Belmopan. September 28, 2021. 4:35 p.m.
In an attempt to address the situation of migrants thrust into an irregular situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in keeping with the United Nations Global Compact for a safe, orderly, and regular migration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration, through the Department of Border Management and Immigration Services, invites migrants who now seek to remedy their situation to visit the nearest Immigration Office in the respective district towns or cities to seek assistance during this period.
Migrants who entered the country legally and who require Visitors Permit extensions to remain in Belize and who have not been able to maintain a regular status between April 2020 and September 2021, will be regularized as follows:
1. A Special Regularization Period to enable persons to apply to regularize their status will run from October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021;
2. A Regularization Fee of BZ$100 must be paid at the time of application;
3. Visitor’s Permit extension fees for the period March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 will be waived;
4. Fees outstanding for prior to March 1, 2020 will be payable as per Statutory Instrument No. 42 of 2005 (BZ$50 per month for the first six months, thereafter BZ$100);
5. Migrants who seek to regularize themselves may utilize this period of regularization as a pre-requisite to apply for Permanent Residence, if they so desire.
6. This regularization process will run alongside the current fee structure as per Statutory Instrument No. 42 of 2020 (BZ$200 per month) for all other migrants.
7. Details are available on the new website: immigration.gov.bz.
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