The new system eliminates the possibility of supporting applications with sworn statements
SANTO DOMINGO.- The General Directorate of Migration establishes limits on what type of jobs non-resident foreigners with temporary permits can perform, expressly excluding informal activities.
Resolution 001-2026 conditions the existence of a formal employment contract, registered with the Ministry of Labor of the Dominican Republic, as a basis for requesting or renewing the permit.
This means that occupations widely practiced by foreigners, such as motorcycle taxi drivers, street vendors, informal transportation, messengers, or delivery workers, are not recognized within the permitted framework. In practice, this provision redefines the limits of economic sustenance for those who depend on these types of activities.
The measure applies to both new applications and ongoing processes, in an institutional attempt to streamline the system and align permits with current immigration legislation.
The entity states that this resolution is part of an internal review process carried out to ensure the correct application of current regulations, strengthen the transparency of processes and provide greater legal certainty, both to employers and foreign workers.
A more rigid labor model
The new system eliminates the possibility of supporting applications with sworn statements, a practice that had served as an alternative for those without formal employment. From now on, all applications must be backed by documentation demonstrating a structured employment relationship.
The requirements include a registered contract, a letter from the employer justifying the worker's continued employment, and proof of registration with the Social Security Treasury. Personal documents such as a valid passport, temporary worker ID, and medical certificates are also required.
The resolution also establishes a direct responsibility of the employer in the migration process: they must guarantee, together with the authorities, the return of the worker to their country of origin once the employment relationship has ended.
Clear limits and possible sanctions
One of the most emphatic points of the regulations is that a work permit does not, under any circumstances, authorize the performance of activities outside the approved contract. In other words, even with valid documentation, the worker cannot diversify their income in the informal sector.
Failure to comply with these conditions may result in penalties ranging from the cancellation of immigration status to deportation. Similarly, employers who hire outside the established framework are subject to fines for violating legal procedures.
From an institutional perspective, Migration maintains that the resolution does not introduce new requirements, but rather organizes, clarifies and reinforces provisions already contemplated in Law 285-04 and its implementing regulations.
However, in practice, the measure draws a stricter line between formality and informality, reducing the scope of action for thousands of foreign workers whose livelihood has historically been linked to jobs outside the traditional labor system.
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