-in keeping with global trends
THE Home Affairs Ministry announced on Friday that it has instituted new procedures governing the issuance of visas for persons desirous of entering Guyana. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, at a press conference at the Police Training Centre at Carifesta Avenue and Young Street, disclosed that Cabinet took this decision based on recommendations made by his ministry.
Guyana has several reciprocal agreements with foreign countries that allow  certain categories of visitors to enter the country without visas.
“In keeping with the global trends and the need for Guyana to accelerate its development, we have decided to further liberalise our immigration policies by putting in place certain new procedures… Our ‘visa on arrival’ policy would now mean that we have instituted four categories of visas for persons desirous of entering the country,” Minister Rohee explained. These categories are: visitor, employment, student, and business visas.
Visitors are now required to pay US$25 for a one-month visa, and an additional US$25 for every extension granted. A visitor is given a maximum of three months to stay.
An employment visa now costs the person who is bringing an employee to Guyana US$140 for a three-year stay, and a similar sum for every renewal of that visa.
Student visas now cost US$140 for a three-year period in the first instance and a similar sum every time that stay is extended.
Persons desirous of coming to Guyana to engage in business activities are now required to pay US$140 for a period of five years, and a similar sum to extend their stay in the country.
Immigration authorities have been informed of this new policy, which came into effect in May 2011. From all indications, it has been working very smoothly at both the level of the immigration authorities and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which has authorised embassies and consulates abroad to issue visas.
There are certain conditions attached to the granting of visas. These can be found on the websites of the Ministries of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, and the Guyana Police Force.
In July 2010, a workshop was held by Trevor Hamilton and Associates, who were contracted by Government through the Citizen’s Security Programme (CSP) to undertake the consultancy to review and enhance the country’s immigration policies to bring it on par with the evolving demands of globalisation.
While the existing immigration laws and procedures have served the country well, the demands of globalisation and its many implications, such as increase in movement of people across national borders, new initiatives like the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and emerging social issues such as Trafficking In Persons (TIP), drugs, fugitives from other countries and terrorists, make these new arrangements necessary.