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.
The Cortizo administration is preparing a bill to create the Integrated Control System at the border with Costa Rica, with the aim of simplifying the transit of people, vehicles and goods between the two countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama reported that Alejandro Ferrer, head of the institution, with the support of the Director of the Customs Authority of Panama, Tayra Barsallo, presented to the Cabinet Council, the draft law approving the framework agreement to implement integrated binational control systems at the border crossings between Panama and Costa Rica (Paso Canoa, Rio Sereno and Sixaola).
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."
The government has modified the immigration status for people of Venezuelan origin with an ordinary passport, who will now be required to have a "consular visa".
Representatives of the Guatemalan executive announced that since last week Venezuelan visas have been changed to a more restrictive category, and now any person who is originally from that South American country and wishes to enter the country, must present a consular visa.
The General Directorate of Migration and Immigration in Costa Rica is putting out to tender an intelligent international migration control system.
Government Purchase Costa Rica 2017PP-000013-0016200001:
"Requirements are for the acquisition, implementation, maintenance as per securityand quality requirements, of a technological solution for migratory control, that integrates Biometrics and Reliable Passenger, as well as the issuance of Migratory Documents, that comply with the recommendations indicated in Document 9303 of the ICAO, in addition to the supply of the different notebooks for the aforementioned documents, using PKI technology, Ordinary Passport, Emergency Passport, Safe Conduct, Travel Documents, Travel Identity Documents and Neighborhood Permits.
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.
An international call has been announced for the development and implementation of an immigration system and the issuance of passports, an event which will take place in March.
From a statement issued by the Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnership (COALIANZA):
The commissioner of the Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnership (COALIANZA), Miguel Angel Gamez announced that in March they will be launching an international competition for a Modernization Project, for the Improvement, Management and System Operation of Immigration Control and Passport Issuance in Honduras.
Of the five immigration formalities to be completed by passengers entering or exiting the country through the Managua International Airport, two have been eliminated.
Constant complaints by private enterprise and airport users has led Nicaraguan authorities to reduce their immigration procedures. With this new measure the immigration cards for Revenues and Expenditures will no longer be used, and only the forms for migration, health and customs will need to be filled out.
The Ministry of the Government of Guatemala has awarded Security Assistance Group Guatemala the development of a system for the registration and documentation of migration control in the country.
The ministry tendered the work in the form of "Contract by case of emergency."
From the terms of reference of the tender:
"The DEPARTMENT will make a contract for Specialised Technical Services for the development of high-tech systems for the registration and documentation of immigration control at the country's borders.
The U.S. has chosen Panama to be part of the Global Entry agreement which allows expedited entry into the airport in that country.
Tocumen International Airport is considered one of the safest in the region, one of the reasons leading to Panama being one of the countries chosen to form part of the bilateral agreement for trusted travelers known as Global Entry.
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