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American Liaison Network and Citizen Liaison Volunteers

Citizen Liaison Volunteers (CLVs) are a vital bridge between the Embassy and U.S. citizens, especially in the event of an emergency. We are looking for volunteers to serve as CLVs in various regions of the Dominican Republic. If you or someone you know may be interested, or you just want to learn more – let us know!

CLVs are a community of U.S. citizens who partner with our Embassy to address security, safety, and health issues affecting U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic. Traditionally, CLVs act as a conveyor of emergency information to U.S. citizens, especially in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. Additionally, CLVs may be called on to assist travelers in distress, or help us track down missing U.S. citizens, and communicate with them so we can help get them to safety. Most often, however, CLVs are called on to be our ‘eyes and ears’ in the community, providing valuable feedback on what life is like for ordinary U.S. citizens living in the DR.

CLVs are usually U.S. citizens who are longer-term residents of the DR and, ideally, speak some Spanish. Please note that this is a voluntary position that does not imply financial reimbursement.

We need CLVs from all over the country, but especially need representatives from Samana and Barahona. CLVs in smaller cities and rural areas are uniquely important because those can be the hardest places for us to reach in an emergency.

If you would like to be a CLV, please send us your full name, date of birth, passport number and your contact details to SDOCLVRecruit@state.gov.  Once you notify us of your interest, we will get back to you with more information and further instructions.

CLV Memorandum of Agreement

CLV Description of Duties

DS-5506 – Local United States Citizen Skills/Resources Survey

What is a Citizen Liaison Volunteer?

 

  • A private U.S. citizen resident in a foreign country who volunteers to assist consular sections in disaster preparedness, welfare & whereabouts, and alerting fellow Americans to emergency situations.
  • Citizen Liaison Volunteers often have close ties to the U.S. expat community; therefore they are often the fastest and most effective route to distributing information to Americans and are essential when normal communication channels fail.
  • CLVs facilitate distribution of routine administrative information of interest to the U.S. private community, such as changes in Embassy work hours or procedures and information on voting and income taxes.
  • CLVs assist/encourage the registration of newcomers in the STEP
  • CLVs provide important and timely safety and security information both from and to the Embassy, which might include the times and locations of upcoming local demonstrations, areas of potential unrest due to local celebrations or elections, or information about a specific medical issue occurring in their region.

American Liaison Network Communication

The U.S. Department of State is constantly looking for new ways to distribute information to the public, so we are open to suggestions. U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide rely on different communication methods to disseminate information to CLVs and stay in touch with them:

  • Email/ text messages/ WhatsApp (most common)
  • Telephone
  • Community online blogs and social networks (e.g., within your housing community or employee association, and sharing from our social media accounts: