Bill defining pathway to Residency & Belongership passes in HoA
The Bill addresses issues including the length of time required for being eligible for Residence and Belonger status, the establishment of guidelines and criteria governing the award of status by Cabinet and the process for determining quotas and an appeals process. Other issues addressed include children’s path to residence status and children born in the VI to Non-Belonger parents.
According to the Bill brought to the HoA by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), applicants must be ordinarily resident in the Territory for at least 10 years before becoming eligible to apply for permanent residence. To become eligible to apply for Belonger Status, an applicant must be ordinarily a resident in the Territory for at least 20 years.
‘10 years goes by in a blink of an eye’- Premier
The proposal is a carbon copy of the policy that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) had flagged as being unlawful, as the Government policy only allowed persons to apply for Belonger status after living in the VI for more than 20 years; however, the current law stipulates that persons can apply for this status after residing in the Territory for more than 10 years.
“While some persons might think it’s a high threshold, we know that the Virgin Islands is a small place, and 10 years goes by in a blink of an eye,” he said. “And we need [persons] to establish a certain amount of time to get to know the territory — a certain amount of time to establish yourself,” Premier Wheatley stated in defending the 20-year requirement.
Opposition Leader Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) was also in support of the 20-year requirement.
“The premier mentioned removing the 10, [which was] a right, to 20, which was a policy for when I used to sit over there,” Mr Skelton said. “You’re making it more legal, which is good.”
The Bill has to be now assented to by the Governor before it becomes law.
More details to follow.
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