Dr women to the states

[caliboy619]

Hey Family,

It's been awhile since i been here, but to the DR Veterans...I have been dating a woman down there for about almost 2yrs. She is talking about marriage she works...and goes to school. So do u think its better to keep her there vice the states..She has been to the states on a Working Visa years ago..just figured out put in out on Front Street here.....

Thanks Fam

[jonbonz]

the real question is where do you want to live.
My wife lives here in the DR. She has no desire to live in the US. Her step father is there visiting now and he is telling the family how when people leave for work that is what they do. They are gone for ten hours. They do not have any time to call anyone.
Now if your means of cash flow is dependent on being in the states and you want to be with this lady then you know the answer.

[Rattus_Rattus]

Let her come to the states if that is what she likes. When you have been with a woman for 2years it is better to see if you can live togheter like a normal family or not.

The best thing would be if you could come down here and live with her for 6months or so. Then you would see if it is worth the time and money to continue on a visa.

And also i have to agree with sr "jonbonz" in what he says.

[drew]

I hope to have the women I get involved with move to the US. Now here is my question though would it be worth it to get an immigration attorney or can you go through the process by yourself? I have heard and others have mentioned it is easier to get married then go through the process instead of getting the fiance Visa

[jonbonz]

I can not say either way. I live here. Here is what I know. Even though it is possible to do everything yourself it may just be easier to say screw it and let a professional guide you through it.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by drew

I hope to have the women I get involved with move to the US. Now here is my question though would it be worth it to get an immigration attorney or can you go through the process by yourself? I have heard and others have mentioned it is easier to get married then go through the process instead of getting the fiance Visa

You do not need an immigration lawyer to fill out the paperwork. Most likely they will only slow down the process. Immigration lawyers are only good if you have some unique circumstances such as the woman has a criminal history, the woman has been deported from the USA before, the woman overstayed a visa previously.

Your biggest hassle with this process will be collecting the required documents from the DR Govt. Such as birth certificates, passports, police report, etc.

If you can fill out a tax return you can fill out immigration papers.

All you need to know is on the website dominicanstotheusa.com
A very comprehensive site dealing with DR to USA immigration. (Mostly marriage based)

[Diego]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

[b]
All you need to know is on the website dominicanstotheusa.com
A very comprehensive site dealing with DR to USA immigration. (Mostly marriage based)

Very good advice. I talked to Tim the other day and he mentioned that it is now better to get married here and then go trough the visa application process.

[joecool]

Went through the process 2 get mi amor aqui. The problem was that they brought up an earlier conviction I had 4 possession of marijuana. I could not beieve that something so unimportant would cause me trouble. Big brother is watching.
As far as the paperwork, it was easy...u do not need an attorney. The real problem is the backlog at the american embassy. When i was going through the process it was more than a two year ordeal. Maybe things have changed?

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by joecool

Went through the process 2 get mi amor aqui. The problem was that they brought up an earlier conviction I had 4 possession of marijuana. I could not beieve that something so unimportant would cause me trouble. Big brother is watching.
As far as the paperwork, it was easy...u do not need an attorney. The real problem is the backlog at the american embassy. When i was going through the process it was more than a two year ordeal. Maybe things have changed?

That's interesting to hear. I didn't think a criminal history on the part of the US petitioner would come into play. Unless it's for domestic violence or maybe a serious felony conviction. I know that it's a hassle to cross into Canada if you have a conviction for DWI (driving while drunk) in the USA. I think that is a felony in Canada altho it's not in the USA. (unless you are on your 3rd drunk driving conviction)

I'm familiar with this because my friend had a DWI here in the USA and when we tried to cross into Canada they made a big deal out of it.

FWIW, the process is less than a year now. Depends on what type of visa you apply for. Could be as little as 6 months now.

[joecool]

From what I learned INS (although they have another name now) said that they consider possession of marijuana,DWI, and domestic violence equallly reprehensible. It would have delayed the process even more and become even more expensive. it is funny because I can practice law here but they make it tough to bring home some Dominican honey. I said f**k it. So I see her when in the dr.