The decision was made not to extend the decree that allows employers to regulate the immigration status of workers who come to Costa Rica to work in agricultural activities.
The decree concerned is No. 42406-MAG-MGP and establishes that employers in the agricultural sector may regularize the immigration status of foreigners who entered the country between January 15, 2016 and January 15, 2020.
Due to the "unstable security conditions" that are affecting the country, the US Embassy reported that as of May 16 it will not process routine applications for nonimmigrant visas.
The US Embassy explained that it will prioritize "... services to US Citizens, including applications for passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, Immigrant Visa cases that are pending in the Consular Section and Emergency Nonimmigrant Visa services."
In Guatemala the government is preparing to make a new diagnosis of the immigration control system to structure a new tender in the future.
The Ministry of the Interior in Guatemala has announced that feasibility studies are to be made for implementing a new system for migration control and also that they could be willing to build the foundation to develop a new contract, though a date for the competition was not given.
In Honduras the start of the process for international prequalification of companies for the development and implementation of immigration and passport issuance system has been announced .
From a statement issued by the Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnership (COALIANZA):
The Commission for the Promotion of Private Public Partnerships COALIANZA), has launched the publication of international tender for prequalification of a Public Private Partnership for the project Modernization, Improvement, Management of an Operating System for Migration Services and Issue Honduras Passports, which aims to implement a comprehensive operating model for the operation of these services.
It has been announced that there will be an end to liberality in granting residence permits in the so-called melting pot, and the revision of the immigration status of resident foreigners whose papers have expired.
From a statement issued by the Presidency of Panama:
The Government of the Republic of Panama has approved an executive decree establishing immigration controls and regulating the immigration status of foreigners whose extraordinary provisional migratory permits have expired.
A contract was awarded to the Swiss company Security Assistance Group, SA but it is one of the disputed contracts in the context of the corruption that has been uncovered in the country.
The contract was awarded in July 2014 and the tender was made in the form of "emergency contract".
"... This was one of the contracts challenged last week by the business sector, which demanded that the President cancel it as part of the "specific actions" needed to curb corruption. "
The government has asked the Assembly to return to the first legislative body a bill which eliminates the immigration fairs and to start discussions to establish a migration code.
At the request of the executive branch, "... The document was dropped from second to first debate, "arguing that it had to go back for review and take into account the considerations of the business sector, particularly the hotel industry and businesses linked to the Colon Free Zone.
Another 11,000 foreigners from 44 different countries have regularized their immigration status and obtained work and residency permits.
" ... Some 54 foreign nationalities have regularized their status, in the seventeen days that the process takes, without any hitches, although the number of regularized people has increased compared to the previous processes," said Javier Carrillo , director general of the National Immigration Service (SNM by its initials in Spanish) .
The office of the National Immigration Service at Penonomé, Cocle, will address the requirements of the inhabitants of the area, giving priority to employees of the mining company.
From resolution number 18972 by the National Immigration Service:
Resolved
FIRST: Created within the organizational structure of the National Immigration Service, a Special Office, located in the District of Penonomé, Cocle Province.
In the ninth round of “Crisol de Razas” (Race Melting Pot) organized by the National Immigration Service (NMS) some 5,300 foreigners have had their immigration status regularized.
Since the beginning of this conference, the NMS has issued some 23,000 temporary permits to foreigners.
For its part the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel), gave out 1.205 two-year work permits.
The General Migration and Foreign Affairs Office issued new regulations and guidelines for entry visas.
A press release by Lexincorp Central America reads:
On May, 17th, the highly anticipated Alien Bylaws were finally issued as a complement to the General Migration and Foreign Affairs Law, which is in force since March, 10th 2010. In these bylaws, several aspects of the law are specifically regulated such as residencies, visas, guest workers, among others mentioned.
On Track Innovations Ltd. (OTI) will design, develop and install a comprehensive system to monitor immigration flows to Panama
Panama awarded On Track Innovations Ltd. (OTI) a contract for the supply, design, installation and integration of electronic systems to monitor and improve immigration verification processes and overall immigration flow, GlobeNewswire reported in a press release.
New regulations impose more controls on foreign population, with severe fines for illegal aliens.
The new law includes penalties for companies hiring undocumented immigrants and $100 monthly fines for foreigners staying illegally in the country.
"Pensions of $1.000 a month or rents of $2.000 a month will be needed for a residence permit", reports Mipunto.com, "...hotels and hostels will have to keep record of those who stay with them".