Minister On Permanent Resident’s Certificates

The amendments which will allow for some long-term residents to become PRC holders will be brought into force effective December 1st, 2021, Minister of Labour Jason Hayward said.

Speaking in the House of Assembly on Friday [Nov 12], the Minister said, ”I rise in this Honourable House today to announce that effective December 1st, 2021, the amendments to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 [the Act] which allows for long-term residents to become Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders in Bermuda will be brought into force. The Department of Immigration will begin accepting applications for Permanent Resident’s Certificates under the provisions of this legislation effective January 1st, 2022.

“The amendments to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 are as follows:

• 1. Section 31ZA expands the eligibility criteria for the granting of Permanent Resident’s Certificate to include any person who has been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 20 years or more;

• 2. Section 31ZB expands the eligibility criteria for the granting of a Permanent Resident’s Certificate to include a non-Bermudian parent of a child with Bermudian Status who has been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 15 years or more; and

• 3. Section 31B expands upon current provisions that allow the granting of Permanent Resident’s Certificate to children born to 2nd Generation Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda.

The Minister also added that, “It should be noted that, in alignment with the Government’s strategic priority to leverage technology to improve operations which will lead to greater levels of efficiency, process consistency, and sustainability, the Department of Immigration will transition to a digital application process which will commence next year.”

The Minister’s full statement follows below:

Mr. Speaker;

I rise in this Honourable House today to announce that effective December 1st, 2021, the amendments to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 [the Act] which allows for long-term residents to become Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders in Bermuda will be brought into force. The Department of Immigration will begin accepting applications for Permanent Resident’s Certificates under the provisions of this legislation effective January 1st, 2022.

Mr. Speaker;

The Legislative amendments are in alignment with the immigration reform strategic priority ‘to achieve a simplified, fair, and modern immigration legislative framework’. To that end, the amendments will:

• Keep families together who may be separated and create a fair avenue to permanent residency in Bermuda;

• Enable Long-Term Residents to fully participate economically;

• Support Bermuda in the retention of its residential population; and

• Represent a key policy initiative in support of Bermuda’s Economic Recovery Plan.

Mr. Speaker;

The amendments to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 are as follows:

• 1. Section 31ZA expands the eligibility criteria for the granting of Permanent Resident’s Certificate to include any person who has been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 20 years or more;

• 2. Section 31ZB expands the eligibility criteria for the granting of a Permanent Resident’s Certificate to include a non-Bermudian parent of a child with Bermudian Status who has been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 15 years or more; and

• 3. Section 31B expands upon current provisions that allow the granting of Permanent Resident’s Certificate to children born to 2nd Generation Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda.

Mr. Speaker,

The application fee for a Permanent Resident Certificate under section 31A of the Act has remained at $50,000 along with the application fee for children and spouses of Permanent Resident’s Certificate holders under section 31B of the Act which is $3,150.

The new fees are introduced as follows:

$10,000 for a Long-Term Resident who is ordinarily resident for 20+ years under section 31ZA;

• $10,000 for a Long-Term Resident who is a parent of a child that possesses Bermudian Status under section 31ZB; and

• $3,150 for a 3rd Generation for Long-Term Resident born to a Permanent Resident Certificate holder under 31B.

Mr Speaker;

In order to apply for a Permanent Resident’s Certificate, individuals must take the following steps:

• Visit the Department of Immigration website

• Complete the Permanent Resident’s Certificate Application Form online

• Make an online payment

• Submit the application and all required documents in the immigration drop box located on the first floor of the Government Administration Building with a copy of your online payment confirmation.

Mr Speaker;

It should be noted that, in alignment with the Government’s strategic priority to leverage technology to improve operations which will lead to greater levels of efficiency, process consistency, and sustainability, the Department of Immigration will transition to a digital application process which will commence next year.

Mr. Speaker;

These amendments create a clear, transparent, and streamlined process to secure some form of permanency for long-term residents. These policy proposals seek to provide a sustainable solution for long-term residents living in Bermuda to gain a Permanent Resident’s Certificate.

Although there is still much to be done to reform our immigration system, we are that much closer, as this accomplishment fulfills our platform promise to provide a framework for persons to obtain permanent residency in Bermuda.

Mr. Speaker;

As the Minister responsible for immigration, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all within the Ministry who helped to make these amendments a reality.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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