Immigration: Dominican Republic

General information, not legal advice. Data as of October 11, 2026

Visa line

The Dominican Republic does not have its own column. If you were born in the Dominican Republic, you use the rest-of-the-world column ("All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed").

Family (Final Action Date / Date for Filing):

Employment: EB-1 C / C; EB-2 01APR25 / 15MAR26; EB-3 15JUN24 / 01AUG24; other workers 01JUN22 / 01JUL22; EB-4 and religious workers 15DEC22 / 01JAN25, but the part for religious workers who are not ministers expires December 11, 2026 unless Congress extends it.

If you and your spouse immigrate together (cross-chargeability):

• If your spouse was born in a country with a longer line (for example, Mexico in the family categories), your spouse can use the Dominican Republic column. For that, you both must get the green card in the same case, as the principal applicant and the accompanying spouse.
• It does not apply if you are already a citizen or resident and you petition for your spouse: in that case, your spouse's country of birth counts.

Do not confuse the Dominican Republic with Dominica: Proclamation 10998, the visa bond and the January 2026 pause on immigrant visas name Dominica, which is a different Caribbean country. None of those measures includes the Dominican Republic.

Which chart USCIS uses: in November 2026, USCIS says to use the "Dates for Filing" chart for family and employment cases if you apply for a green card inside the U.S. This changes every month.

Careful: a current date does not mean you can apply for a green card inside the country. Talk to a lawyer or accredited representative.

Official sources: State Dept. · Visa Bulletin Nov. 2026 ↗ · State Dept. · Cross-charging (9 FAM) ↗ · USCIS · Visa Bulletin chart USCIS uses ↗ · Federal Register · Proclamation 10998 ↗

TPS

The Dominican Republic does not have TPS. It is not on the USCIS list of countries with TPS or on the list of countries that had it before. Do not trust anyone who offers "TPS for Dominicans."

Official sources: USCIS · TPS designated countries ↗

DACA

The rules are the same for Dominicans as for any other country.

• USCIS still renews DACA and its work permits.
• It accepts new requests but does not process them. Paying for one today does not give you DACA.
• Your current DACA and work permit stay valid until they expire.
• Renew 120 to 150 days before it expires. Cost: $85 (I-821D) + $470 online or $520 on paper (I-765) = $555 or $605. There is no fee waiver. Only very limited fee exemptions exist, and USCIS must approve them before you file; see uscis.gov/DACA.
• There may be changes in Texas; check the USCIS page (uscis.gov/DACA).

Official sources: USCIS · DACA ↗ · USCIS · I-765 filing fees ↗ · USCIS · I-821D filing fees ↗

Consulates and appointments

• The Embassy's official directory (usa.mirex.gob.do/consulados) lists 12 consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles (office in Glendale), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando and Paterson (New Jersey), and in Puerto Rico, San Juan and Mayagüez. Find yours there.
• The Embassy in Washington, D.C. has a Consular Section. It serves Dominicans who live where there is no consulate. Phone: (202) 332-6280.
• The Consulate in New York also has offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island (Freeport) and Waterbury (Connecticut).
• If you live in Georgia, the Consulate in New Orleans says it serves you and has a WhatsApp line for Georgia: (470) 309-4360. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs directory also lists a consulate in Atlanta (office in Duluth, Georgia), but with no web page or confirmed phone number of its own. Before you go to Duluth, ask New Orleans whether that office is already open.
• The consulates do not publish an online appointment system. Some procedures need an appointment, such as renewing a passport or signing a power of attorney. Call or write to your consulate before you go.
• Fees are paid in U.S. dollars. The official table of consular fees is on servicios360.mirex.gob.do.

Official sources: DR Embassy · Consulate directory ↗ · DR Embassy · Consular Section (Washington) ↗ · DR Consulate New Orleans · Georgia ↗ · DR Foreign Ministry · Consular fees ↗

If a relative is detained

• Look for them at ice.gov/locator with their A-number and country of birth (Dominican Republic), or with their name and country of birth.
• If they do not show up, ICE says to call the appropriate local ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) field office.
• Call your consulate. Dominican consulates do not list a separate emergency number: use their general phone number.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs helps Dominicans detained in another country for free: it checks their legal situation, makes visits and assists them if their rights are violated.

To ask for that help, give the consulate:

• a letter addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs asking for assistance;
• a copy of your relative's ID document, if you have it;
• a copy of your Dominican cédula (national ID card);
• the name of the detention center and the detainee number, if you know it.

Also:

• In Santo Domingo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs answers at (809) 987-7001. From the U.S., dial 1-809-987-7001.
• If your relative is deported, Migración (DGM) receives them at the airport and takes them to its center in Haina, where it checks their identity. If they have no pending matters, it hands them over to their family; if they have legal matters, it sends them to the Attorney General's office (Procuraduría). DGM: 809-508-2555 (from the U.S., 1-809-508-2555).
• Look for a lawyer or an accredited representative soon. On uscis.gov there is a list of accredited representatives and free or low-cost legal services.

Official sources: ICE · Locating detained individuals ↗ · DR Foreign Ministry · Help for detainees ↗ · DGM · Reception of deportees ↗ · DR Embassy · Consulate directory ↗

Passport and cédula

• You apply for the passport at the consulate. Bring your valid cédula and your birth certificate (legalized by the JCE or with a QR code). If you are renewing, also bring your old passport.
• Price: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fee table for the U.S. (updated in November 2024) says $125 for adults (first time or renewal, 6 years) and $133 for minors.
• But the New York Consulate's page (June 2025) says $150 for adults and $133 for minors. Before you pay, confirm the amount with your consulate.
• If you lost it: bring the police report (or a sworn statement), your cédula and your birth certificate. In New York it costs $211 the first time; if you live in New York, ask the consulate for a letter before you go to the police.
• Minors: one parent or the child's legal representative handles the process. For the first passport, the Ministry asks for authorization from both the father and the mother. If one is missing, it asks for a sworn statement signed at the consulate. The Ministry does not say who signs it: ask your consulate.
• Electronic passport: since September 20, 2026, it is delivered to Dominicans who live in New York, New Jersey and Boston. The Ministry says it will gradually reach other consulates. It has not published the price.
• Carta de ruta (emergency travel document): $50. It is valid for 30 days and only works to return to the Dominican Republic.
• Cédula: the Central Electoral Board (JCE) is replacing all cédulas with the new cédula. It is free and you keep the same number. If you live abroad, the change runs from May 2026 to January 2028.
• Make your appointment at citas.jce.gob.do, no matter your birth month. The list of JCE centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico is on nuevacedula.jce.gob.do.
• At JCE offices abroad, according to its 2025 fee table: duplicate cédula $15; certificate (acta) $25; Civil Registry certification $30.
• At the consulate: power of attorney $100; travel authorization for minors $50; legalization $25.
• Neither the passport nor the cédula gives you immigration status or a work permit in the U.S.

Careful: the JCE says that from March 31, 2027, only the new cédula will be accepted inside the Dominican Republic. If you plan to travel or do paperwork there, change it before then.

Official sources: DR Foreign Ministry · Passports ↗ · DR Foreign Ministry · Consular fees ↗ · DR Consulate New York · Passports ↗ · JCE · New ID card FAQ ↗

Children born in the U.S. and nationality

• The Dominican Constitution (article 18) says that children of a Dominican father or mother are Dominican, even if they are born in another country and have another nationality. When they turn 18, they can tell the authorities whether they keep both nationalities or give up one.
• Article 20 says that acquiring another nationality does not mean losing Dominican nationality. Under the Constitution, becoming a U.S. citizen does not take away your Dominican nationality.
• First, the birth is declared at the consulate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is free. If you do it before the child is 60 days old, the declaration is "timely" (oportuna); after that, it is "late" (tardía).

To declare the birth, the Ministry asks for:

• at least one Dominican parent, and both parents must go with the child (if the mother is absent or has died, the father may do it alone);
• the U.S. birth certificate, legalized and translated into Spanish (for a U.S. document, that means the apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where the child was born, because both countries are parties to the Apostille Convention);
• the parents' cédula, Dominican passport and Dominican birth certificate, if they have them;
• the marriage certificate, if the parents are married to each other;
• a recent 4 x 5 cm photo of the child, with a white background;
• one witness with a Dominican cédula (two witnesses if the father or mother does not have a cédula).

After that:

• Ask the JCE to transcribe the record, so your child gets a Dominican birth certificate. At JCE offices abroad it costs $30. In the Dominican Republic, the JCE asks for a deposit of RD$4,000.
• For the transcription, the JCE asks for the apostilled U.S. birth certificate, its legalized Spanish translation and a copy of the parents' cédula or Dominican passport. If your child is over 15, also a copy of their foreign passport or ID.
• You get the apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where your child was born.

Careful: the New York Consulate lists a "Dominican citizenship" procedure for children of Dominicans that costs $180, and it does not explain how it differs from the free declaration. Before you pay, ask your consulate which procedure applies to you and how much it costs.

Official sources: DR Legal Office · Constitution (arts. 18, 20) ↗ · DR Foreign Ministry · Birth declaration ↗ · JCE · Birth record transcription ↗ · DR Consulate New York · Citizenship ↗

Voting from the U.S.

• The next presidential election is on May 21, 2028. That day, senators, deputies and the overseas deputies (diputados de ultramar, who represent Dominicans abroad) are also elected. If a runoff is needed, it will be on June 25, 2028.
• The Constitution says that 7 deputies represent the Dominican community abroad.
• The municipal elections are on February 20, 2028. Those are voted in the Dominican Republic.
• To vote from the U.S., you must register to vote abroad (empadronamiento) with your cédula. You do it at the JCE office for your city (OSE) or at its registration drives. It is voluntary and free. You can also ask for it when you change your cédula for the new one.
• If you register abroad, the JCE says you vote from here for president and for overseas deputies, only in the city abroad that you listed. And you cannot vote in the Dominican Republic in the May elections.
• The JCE says voter registration closes 120 days before the election. Its 2028 calendar sets the close of registration abroad in January 2028, and January 22, 2028 as the deadline to sign up in the Electoral Registry.

Careful: do not wait until the end. Register early, because after the deadline you can no longer register for May 2028.

Official sources: JCE · 2028 election calendar ↗ · JCE · Registration deadlines ↗ · JCE · Voting and registering abroad ↗ · DR Legal Office · Constitution (art. 81) ↗

If you return to the Dominican Republic

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the consulate issues a "certificate for tax exemption at Customs" (Laws 168 and 146-00). It confirms that you lived outside the country for 2 years or more.
• It is for when you cannot show official U.S. documents proving you lived here for 2 years or more. To request it, bring a Dominican document (cédula, passport or birth certificate) and papers that prove you have lived abroad for more than 2 years, such as phone bills or a lease. It is paid in U.S. dollars; ask your consulate for the cost.
• Customs has requirement sheets on its website (aduanas.gob.do) for bringing household goods (Law 146-00) or a vehicle (Law 168). Among other things, they ask for an appointment and for you to do the process in person. For the vehicle (Law 168), the sheet says it cannot be more than 5 years old, you must have owned it for at least 1 year, and luxury vehicles are not allowed. Those sheets do not say what date they are from. Confirm the current requirements with Customs before you travel and before you ship your belongings or your vehicle.
• The U.S. government has the CBP Home app for people without legal status who decide to leave. DHS says it gives a free trip, an exit bonus once you confirm in the app that you arrived, and forgiveness of certain fines for not leaving. DHS has changed the bonus amount several times: check dhs.gov/cbphome. The app is downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
• If you have a pending asylum application and you leave the U.S. without travel permission (advance parole), the federal rule (8 CFR 208.8) presumes you abandoned your application. And if you leave with travel permission but go to the Dominican Republic, the country you say you fled, the same rule also presumes you abandoned it, unless you show compelling reasons for that trip. Talk to a lawyer or an accredited representative before using the app.

Official sources: DR Foreign Ministry · Customs exemption cert. ↗ · DR Customs · Vehicle rules (Law 168) ↗ · DHS · CBP Home app ↗ · eCFR · 8 CFR 208.8 (asylum and travel) ↗

Sources: travel.state.gov, fam.state.gov, federalregister.gov, uscis.gov, ecfr.gov (8 CFR), dhs.gov, ice.gov, usa.mirex.gob.do and servicios360.mirex.gob.do (Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs), mirex.gob.do, jce.gob.do and nuevacedula.jce.gob.do (Central Electoral Board), consultoria.gov.do (Constitution), migracion.gob.do. Always check the official source before you start a process.

Consulates in the U.S.