Nearly 43,000 Venezuelans are seeking regularization in the Dominican Republic

A total of 42,952 Venezuelans began the process of regulating immigration status in the Dominican Republic, according to data provided by the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) to Efe this Thursday, which was the first phase of a government plan to carry out the process.

From last April 12 for a month, these citizens have demanded an extension of their stay on the DGM’s virtual site because in most cases it is a tourist and expired.

According to Jos கா Castellpondo, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), it was a “success”, with nearly 43,000 people accessing the program a month.

Speaking to Efe, Castelpondo outlined two positive aspects to the process: the opportunity to do the process digitally and accept expired passports.

Of the total applications, 3,600 correspond to minors, which indicates that about 9% of applicants will opt for a study visa.

The second step is to apply for a visa on the Foreign Ministry’s website once they have extended their stay, which is a “simple” procedure that only involves attaching a document certifying work or research.

Once the relevant fees have been paid, officials will begin obtaining applicants’ passports, and the visas will be issued “within a week,” the IOM task force explained, whose organization supports the regulatory process.

Once the visa is obtained, they must finally apply for a residence permit in the country.

Moreover, from the DGM, they consider the number of people enrolled in the program to be satisfactory, taking into account the original estimate of the estimated number of Venezuelans in the country at about 115,000.

Carlos Batista, DGM’s communications chief, told EFI that “we need to find out the reasons” for those who did not join the process, and suggested that if an extension was granted, these citizens should “catch up” with the opportunity to be explored by the actors involved in the process.