CABINET NOTES: The Cabinet invited the Chief Immigration Officer and other members of her Department to its sitting; the Labour Commissioner and her Deputy, the Permanent Secretary in the Passport Office along with her Deputy were invited to its sitting, for the purpose of ensuring that the policy options selected by the Cabinet and the Parliament match the expectations and the anticipated outcomes which the Legislature set about to achieve with the granting of amnesty to the CARICOM citizens and the citizens of the Dominican Republic who may have failed to keep lawful their status in Antigua and Barbuda.
An immigrant to Antigua and Barbuda, having spent four or more years in Antigua and Barbuda, is entitled to lawful residency.
The members of Cabinet view the granting of amnesty to the immigrant who has not paid his renewal dues as having had his/her deficiency cured by the amnesty, putting that immigrant on the path to citizenship when he/she has spent seven years total and becomes eligible.
The interpretation of the administrators was otherwise, requiring that immigrant to return to paying fees up until he/she has crossed the seven-year line and can present a valid certificate of residence with the application for citizenship.
After very intense discussions, the Cabinet and the administrators agreed that a grant of amnesty would serve as proof sufficient that the immigrant has satisfied the requirement of “lawful presence”, by the presentation of the Amnesty Certificate.
In other words, there would not be any need for an immigrant granted amnesty to return again and again to claim amnesty once that had been done once.
The issue of cancelling the requirement of work permits for citizens of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic employed in Antigua and Barbuda, commencing 1 January 2024, was also clarified for the Cabinet members.
There would be no work permit fee, but an administrative fee of $100 for the processing of the request by the immigrant to seek employment in Antigua and Barbuda.
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What about those who already have the amnesty certificate, are they still valid?
The government started before they were ready. Having immigrants all over the place like fools!! They saying one thing the Immigration officers saying something totally different when you go there, every three mths immigrants who have been granted amnesty towards citizenship have to pay $150, until the process is done. Then after almost a year immigration officers are sending them to process a work permit. Now it’s from January 2024 they only have to pay 100$ The immigrants don’t have to return to get amnesty but still have to pay the 150$ in three mths until they status have been sorted. How long minister, ministers, how long minister should the immigrants be treated this way. I’m confused and this is still confusing.
Do foreigners visiting from the US or other countries for more than 3 months need a work permit if they are working from their rented homes, collecting payments for their business?
What are the labour laws governing these visitors that are competiting with locals, have no work permit and pay no taxes?
Meanwhile hard working Caricom citizens are required to jump through hoops to get the required permits to stay and work.
Why are there double standards? Why is it so easy for the white man to stay and work and so difficult for Caricom citizens?
In the community in which I live I see it on a daily basis.
this is confusing I did the Amnesty I was told those who put in there citizenship should apply for extension until there citizenship is granted wen I go immigration two times for extension because I put through my citizenship they told me go put in work permit until my citizenship is approve ,🥺🥺🥺🥺this is confusing you all say one thing hut wen we face immigration its another thing this will be my 10 work permit
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