2 for 2
I KNOW that sometimes, life just takes longer in Latin America. I've heard the horror stories, but so far I'm 2 for 2 in accomplishing things with surprising efficiency. Getting a SIM card only took one visit to Claro, and my trip to the capital for step #1 in obtaining a residency card couldn't have gone smoother.
The Warren family (Regional Business Manager Blake, wife Lizz, and their 3 girls), Jamielynn, and I left Santiago at 6 am on Friday morning, bound for the immigration office in Santo Domingo (pictured below). After circling the block a few times to find a parking spot, if you can call it that, we headed inside to connect with our immigration lawyer, Mildred. She handed me my passport & residency documents (and 3 mo. old Joanna's to the Warrens) and gave us the address of a nearby clinic where I'd undergo the obligatory checkup; infants are exempt. We were on our way in less time than it had taken to find a parking spot.
Now, we wait for Mildred to call and say that Joanna and I are ready to get pictures taken and be issued our actual residency cards. That should take about three months, so I'd anticipate another residency trip with the Warrens in late November or early December.
Blake tells me the expediency we experienced is a result of shored up proceedings on the part of the Dominicans, as well as the LAC missionary team having been through the residency process so many times that we have a handle on everything that's needed. All I can say is that I've been spoiled thus far by an unexpected lack of bureaucracy and red tape and can only hope it continues.
Until next time, blessings!
The Warren family (Regional Business Manager Blake, wife Lizz, and their 3 girls), Jamielynn, and I left Santiago at 6 am on Friday morning, bound for the immigration office in Santo Domingo (pictured below). After circling the block a few times to find a parking spot, if you can call it that, we headed inside to connect with our immigration lawyer, Mildred. She handed me my passport & residency documents (and 3 mo. old Joanna's to the Warrens) and gave us the address of a nearby clinic where I'd undergo the obligatory checkup; infants are exempt. We were on our way in less time than it had taken to find a parking spot.
The clinic was about a 15 min. drive. We found it with no problem but were told we needed copies of our passports, which we hadn't thought to bring. The receptionist gave us directions to a place about three blocks away, so the delay was short-lived. My checkup consisted of an oral questionnaire, a urine sample, one vial of blood, and a chest X-ray. A stamp was added to the documents Mildred had given me, and off we went back to the immigration office.
We found a spot in the parking lot right away this time and went inside to find Mildred, psyching ourselves up for a wait of indeterminate duration. We spotted her right away...and were told we were free to go. Once again, we were inside the building for less time than it had taken to find a parking spot! Jamielynn had already gone back to Santiago with the Kreys, who had driven down separately the night before; both she and two of the Krey girls were only along to renew their cards. That left the Warrens & I on our own to get lunch and make the return trip. The KFC we tried first was closed for renovations, so we opted for a Burger King just down the road that happened to be next door to a Krispy Kreme :)
Now, we wait for Mildred to call and say that Joanna and I are ready to get pictures taken and be issued our actual residency cards. That should take about three months, so I'd anticipate another residency trip with the Warrens in late November or early December.
Blake tells me the expediency we experienced is a result of shored up proceedings on the part of the Dominicans, as well as the LAC missionary team having been through the residency process so many times that we have a handle on everything that's needed. All I can say is that I've been spoiled thus far by an unexpected lack of bureaucracy and red tape and can only hope it continues.
Until next time, blessings!
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