Head of Immigration Support Services, Michelle Davis, on Thursday reported that 10,155 Guyanese visas have been issued for 2023.
She made this announcement during the Home Affairs Ministry’s Agency Review and 2024 Projections, held at its headquarters in Brickdam, Georgetown. Of the more than 10,000 visas issued, she explained, 4978 were for employment, 66 were for business, 64 were to facilitate students studying, 1764 were for visitors, and 3283 were landing permits. Further, she said that these visas were issued under various categories, including extension of stay.
Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Andre Ally, related that 300 Certificates of Citizenship had also been issued for 2023. In the case of marriage, citizenship takes three years after all the relevant documents have been submitted.
In September 2023, a total of 42 persons from 10 countries received their Guyanese citizenship following the Home Affairs Ministry’s naturalisation and registration ceremony.
“We all should embrace diversity; we can all learn from each other,” the Permanent Secretary told the audience while giving brief remarks.
The ceremony also included remarks from the Head of Immigration Support Services, Michelle Davis, who expressed elation at being part of this inaugural ceremony.
Ally had told this publication that that was the first time such a ceremony had been hosted, thus making it a historic event. He noted that among the nationals who had become Guyanese citizens were Cubans, Brazilians and Indians.
Only recently, a section of the media reported there had been an increase in applications for Guyanese citizenship.
