Cabinet approves 50 new Belongers, over 40 Residence Statuses
Cabinet has approved the grant of Belonger Status to some 50 applicants after reviewing recommendations made by the Board of Immigration.
The move comes weeks after Governor John Rankin expressed concerns that the government was making slow progress over a backlog of hundreds of applications that had been pending.
At the time, Governor Rankin said he had written to Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley to seek assurance that capacity constraints within the Immigration Department in dealing with Residency and Belongership applications will be addressed swiftly in line with the government’s Framework Document commitment to prioritise and allocate resources as part of its full commitment to reform
According to Cabinet’s most recent post-meeting statement released yesterday, April 20, the decisions were made on March 8, under the provisions of the Immigration and Passport Act.
Cabinet noted that, under Section 16(6) of the Immigration and Passport Act, nine persons were granted Certificates of Belonger Status as spouses of Belongers who have been living in the BVI with their partners for a minimum of five years.
It was revealed that a further three applicants were denied Certificates of Belonger Status on the basis of marriage under the same section of the Immigration and Passport Act.
The statement noted that 41 of the applicants were granted Certificates of Belonger Status after having met the legal requirements of Section 16(3) of the Act.
Meanwhile, another 43 persons were granted Certificates of Residence under Section 18(1) of the Act, while a minor was endorsed under Section 18(2) of the Immigration and Passport Ordinance.
The decision made by Cabinet to approve granting Belonger and Residence Status to these applicants will allow them to live and work in the BVI without restriction. The Cabinet statement noted that it is expected that the Immigration Department will communicate its decision to the respective applicants promptly.
New appointments
Cabinet also announced the appointment of three individuals as members of the Board of Immigration per Section 13(1) of the Immigration and Passport Act.
Those appointed include Kamika Forbes, Michelle Frett-Mathavious and Avelinda Freeman. It was agreed that a monthly stipend of $800 would be paid to members of the Board for their attendance at meetings.
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Hmmm. Small amount
AT THIS RATE WE ARE GOING, WE WILL SOON BE OUTNUMBERED 4 TO 1….BRING THE SAME RULES LIKE THE CAYMAN ISLANDS….LEAVE AFTER 7 YEARS AND REAPPLY
THE BVI IS HEAVEN FOR A LOT THEM
Welcome families, glad to see you all made it.
Did somebody say backlog? So we see the fast track system had nothing to do with the vip caring for the people so much and wanting to clear a backlog. It was about money. The truth cannot lie. Shame on those who were telling tales in the HOA and who still continue to insult the intelligence of the people of these beautiful islands.
We already are out numbered in our own country
Why are we still appointing members to boards on the eve of an election?
Have you wonder, how many of them are parents of children born here in the VI?
More outsiders than Belongers now for some decades…check census reports
Our very own VI Citizens keep running to America where most of them are living like cockroaches, which leaves the country to be run by outsiders, so stop complaining now. People get scholarships to study abroad and they do not return to the VI because of their love of money rather than their love of country, so when outsiders make this their home and they are doing so well, you all vex. Stop it
This must stop Now!!
lived in the BVI all my life married to one and i would never apply for any status I’ll soon leave!!
Yes because you all are running away to a nextman country in case you forget .hmmm
@ Hmmmm I recall that recently when the Premier read out the policy that was applied in previous years, it was said that a figure less than 10 (since I don’t recall the exact figure), were to be granted Belonger’s and Residency status on an annual basis. Considering that we are an island, (and yes, we have BVIslanders who leave for different reasons of their choosing); why are soo many persons being given Belonger’s and Residency status at such a frequent rate considering the varying impacts this can have on our populace: e.g. housing, availability of jobs?…and this has nothing to do with
racism!
Yes you are, cause all of the educated smart BVIslanders leave and don’t come back…for a reason.
Your assertions are correct. There are many factors that compel B.V.Islanders to stay away. The major ones are: (1) Salary and increments apartheid. (2) T he horrific manner in which locals are treated the majority of time.
I went away (70’s) on private scholarship. Local government the first time furnished not one penny. Had I waited for that day I would be picking garbage from the roadside to eat bread today. Class and name prejudice carry the day back then.
I wanted and was proud to work for my own country. It was my only desire. I had offers for much greater rewards, but I refused. My major overriding motivation was to work for and contribute to the growth of my own country and people. That is what I did.
Let me tell you. It was and still is the worst decision I have ever made, and the greatest mistake I
have ever suffered from so egregiously from.
Today, I am a sun setter, and if I had to do it over again, under the same circumstances, environment, institutions, officials and immediate superiors, I will also stay away and build my career elsewhere.
Often, your hometown is not your house and your house is not your hometown, and your superiors are monsters, and your place of employ becomes a savage HELL HOLE.
Our people are some of the wickedest people walking God’s earth. THEY PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS AND BELIEF IN GOD, BUT IN REALITY, THEY ARE SATAN’S SERVANTS AND ARE DEVOID OF A HEART, MIND AND SOUL.
Yet, more often than not, they are the ones who are placed in positions of authority and power. They then use that authority and power to appropriate or stifled ones salary and growth thereof for an entire career, oppress, tyrannize, devalue your humanity and otherwise treat you less than hogs in a pen. He who lived it knows it.
Today, officials had to scrounge up a few pennies here and there to compensate for the evil deeds done by a few rogue superiors that one may have a slice of bread to eat in retirement.
To God is the Glory! Would love to be there when judgment calls.
The USA is heaven for a lot of BVIslanders shut up!
This day and age it remains the same
Where ppl can go to their ppl and say look I don’t want x to get none and albeit soo it is
As such
applications will not be reviewed Recomended or put forward besides hiding in a draw.
When will this end ?
I decided to stay away where my life choices were varied. In these Vi where living was sublime, gradually became literally a septic tank of humanity discards from the upper Caribbean. Bringing poverty crime and disgust.
Why these VI have done that to their homeland in my observation …Black folks have been taught to loathe themselves and they reflect their self hatred by self destructiong.
Installing poverty illiteracy crime and criminals.and the must have foreign crime fighters and observers..no way will I participate in such self anhilation.
No way can the Vi proceed to prosperity and peace..it is now dominated by a cursed population of heathens as is the other parts of the Caribbean dominantly populated and “free.”. the cursed demographic of African Ancestry in the Caribbean.
The people being given status are already here renting housing, working jobs and paying taxes.
What difference does giving them status make?
A big one.
It gives them great incentive to build a home, invest locally and help grow our country, rather than sending all the earnings out because they know they will be tossed away.
Yes, you ARE outnumbered long time ago. You all are very silly people. We will soon outnumber you all in the top positions too in this little poop hole country and when we get there, we will NOT hire your lazy behinds. We have been the minority for far too long. Our next stop will be the HOA. Don’t you see you all don’t know how to run ANYTHING RIGHT???
I hope we know what we are doing.
we already outnumbered look at the likes and dislike of your comment.. There is no more such thing as a BVIslander!! everybody is a belonger now.
what kills me they talk soo bad about the BVI but yet want everything it has to offer that is my only problem.. Stay humble at least.. BVI owes no one anything.
Sadly I agree with you, That’s what you all want indeed take over the place want to have more rights than the people in their own country.. something must be sweet in bvi that you just don’t want to go back to your own country.. I don’t get it the wejaimaicans,guyanese the Dominicans, all,,, what so sweet about bvi that you all begging for them papers so bad jah.. you all have no shame!! if your country give you papers and you love your county so much why you begging the bvi sooo hard for their papers??
And I am serious people yes deserve them papers but don’t be talking down on the country and you living here and want them paper just humble yourself..
proud jamaican here for 20 years,,, if i get i get if not amen BVI owes me nothing!!
Belongers go out in to the world and are accepted and allowed to live free lives with rights where they land. Why does it not work both ways? “We” are just one human race. Stop limiting yourselves and your country by thinking along lines of the luck of where you happened to be born. If someone is good, and contributing positively to the community they live in, they should be welcomed wherever they are. Those contributing nothing to a community don’t deserve anything, birthright or not. Humans should be pulling together wherever they are, not knocking others down and away based on where they are from or what they look like.
You need to STFU bc ain’t no BVIslander go overseas and live like cockroaches, if your family or your @ss went and suffered hard time and had to run back from living like maggots, well you just need to come to terms with that. We BETTER than that $h!t.
I know COUNTLESS BVIslanders that came back home because they have vested interest here, including house and land and could not get a job here because our crooked politicians or envious fellow BVIslanders either place them to do mundane duties or do not place them at all, forcing them to return to the US where they EARN top dollar in their respective fields.
I am a qualified BVIslander but greed, envy and jealously have me unemployed, while outsiders hold the highest positions in the land.
That is why I am NOT voting. Let those who they pick and choose from go to the polls and vote. I could care less.
Further, I do not believe that you are from Here period.
Agree, And here is heaven for scams like yourself.
And here is heaven for scams like yourself.
And London
I Hope you IP Address is taken before authority and your silly A** be placed on the next available flight back to your Island which you belong.
This right here is the issue with your type of people with that mentality, you display so much hatred for the BVIslander, so why the h**l are your kind still here?