Governor approves law for ‘residency by birth’
Governor Daniel Pruce has officially assented to the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Act, 2024, which includes provisions for granting Residence Status to children born in the BVI to non-Belonger parents.
Under the new legislation, this benefit is non-automatic and will require persons to apply for this category of residency status.
Overall, the law introduces a suite of new measures to enhance the immigration process in the Virgin Islands and is expected to improve transparency and fairness in immigration policies. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley expressed optimism about the new law, stating that it represents “a significant step forward in ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the immigration process.”
He highlighted that these amendments align with the recent Commission of Inquiry recommendations, which had called for more explicit guidelines in awarding residency and Belonger status.
Clear guidelines on tenure eligibility
A notable feature of the amended Act is the establishment of clear guidelines on the length of time required for individuals to qualify for Residence and Belonger status. Additionally, the law lays out a formal process for determining annual Immigration quotas, a responsibility that now falls to the Board of Immigration. The board will recommend these quotas to the Cabinet, using data on population trends, labour market conditions, and housing availability to inform its decisions.
“The Act addresses key recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry and sets clear guidelines for granting residence and Belonger status,” Premier Wheatley stated. “These amendments will allow us to better manage the growth and development of our territory while safeguarding the interests of our people.”
Immigration data analysis mandate
The law also mandates government entities to gather and analyse data to support the territory’s sustainable development. This data-driven approach ensures that immigration decisions reflect the needs and capacity of the BVI, promoting responsible population growth that considers available resources and job opportunities.
The government assured that it would continue to prioritise policies that improve the quality of life for Virgin Islanders and secure a sustainable future.
The new law was assentes on November 1, and will soon take effect. It marks a pivotal moment in the BVI’s efforts to enhance its immigration system and uphold the interests of all residents.
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Thanks as always BVI News for quoting a press release and never bothering to actually read it and provide your readers with actual information.
From now on we will be flooded with more anchor babies…Watch and see
The kids will be granted residency at birth not Belongership/Citizenship. They would need to move to that next step under the applicable rules once they are of age.
DID U LOOK IN THE MIRROR FIRST ❓️❓️ OR WERE YOUR EYES CLOSED
This is what you call neoliberal media, it gives the impression that something good has been achieved, but it means that kids born here are now sentence to residency status only, and is unlikely to become citizens status.
Will this be enforced? I’ve applied for residence in August 2022 and I am still waiting to hear back from Immigration. Every time I go there they tell me to wait that they will call me. Almost 30 months now!
These people fully well know of the problems with outsiders getting kids here and they are willfully doing it
What is the effect of children having “residency status,” as opposed to full citizenship. As “residents,” do they qualify for attendance at the public schools for the same cost as children of citizens? What about access to health care? Are the citizens of the BVI going to have to subsidize the costs of these children’s upbringing?
The VI will soon see the end of local rulefinalized and become second and third class citizens, within fifty years.
What is the length of time for residency as required by this new law?
This some good news , regardless of what others think we can’t punished the childreds for parents mistakes and choices ,they deserve it because we when st. thomas and us main land and born our kids and they gotten every rights of the state so we can’t be onesided , stop it this the twenty five centary
This is not making sense. Where you are born is where you are from. I can Adop a foreign born child and they automatically become a belonger. Governor Price you are meddling in some mess here.
This is not making sense. Where you are born is where you are from. I can Adop a foreign born child and they automatically become a belonger. Governor Pruce you are meddling in some mess here.
Sterilize all the women that is coming into the Territory or require they use some type of birth control. As it is the BVI is allowing to many anchor babies to be born in Territory.
Alu worried about the wrong people. Its not our Caribbean brothets and sisters thats going to take advantage of this situation, as they rightly should because they have helped to build this country and improve our living condition (as well as theirs). Its the Asians who seem to be multiplying each month in this place. This situation reminds me of the movie Gremlins. Each time that cuddly animal got wet, he multiplied. They will be making babies like Rabbits.
” Build this country ????
IN WHAT DIRECTION ??? The pit of a septic hole!
The prison built for their arrival ,no room,full beyond capacity.,.hundreds of them murderers slithering slimy entities all about free from any charges or penalty, The ones incarcerated living life better than they ever thought they could while our poverty wage Civil servants,who are mainly BVIslanders cannot buy food pay for housing on the poverty wage of $50,000 or less.
Zero,naughty Asians in the midst,minding their business and obeying the laws,,ZERO labeled charged or suspected of any wrong doing.
They are and they function as Civil humanity,no lie.
Anchor babies
Making babies like rabbits
Sterilize women ( exp)
Children born in the BVI – foreigners
Can’t punished child for parents
What is happening to you people?
Some of you beginning to sound like the Hitler against the Jews
Traced almost every indigenous family almost one parent came from else where
Stop breeding hate in such a small place
This is heartbreaking that we think like this
When BVI leave for greener pastures, it leaves a vacuum in the society that others fill
This negativity is frightening
Do you understand why people would not talk to police if there is increasing violence in the society
Trust is gone even in the church . Truly shocking and shameful
E
Where you are born is where you are from.
right.
Dont blame the local people for these comments I dont believe most of the comments are from here either. A bit of mix and match is good for us blasian sounds good.
The Asians are no threat to the sanctity and quality of life in these VI. They are model visitors citzens,student etc.aTgey do not have photos in our prison files..With time we will have an increase in the Asia populationc and also Caucasian. WiThat in my opinion is the inent if the UK in mabdatjngvtge citizen by birth. Your Ccaribbesn briscabd Sus did not improve the country or our finances. Everything we now have we had r could have without you…real estate,homes,cars,bank account educatikn,travel ability,etc..zzAllyo folks brought crime, lawlessness,poverty and degraded ourcquality of life. Soiled our reputation and our good name. Proverbs speaks against that abomination.Nothing good came from your presence. Tourism and Offshore banking you met upon your arrival To believe otherwise only underscores allyo delusions of being worthwhile. Tolerated at best and we waiting hoping for the inevitable change of the much needed demographic for survival
We have a gross lack of diversity in the BVI, we desperately need more variety.
We are in dire need of residents that are not offshoots the worse of humanity, picking the scum from the worse in the Northern hemisphere with which to build your country is madness,a display of self hatred and self destruction. The major contribution crime,povertyand a degraded quality of life. The prison has no room so the crimes go”unsolved”, murderers,deportees and others are minglingfreely and openly although their identity is known, School children with firearms in their backpacks and now a new and Public admission by governing heads that there are organized gangs..and without admission we know that they are solely Young Black Males with ties to the Caricom islands,they and or parent(s)selected imported and installed as tools for our selfengineered and executed self destruction.
These comments are so hypocritical as usual! We need to stop birthing our children on St Thomas or anywhere in the US then just so our children are US Citizen. This is wrong on so many levels!
St Thomas, The USVI The USA have no issues about BVIslanders that would give them pause or concern about our presence and citizenship in their countries. We have proven to contribute to positivity intheir countries presently past and present.We are invited welcome and accepted everywhere,
Unlike the CAricomers who, worldwide is looked upon with jaundice eyes and for good reasons.
They would rectify this if they could but the curse is indelible. Every thing they need and more is in their country but stepping on foreign soil and soiling other countries is one of their compulsive disorders and evidence shows this truth,
Our survival would be nil without wind and rain sun but we drop on our knees and pray for hurricane to by pass our shores, If we could never have a hurricane or tornadoes or floods we would be happy and relieved. They bring misery loss and deaths. Akin to the dominant human imports that now grace our shores. Unlike
hurricanes and other natural disasters we have the power and the ability to reject and to revamp.
The upde islun folks too have the power to reject and to revamp their behaviour in accordance with their best interest. Evidently they are not buying the reality of civility as beneficial. Let them be,but elsewhere is how I see it.
with the amount of Philo’s flooding in, with this law the BVI soon turn into the Asian Virgin Islands
“Garrot Virgin Islands”is a heavy of the heaviest load.
Asian Virgin Islands spells improvement,a brighter future.
All of these hateful and ignorant comments by many of whose children are born in the USA, St Thomas or Puerto Rico with full rights and passport in hand. Quite a number of BVIslanders have US visas/passports, UK passports, BVI passports and some even have Caribbean passports added to the mix, yet you criticize and dump on persons who migrate here and have their families here. It is such an ignorant, sad and wicked mentality that many BVIslanders have. Not to mention that many of your parents or foreparents are not BVIslanders born. You are such hypocrites is isn’t funny. Do you actually think about what you are saying?
Here is a senario: what if all of the down island and up island people left the BVI tomorrow what will happen to the economy(i.e. labor fees, work permit fees, immigration fees etc), rented properties, businesses who depend on them as employees. The comments that are posted here regarding this decision are soo ignorant and selfish. All we focus on us ourselves. Where you are born is where you are from that is simple science, one doesnt need a college degree to understand that. Change the stupid outdated mentality. Too much bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness in the hearts thats why there is so much cancer… I pray that God will have mercy on this nation because if he doesnt his FULL judgement will prevail. Yes, judgement because God is so displeased with us. We are wicked, immoral, corrupt, greedy, unjust, selfish, unforgiving, bitter, full up of iniquity, drunken, love reveling, perverted and hateful. Take your pick and repent!!