DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - This just in. Grace period for Cédula renewals.

**ZZipZZipe** · 09-21-2012, 11:49 AM

Here is the deal:

The new immigration policy is law. Through the immigration Department, there is no "amnesty," period. They only process applications for any sort of residency from those who have been granted a Residency Visa, and folks starting a Residency Visa must do so in their own country.
If you have a residency application in the pipeline, you're fine.
It's the Cancilleria who grants the Residency Visas, not Immigration.They are separate departments. This is where the confusion lies.
There is some friction or miscommunication between the Immigration Department and the Cancilleria. The Immigration bureaucracy changed the policies with little consultation with the Cancilleria (mostly patronage appointees with cushy "jobs" on foreign soil.) The Consulates on foreign shores have been SLAMMED and are totally unable to get a grip on either the paperwork or process. They have never done this before, there has been no training and the management in both departments are in turmoil (in other words, they are functioning at high Dominican standards.)
THERE IS NO OFFICIAL "AMNESTY." However to ease the burden at the Consulate level until the dust settles and the foreign-based Consulates can gear up, they are making a FEW exceptions FOR FOLKS ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN THE DR WITH FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY/INVESTMENTS where return could constitute an undue burden...on a case by case basis...to obtain a Resident Visa without leaving the country. It's up to the Cancilleria when they get their pooh together and stop the exceptions.
The door could slam shut tomorrow or in a month. There is no time frame. It's all legal, but unofficial.
Once given the Residency Visa through the Cancilleria, the regular application for Residency apply through Immigration.

I hope this helps. It's about as clear as I could make it.

09-21-2012, 11:49 AM	#7
ZZipZZipe Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 482 Senior Member	Here is the deal: The new immigration policy is law. Through the immigration Department, there is no "amnesty," period. They only process applications for any sort of residency from those who have been granted a Residency Visa, and folks starting a Residency Visa must do so in their own country. If you have a residency application in the pipeline, you're fine. It's the Cancilleria who grants the Residency Visas, not Immigration.They are separate departments. This is where the confusion lies. There is some friction or miscommunication between the Immigration Department and the Cancilleria. The Immigration bureaucracy changed the policies with little consultation with the Cancilleria (mostly patronage appointees with cushy "jobs" on foreign soil.) The Consulates on foreign shores have been SLAMMED and are totally unable to get a grip on either the paperwork or process. They have never done this before, there has been no training and the management in both departments are in turmoil (in other words, they are functioning at high Dominican standards.) THERE IS NO OFFICIAL "AMNESTY." However to ease the burden at the Consulate level until the dust settles and the foreign-based Consulates can gear up, they are making a FEW exceptions *FOR FOLKS ALREADY ESTABLISHED* IN THE DR WITH FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY/INVESTMENTS where return could constitute an undue burden**...on a case by case basis...to obtain a Resident Visa without leaving the country. It's up to the Cancilleria when they get their pooh together and stop the exceptions. The door could slam shut tomorrow or in a month. There is no time frame. It's all legal, but unofficial. Once given the Residency Visa through the Cancilleria, the regular application for Residency apply through Immigration. I hope this helps. It's about as clear as I could make it.
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