defines exactly that the Ministry of Tourism can grant a Certificate, i.e. the CONFOTUR, which allows the investment to be justified.

Of course you have to put together supporting documents but it should be noted that you do not need the CEI RD or PRO DOMINICANA.

Pretty sure she knows how this works honey!

@planner

You have confirmation that Maria ABREU was in Jail ? Because putting on the internet that a person has been in prison without confirmation of the facts. That's really special.

@planner

It 's FALSE. I have the proof with Firma Santorni Parsons that an investment under 200K qualifies with CONFOTUR.

@ELIOPIPALO

Yes it does and that is a RECENT change.聽 Why are you arguing, that was already stated!

@walter1107b

Hi

I am Canadian. I have been prospecting for a Resident Investment Visa for a year.

I questioned several offices and especially several 暗网禁区riates. The feedback is very mixed. And some have been subject to real abuse.

There are a lot of shows in DR. For example, I followed Maria Abreu Immigration with her YouTube conference ads... In the end, I saw a lot of contradictory comments. Like Brokers, a lot of talking and unpleasant surprises.

In DR, not all of them are lawyers but do visa marketing.

I recommend being careful to whom we entrust our file. For my part, I will entrust my file to official law firms recognized on the reference lists of embassies. Each country has a list of reference firms in the Dominican Republic.

Guzman Ariza, Alburquerque are for example referential.

Good luck to you.

When I was looking for a lawyer, I tried consulting the list on the US Embassy website and the [membership roster?] of the Colegio de Abogados de la Rep煤blica Dominicana. A lawyer who is frequently recommended here, Lishali Baez, is not listed in either place (well, it's possible that she is, but I couldn't find her name).

Spoiler alert: I chose her anyway and have been very happy so far, but here's my thought process in case it helps someone else.

Not being able to find her on those lists made me really nervous at first, but then I started to wonder: (1) how definitive is that embassy list of lawyers anyway? what do you have to do to get on it? to get kicked off of it? (fwiw I noticed the Abreu firm is not on it.) how up to date is it? and (2) is the Colegio de Abogados really the exact equivalent of, say, the US ABA?

Then I realized: you don't actually have to have a lawyer, you could do it on your own if you wanted, you just need someone who can navigate the system. And by all appearances, the well recommended Ms. Baez is very good at that. (I assume she's also a highly qualified lawyer; I just wouldn't have found her if I'd used the same search resources I'd use in the States.)

I am working with her now and so far I'm super happy. One thing I like is: zero hype. And very accurate information as far as I can tell. (Caveat: I'm pursuing a retirement visa, but I have the impression that people pursuing investment visas have been happy with her too; you could check.)

It's scary coming into a system that is very different from your own and, in terms of what to insist on and what to let go of, you don't know what's the baby and what's the bathwater. I'm grateful for this forum and the people willing to share their experiences.

I agree that it's a big ulp! trusting someone you don't know at great distance with sensitive documents. But there's quite a bit of combined experience here on the forum; you might consider searching through old threads to find tips and recommendations.