Due to a growing concern about protecting the job market for Belizeans, the Immigration and Nationality Department has tightened its policies, effective February 1999. These changes are mainly reflected in the fees charged to applicants for permanent residency, and work permits. Some previously printed material is repeated here, for ease of clarification.

All visitors to Belize, regardless of the purpose of their visit, are issued a 30-day visa upon arrival. This is renewable, for up to six months, at any immigration office in the country (at borders and principal cities/towns) by paying US$12.50 per month. You must be prepared to present proof of sustenance for the period in question. If you intend to stay more than six months, you must have a work permit. Foreign workers who do not wish to apply for residency may still work, but must leave Belize after six months and re-enter the country, because visas can only be extended for up to six months. You may apply for Permanent Residency after having resided legally in the country, for one continuous year. (All figures quoted below are in US$.)

Permanent Residency

All applicants for permanent residency will be assessed the following fees: Mexicans and Guatemalans: $125; Salvadorans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans: $262.50; Caricom nationals: $300; other Commonwealth nationals: $500; all others (except Mainland China): $625. Unsuccessful application fees are refundable. For nationals of Mainland China, the fee is $1500, which is non-refundable. These application fees replace the prior requirement for a deposit equal to a return fare to the applicant's native land. Once residency is granted, a $62.50 fee is charged for the Permanent Residency Card.

Work Permits

There are two types of work permit applications: a) Application for permission to employ a foreigner: Any foreign citizen who wishes to work in Belize MUST be a legal resident (have resided in Belize for at least six months). He or she must be in the country legally, with proper visas and/or permits issued by the Immigration Department. The prospective employer must submit the following to the Labour Department: The application for the foreign worker he wishes to hire; three passport photos; $10 in stamps; a valid passport; and proof that this individual is qualified for the job. At the same time, the Labour officer must be satisfied that all efforts to employ a Belizean have been exhausted. This includes providing proof that the vacant position was advertised locally for at least three weeks, following which, no suitable applicant was found;

and, b) Application for Temporary Self-Employment: This category would apply to foreign investors, among others. All applicants must be in the country legally, with proper visas and/or permits issued by the Immigration Department. They are required to produce proof of reasonably sufficient funds for their proposed venture (i.e.: local bank statement of account). Applicants must also obtain a reference from the relevant Ministry or Local Organization concerned with the category of work involved. In such situations, the six-month residency requirement is waived, and it is assumed that the venture will lead to creation of employment for Belizeans in the future.

Work Permit Fees are now as follows: Professional and technical workers: $750; general workers: $100; seasonal agricultural workers: $25 per crop; entertainers in groups of two to five: $250 each; individual entertainers: $150; missionaries, educational and volunteer individuals: $25. Barring exceptional circumstances, work permits will not be granted for waiters, vendors, domestic workers, and farm hands.

For further information, telephone the Immigration and Nationality Department at: 501-8-22611 or -22423; or the Labour Department at: 501-8-22204.

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