Residency

Description

EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE WITHOUT USING THIS, OR ANY, SERVICE. THIS SERVICE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

Our Residency Package includes:

• A personal interview to determine the appropriate visa program for your situation. There is a visa that is right for everyone.
• A Power of Attorney allowing us to create and submit the residency application on your behalf.
• To create this document, we require a high-resolution copy of the identity page of your passport, showing all edges.
• Before we submit the application, we will require high-resolution copies of all the stamped pages in your passport, legalized criminal record checks from your residence(s) for the past two years, and a variety of other documents specific to the visa program for which you apply.
• We will also need a local address, telephone number, and email. The address may change (it can be temporary accommodation) but if it does change, you must make immigration aware of the new address within five days of your move.
• Immigration usually performs an unannounced visit toward the end of its review at the address you indicate.
• You must be in-country when the application is submitted and appear at the immigration office in order to be photographed for your ID card. If you are not present for the unannounced visit, or immediately thereafter, your application may be denied. Therefore, it is recommended that you prepare to remain in the country for the approximately 8 weeks it will take to fully approve your request.
• We will work with you to request any foreign documents needed to support your application, as well as coordinating the legalization of those documents.
• We will either pay directly, or reimburse you for all fees related to the issuance, professional indications, and mailing of the documents.
• We will provide the translation of any required documents into Spanish by an official Salvadoran translator.
• We will provide for the secondary notarizing of all documents by an official Salvadoran attorney.
• We will perform the final review of your application by a Salvadoran attorney, and submit it on your behalf.
• We will pay the application fees to immigration.
• We will take you to get your NIT if you want (it is a tax payer identification number, necessary for certain legal contracts, like buying property or opening a business).
• We have once a month ‘Bank Account Days’ and ‘Driving License Days’. If you plan to get a Salvadoran license, get your old one apostilled!
• We will also provide monthly opportunities for networking with our local community, including English-speaking service providers who can help you adjust to El Salvador.

If you come from a non-Spanish speaking country, you have a five year journey to citizenship. Here are the fees you can expect along the way. If you compare our services with other firms, be sure to ask what is included (many offer ‘a la carte’ pricing models that appear cheaper at the beginning, but actually end up being more expensive) and be sure to ask about the fees for renewals, Permanent Residency, and Citizenship as well. If you make an ‘apples to apples’ comparison, we’re confident you’ll find our service to be very competitive.

• We do not offer payment plans. All fees must be paid in full at the time service begins each year in order to retain the services of the various professionals necessary to successfully file your application. There are no refunds or guarantees for our services.
• Dependents under 18 may be added to your residency for an additional fee (they require a legalized, original birth certificate, a declaration of financial support from a guardian including proof of income when requested, and additional rules apply); Adult companions (spouses and family members) may be added with the ‘Companions’ service at the time of purchase for a discounted fee of $1,500 each (they require a legalized, original document proving the relationship, additional rules apply).
• If you move, change phone numbers, or email addresses, during your application process, or at any time while a legal resident, you must submit the change via this form physically to the immigration office within five days of the change or you will incur fines. Temporary residency is designed for people who are interested in living in El Salvador, not for those people who wish to spend most of their time in another country. Immigration will only allow temporary residents to leave the country for 90 days in a single trip, or for 120 days cumulatively over the course of your residency year. This means you need to plan to live in El Salvador for at least 8 months out of the year. Once you have been a temporary resident for a period of time (for most applicants, it is three years), then you can apply for Permanent Residency, and at that time you can leave the country for up to two years in a single trip without losing your status. Once you become a citizen (which happens for most applicants after five years) you can leave the country for five years at a time, and special conditions regarding your country of origin apply.
• Original documents that you submit to immigration become the property of the government of El Salvador. They will not be returned to you. If you want extra copies to keep for other purposes, you need to request additional copies from the authorities in your country of origin.
• The applicants’ name on every document submitted must match their passport exactly. Many documents have additional requirements, including expiration dates that may not be obvious. Please inquire for your specific circumstance.