JUST over 4,000 visas for the purposes of employment and study here in Guyana were issued over the last three years to persons from various countries.

This is according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn. The minister provided the information to the National Assembly during the last sitting in response to questions from Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir.

The Opposition MP had asked that the minister provide the number of employment and student visas issued for the period September 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.

As it relates to student visas, some 182 were issued with the majority of those visas going to Nigerians and nationals of India, followed by Venezuelans.

However, in relation to employment visas for the same period, 4,379 visas were issued to several nationalities.

Filipinos made up some 957 of those visa recipients, followed by Chinese (690), nationals of India (460) and Indonesians (252. Several other nationalities also received employment visas in large numbers such as Nigerian, Mexican and Bangladeshi.

Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Minister stated that significant advancements have been made in modernising Guyana’s migration services since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration entered office in August, 2020.

Against this backdrop, he indicated that the immigration department and its services have been modernised even as staffing has increased. He noted that the work that they are conducting is being done via electronic platforms.