Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 25

Thread: Immigration, residency, work permit

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Immigration, residency, work permit

    Hi guys,

    some of our clients sending us information from this forum, where is decribed the immigration process (back in 2006).

    Most of this information are little bit different and out-dated.

    If someone want to migrate to Dominican Republic, just visit our website to read more information or send me private message here.

    Immigration, residency, citizenship in Caribbean - Dominican Republic

  2. # ADS
    Our Supporters Support our advertisers!
    Join Date
    Always
    Age
    2010
    Posts
    Many
     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    In case anyone else is curious, and to save you the time to look yourself, the link the OP posted is to a website for "Caribbean Legal Services" which is in English (although not good English) and purports to assist foreigners in obtaining residency permits, work permits, and in opening bank accounts and starting businesses. Problem is, although a phone number and address is provided in Santo Domingo (and yet another one in the Czech Republic - ??!), no names and credentials of any actual lawyers are provided. There are packages available which provide help with the various services at prices which apparently are required to be paid in full in advance. They take credit cards, paypal, and of course WESTERN UNION.

    Now, if I needed any of the services listed, and I saw this website, I would not use their services. Instead, I would find one of the local residents of the DR who post regularly to this board and ask them to recommend a lawyer instead.

    Welcome to ISOC, OP. Maybe you are a legit business, and maybe you actually have real immigration lawyers working in your business. However, this is not a great first post. Also, you would have more credibility if your English were far better.

  4. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


  5. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Curiousdude, yes, you are right. As written we are group of people which provide immigration like package. From pickup at the airport to find the apartment.

    I don't know, if you know DR, but it is not so easy to go through everything by yourself or with your family. The immigration process itself is of course done by external lawyers (but good lawyers, not some Juan from street, which promise the same and then you got fake ID). We just offer complex service...

    Czech Republic, because two of us are from there, living here couple years, working together with other Dominicans. This also explain our "poor" English, sorry, is not our native language and it will never be perfect, we just trying to do our best (btw. ask British person about yours English ).

    Payment is normally split in two parts, initial payment, which is used to book the hotel, arrange the transport, start the process with lawyers and when client reach the country, he pays the rest. And of course we take WU/MG, people use it, so why not? Ask people in Latin America, how they sending money to families, when they work abroad...

    I wrote this post (first), because two clients refer to this website, where is described immigration process and it is out-dated.

    Anyway thank you for your post, I appreciate it.

    P.S. Sorry again for my English.
    Last edited by Dark Knight; 09-19-2009 at 02:32 PM.

  6. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    It's really not the English that bothers me so much. Of course, it is silly for you to suggest your English is as good as mine. But never mind.

    I have no problem with people from the Czech Republic. I have a client or two here in the US from that country in fact.

    I am surprised that you European, non-native English speakers are trying to market a business that is purporting to do legal work, in the Dominican Republic. Of course it is great that you "work with Dominicans." If you are marketing to native English speakers, however, whether from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia or elsewhere, you should get a native English speaker from one of those countries to go over your website, line by line, and correct the numerous mistakes and poor writing.

    Once again, as someone who is a native English speaker and who also possesses expertise in the general area your business claims to have (although not the precise area of practice and not in the Dominican Republic), I would caution others not to use your services, based solely on the information you have provided in your post, and the information (and lack thereof) currently contained on your website. Who are the lawyers you "work with" in the Dominican Republic? What are their names? What are their credentials? And for that matter, can you give us a single name associated with your business? I don't see even one there on your website. Looks to me like a business with no transparency.

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


  8. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Of course I did not suggest that my English is good as yours! I just said, nobody is perfect.

    We are marketing worldwide, but yes, I definitely agree with you. We did that with Spanish version, we will do the same with English.

    With the transparency you are right also, probably until now, you can find just my name (Jan Pavlik) connected with this website, because I do the promotion and PR.

  9. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Well, thanks for responding, and I really wish you well, if you are indeed operating a legitimate business. I am skeptical, however, as there are "immigration clinics" and "immigration services" in the US - in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and other major cities - that are also run-by non-lawyers, and many of them prey on ignorant new immigrants to the US, take their money, and provide them with nothing of value. In fact, in the US they are generally illegal, as they are generally engaged in the "unauthorized practice of law."

    Now, I know very little about the immigration process in the DR, but I have heard that, as in any country I do know about, you can directly hire attorneys who specialize, or who practice, in this area. Immigration lawyers are middlemen between clients and the government agencies responsible for immigration matters. Why would someone want to hire a middleman agency of non-lawyers to get a middleman attorney to handle immigration paperwork? It doesn't make sense to me, and that's why I am naturally suspicious that it may be somewhat like the illegal immigration clinics in the US that prey on ignorant immigrants and take their money with impunity, because many of the immigrants are ignorant and often illegal, so after being cheated out of their money they do nothing to report the illegal activity of the clinics. Such clinics and services move from one address to another, and have no transparency whatsoever. Of course, I do realize the DR is different, and different standards and practices exist there. Caveat emptor.

    I assume you may be doing legitimate work, perhaps hand-holding of some sort, for your clients. I just fail to see how, and why, anyone would hire a few guys from the Czech Republic, who have lived in the DR for only two years, to help them with any serious Dominican immigration matters. They would be better off finding a lawyer on their own, I would think.

    But good luck. La vida es dura.

  10. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


  11. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    You throw into the air good question:

    Why would someone want to hire a middleman agency of non-lawyers to get a middleman attorney to handle immigration paperwork? how, and why, anyone would hire a few guys from the Czech Republic, who have lived in the DR for only two years, to help them with any serious Dominican immigration matters.
    Read what is on the website, what exactly include that package of services. You said it right, Dominican Republic is different country, different life style and culture. And last but not least other language. Our service in this is to make the immigration process as the easiest as it can be from beginning.
    As written on website, our job start with landing your airplane. Of course, you can handle it by yourself, get nice hotel over internet, hope it will be close to your attorney and immigration, take a taxi from airport for 40$ and start looking around, pay the lawyer, give him needed documents and start look around for over-priced apartment (Internet or newspapers in Spanish)...

    Or you can use package, when we will help you, because of experience and contacts. What we do is "baby-sitting" the client, because (and I believe lot of people will confirm that) DR is really different from US or Europe and with all the respects to DR, you will never get things in the way how it supposed to be.

    When you think we got this "idea"? From own experience, from own mistakes... We were in the same position, because we thought we can handle it by ourselves.

    And couple of years is actually more than 10...

    From the website:
    In the price of "Immigration package" is included:

    • Completion of all the necessary documents required for the application will be done by our lawyer's office in Santo Domingo
    • Arrangement and payments for the Dominican guarantee
    • Fees for medical exams in the Immigration Office
    • Complete coverage of all the fees related with application for the Residency documents in the Dominican Republic
    • Personal assistance of our translator in all your meetings in the Immigration Office and other Dominican authorities
    • The local transport fees related with your meetings and negotiations in Santo Domingo during the first 14 days of your stay in the country
    • Arranged and paid accommodation for the first 14 days of your stay in a hotel in Santo Domingo (room in the center of the city with A/C, hot water, cable TV and phone)
    • Transfer from the international airport in Santo Domingo to the hotel after your arrival
    • Help with arrangement of renting a house or an apartment for you
    • Free law, immigration and business consulting for you during the first 14 days of your stay in the Dominican Republic

  12. #8
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Jersey City, New Jersey
    Age
    58
    Posts
    505
    Thanks
    275
    Thanked 835 Times in 286 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    The website quotes $199 for help with obtaining a tourist visa. What work is involved with this for US citizens? All that is need is a passport and $10.

  13. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Tony Toca For This Useful Post:


  14. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Of course this is not for US citizens. It is for countries, which needs visa.

    http://guiarepublicadominicana.com/v...ica-dominicana

  15. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Thanks, Tony Toca, for your information, which brought me back to our OP's website, to view his page on tourist visas. Quite funny. It says nothing anywhere on the page about the fact that tourist visas are NOT required for citizens of the principal English-speaking countries, and most other countries in Europe for that matter. In fact, the page implies that visas are generally required for tourism. No lists of countries or explanations of requirements are given. Instead you are invited to pay $199 for the "service" which you must pay in advance, and then you will be given a visa. What an utter joke.

    Of course, tourist cards are provided, upon arrival, to tourists from all the major English-speaking countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa), and no visa is required, for short stays of up to 30 days. The OP sites a Spanish-language website which discusses tourist visa requirements but why is there no such information on its own page? Because they want you to pay them first $199, and then you will find out you only need a $10 tourist card which you can get upon arrival, and you really only need your passport for your visit.

    Basically, the OP's own website is misleading to the point it might even be considered false advertising or even an unfair trade practice in the United States.

    After a second reading, I'm calling MAJOR BULLSHIT on this OP's bullshit commercial website. For amusement, I played the part of an English-speaking tourist who doesn't know better and tried to click through all the way to do the transaction. I read the "general terms" and guess what? Even that part of their website was definitely NOT written by lawyers, and it was written in utterly pathetic faux legalese. This business is a joke. I would be worried whether I could trust any lawyer who actually ever has anything to do with these sleazy, useless brokers.

  16. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


  17. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Chillin en La Capitál y Boca Chica
    Age
    64
    Posts
    10,050
    Thanks
    35,697
    Thanked 62,154 Times in 9,135 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Strange , they haven't responded back to your latest post C.D. in which you accused them of being frauds and scam artists, I wonder why.

    You would think an accusation such as that would require an immediate response in order to clear their name, yet nothing. Hmmmmmm

    But I will be fair and assume they are sleeping and will respond first thing on Monday morning, I am anxiously awaiting their response.
    Why should I limit myself to only one woman when I can have as many women as I want?
    George Gershwin

  18. The Following User Says Thank You to yayow For This Useful Post:


  19. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Yayow, maybe someone's eyes are very tired tonight after overuse of a Czech-English dictionary. Yes, maybe tomorrow we will hear more. Should be fun!

  20. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Yes, definitely... You know what, I'm out of this fight, I just told to someone in this forum, that in archive is outdated information.

    If you think, we will charge people which don't need visa, ok, think so... We don't, we inform people about this (this week some client from Poland and Germany).

    And why I didn't answer in 10 minutes, because I was just out, it is weekend...

    I should stay away from this forum, which is even basicaly about something completely different.

  21. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    And by the way, if you are so "curious", did you read the website and my post, what we really offer? I don't think so, because I didn't find any comment to my post #7...

  22. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Just want to make summary, I think that this will get person with common sense:


    We were accused for scammers because:
    • We using lawyers for immigration process and we offer people really easy process howto get through immigration (language, experience, etc.)
    • Our English website version is bad, because we are not native (we will fix this - it is shame)
    • We don't put our names on website (will add it tomorrow too, just because of this)
    • We have together with phone in Dominican Republic one phone number in Czech Republic
    • We accept Western Union (also MoneyGram) - which made $5.3 billion in 2008 (probably all scams)
    • We helping with Tourist visa even if USA don't need it, for what? Who cares for example about China and the 1.3 billion potential clients.
    Also definitely we are scammers because we:
    • Made a website in 3 language translations which have totally just 375 pages until today (and still building)
    • We invest into SEO & PR, which put after 3 months website to PageRank 3 and good positions on search engines
    • We paying Adwords commercials on Google for 3 months
    • As far as known, we don't have any complaint from current client, which will be unhappy with our services
    Good night, maybe tomorrow I can expect some "discussion".

  23. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Chillin en La Capitál y Boca Chica
    Age
    64
    Posts
    10,050
    Thanks
    35,697
    Thanked 62,154 Times in 9,135 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    To be fair to you Mr. Caribelawyer (you have responded back to the accusations), since I live in country, maybe I will visit your offices in Santo Domingo, and see what your set up appears to be like.

  24. The Following User Says Thank You to yayow For This Useful Post:


  25. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
    Posts
    2,820
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 5,063 Times in 1,733 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    I don't see the harm. It is a handholding or babysitting service. Mongers usually laugh at monger guide services but there are clients that pay to have a driver/guide that speaks english etc.

    In this case if someone from europe didn't speak spanish but was going to imigrate to DR, I can see some that would feel better having an english speaker picking them up at airport, helping with hotels, helping when looking at apartments as very few real estate agents speak english.

    Another service they appear to offer is getting their clients a guarantor or sponsor. To get residency in DR you need sponsors. Renting apts means having a guarantor as well in many cases. If one has zero contacts and zero language skills dealing with all of that can be a pain.

    Of course I am not sure how many people with zero contacts and zero spanish are trying to imigrate but there may be a market albeit small. . .. .

  26. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Caribelawyers (Noncaribenonlawyers would be a more accurate name) has responded, and as I originally and consistently stated, this appears to be a middleman agency that is attempting to attract clients for "services" that primarily include handholding. What I really object to is that they are marketing themselves, and holding themselves out as, a legal service, when it now is clear they are not lawyers, they are not even Dominican, and at most they act as middlemen to get lawyers to do work for their clients when it is actually needed. Their website, including the page on tourist visas, and the other pages I have seen, is thus far a big joke, and it still appears that it is set up to take money for doing nothing. Any such business in the United States that purports to help with legal services but which is not actually run by lawyers is generally illegal in the United States, and for good reason. In the Dominican Republic, of course, there is less regulation, and the buyer must beware. Maybe these guys will find a client or two, and maybe they are actually providing value for some. I seriously doubt it though. Right now, their website is still BULLSHIT.

  27. The Following User Says Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


  28. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Age
    59
    Posts
    1,518
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 63 Times in 24 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    As I said before, person with common sense... Curiousdude, when you will try to go out from your amazing country more than just like tourist to search some chicas, maybe you will find out how easy is to go through this process.

    I really wish you good luck.

    yayov: We can meet of course, just call the phone tomorrow or give me yours to arrange meeting.

  29. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,074
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    8,850
    Thanked 5,190 Times in 1,585 Posts

    Re: Immigration, residency, work permit

    Quote Originally Posted by caribelawyers View Post
    As I said before, person with common sense... Curiousdude, when you will try to go out from your amazing country more than just like tourist to search some chicas, maybe you will find out how easy is to go through this process.

    I really wish you good luck.

    yayov: We can meet of course, just call the phone tomorrow or give me yours to arrange meeting.
    Who said my country is amazing? I didn't. Are you trying to say you don't like it, or that I must be a jingoistic American? Why would you assume I have never been through any such process, to get residency, work permits, operate a business abroad, or deal with any immigration matters before? I have lived, studied, and worked abroad, both in Europe and Asia.

    You first said you and the other Czech guy have lived in the DR for a "couple of years" then later responded to my comment that you lived there only for two years that it was more like ten years. Well, which is it? Does "couple" mean "two to ten" in Czech?

    You also claim you are in the process of improving your website. But, unless you have changed the tourist visa page since last night, it still is very misleading, to say the least, and it appears that it is set up to take $199 from unwitting internet guests first, without regard to whether they are among the majority of individuals who only need a passport and could get a tourist card upon arrival at the airport for $10. Now you later state you would tell them that before they pay. Oh, really? Well I went to that page and went all the way through the process, just short of putting in my credit card information, read your phony legalese (written, like all the rest of your site, by nonlawyers like yourself), and there was never any indication that it mattered what country I am from. Are you charging $199 for a $10 tourist card?

    If you are an agency that picks people up at the airport, finds hotels for people, finds translators for people, and finds lawyers for people, you should make that clear. Your website, just like your inappropriate name on this site, is designed to mislead people into believing you have legal expertise. It is obvious you do not have any expertise at all. I do believe anyone of intelligence, whether arriving as a tourist looking for chicas or for a more serious purpose, will see that you are full of shit, and maybe I shouldn't be too concerned. But there are always suckers everywhere, and I am worried you will fool some of them.

    You have no credibility at all, your website is bullshit, and what you are doing either is or should be illegal, in my opinion. And that is so because if your business succeeds, it will do so because you are able to dupe vulnerable, not-so-sophisticated guests from other countries who deserve protection from such scams.

    Maybe yayow will be able to report back to us, and I will change my mind, but I don't think so. You've already completely lost all credibility with me. Your website sucks. Thanks for taking the time to join ISOC and contribute each and every post thus far to self-promotion of that website and your "business."
    Last edited by curiousdude; 09-20-2009 at 10:19 AM.

  30. The Following User Says Thank You to curiousdude For This Useful Post:


Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •