There has been an increase this year in the number of ‘extension of stay’ applications by foreign investors and visitors. This disclosure was made by the Head of Immigration and Support Services attached to the Ministry of Presidency, Ms Carol Lewis-Primo.
She shared this development with the government’s Department of Public Information during an interview.
According to Lewis-Primo, the increase is a positive sign that Guyana is getting more visitors and that the business sector is booming. However, she stressed the importance of applying for an extension of stay early for persons who are entering Guyana for business purposes, in keeping with the immigration laws of Guyana.
“We have a one-month processing period and persons would wait until a month [to apply]; some of these nationals would be here and their time would expire in two months. I want to say do not wait until you reach a month to apply. Last year, the Immigration Department did not have the amount of applications as of this year – so you can imagine the volume of work,” Lewis-Primo entioned.
She explained that visitors who have an urgent need for staying in Guyana must write to the Head of Immigration stating what the reason of stay is and they would be pardoned.
“The Department of Citizenship is conscious of what is going on in our country, and there must be proper sensitisation on the regulations when applying for the relevant documents when entering the country.”
The cost of an Employment Visa is $28,700 per person, Business and Employment or Student’s Visa $ 28,700, and the Visitor’s Visa is $5,125.
For persons who are not fully aware of how to apply for their relevant visitor’s visa or extension of stay, contact can be made on telephone numbers: 226-2221, 223-7867 or 223- 5210 or email: [email protected].
