Amnesty Program officially starts; island registration center opens at Hol Chan Marine Reserve

On Tuesday, August 2nd, the Ministry of Immigration held a soft launch of its planned Amnesty 2022 program. The program will allow eligible persons in Belize to regularize their immigration status and will be open until November 30, 2022. Amnesty Registration Centres were opened across the country. In San Pedro Town, the center is located on the ground floor of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve building. All appointments to apply for residency must be made online at https://immigration.gov.bz/amnesty-appointment/. Applicants will be provided with a date and time when they will be required to visit the amnesty center to submit their application.
San Pedro’s center opens Monday to Friday from 8AM to 5PM at Hol Chan on Caribeña Street. According to the requirements set by the amnesty program and the Ministry of Immigration, registered asylum seekers automatically qualify for residency. Irregular immigrants who have resided continuously in Belize for five or more years are also eligible. Area Representative the Honourable Andre Perez encourages all those residents of San Pedro and Caye Caulker seeking Belizean residency to make their online appointments to start their application process.
Who can apply?
Applicants 12 years and over must present an identification document with a photo such as a passport, a medical exam, and a police record. If there is a language barrier and translation is needed, it must be done via an authorized translator. Other conditions considered are those with Belizean children, persons who may have completed primary and/or secondary studies here, and those married to a Belizean for at least one year or in a common-law union with a Belizean for a continuous period of five years or more.
Additionally, any person who has resided in foster care homes recommended by the Ministry of Human Development does qualify. People that have maintained gainful employment in the country for at least five years can also apply to change their immigration status in Belize.
Appointments have been accepted since July 1st, and up to now, the ministry says that over six thousand persons have applied. The program is designed to grant amnesty to CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and Central American migrants, not only to legalize thousands of undocumented residents but also to serve better everyone living in Belize.
Regarding this program, the Ministry of Immigration can also be reached on WhatsApp at 610-3674.