Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix who has direct responsibilities for the Department of Citizenship within the Ministry of Presidency (MOTP) told the Department of Public Information/Government Information Agency (DPI/GINA) that there are ten countries that citizens routinely apply for work permits in Guyana.
“For the pass year we issued one thousand one hundred and sixty-four (1,164) work permits to nationals from 10 countries; Chinese, Americans, Cubans, Indians, British, Trinidadians, Canadians, Venezuelans, Jamaicans and Brazilians. Those are the top ten”, Minister Felix explained.
Felix said that as much as Guyana is lacking certain human resources, an orderly migration process for these citizens is a priority for the department.
The minister added that marriage and Guyanese whose children are born out of Guyana are some of the leading areas for citizenship applications in Guyana.
“We have two hundred and thirty-six (236) foreign nationals who have obtained Guyanese citizenship. Some by marriage and some by ordinary residency, meaning those that have been living in Guyana for the prescribed period,” Minister Felix added.
Between 2012 and 2014, Guyana issued just over two thousand three hundred work permits, with Brazilian workers receiving 2147 (two thousand one hundred and forty-seven) of the total.
Felix says while the David Granger Administration intends to accommodate foreign investment, it would not do so at the expense of Guyanese workers.
