Stamped visa applications – June 2018
Last month, the immigration department announced that their online system would make available appointments for the Cuban and Venezuelan consulates. An applicant applies online for their interview for their stamped visa applications. Cuban and Venezuelan nationals require a visa stamped in their passports (not simply a tourist visa) to visit Panama. This change means that applicants can request the appointment online, to get an interview and present all their paperwork. However, in addition to having opened this up to Cuba & Venezuela, it is interesting to note that the immigration department also has the online appointment system for stamped visa for the Consulates in China.
This appointment for stamped visas is available in mainland China (Beijing), Shanghai or Hong Kong. Once online, you complete the form and then it will automatically assign you an appointment time/date. The applicant prints off a copy for themselves and the list of required documents. They must take these documents with them to the appointment. (This is available either in Spanish or Chinese, but not in English).
Unfortunately, online appointments are not available yet for applicants in India for the stamped visas. The Consulates in New Delhi and Mumbai have yet to come online for this process.
Immigration update: online appointments
“Crisol de Razas” – back online
May 30th – The immigration department has also opened up the online system for appointments for the “Crisol de Razas” applications. Crisol de Razas is for those foreigners who have stayed in Panama for more than a year. They may not have left more than 30 days during the past 12 months, and are typically illegal aliens in Panama. The Crisol de Razas program is highly criticised by many Panamanians. Nevertheless, it offers foreigners with little income (such as nannies and manual labourers) the opportunity to get their work permits in order. They can then legally abide in the country for a further 2 years. This visa and work permit is renewable.
International immigration cooperation
At the beginning of June, Panama and representatives of the US sat down to discuss security, cooperation and transparency in immigration matters. This meeting resulted in the creation of a Joint Task Force to confront illegal immigration. This basically recognises that Panama is one of the gateways to Central America, especially for immigrants from Africa, Asia and South America into Mexico on their way to the US. The agreements reached in this meeting were to strengthen Panama’s border controls, so that there is more technological equipment available to Panama for “non-intrusive inspection”. The principal purpose of the meeting and agreements reached were to address illegal immigration in the region.