Immigration & Passport (Amendment) Bill, 2025 passes in HoA
The bill sought to correct legislative oversights that effectively extended the waiting period for Belongership in the Virgin Islands to 30 years.
The Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill 2025 reduces the required period of ordinary residency back to 10 years, fixing an issue caused by amendments passed in 2024.
“This bill builds on the progress we made in 2024 and addresses several key areas that require attention...For example, we are clarifying the definition of ‘ordinarily resident’ to ensure that it is applied consistently throughout the Immigration and Passport Act.
“We are also clarifying recently introduced requirements for attaining belonger status, which will help to ensure that those who seek to become a part of our territory are truly committed to the territory and its people. Additional consequential amendments have also been made to tidy areas of the act that would have been unintended ramifications,” Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), the sponsor of the bill, stated during the continuation of the Third Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth HoA on April 22, 2025.
No more 30-year wait for Belonger status
One of the amendments was to section 16 of the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Act, 2024, which had the “unintended consequence of lengthening the period of being ordinarily resident in the territory for belonger status to an effective 30 years,” according to the “objects and reasons” section of the bill.
The 2024 changes had “unintentionally” created a two-tier requirement—ten years to qualify for residency and an additional 20 years for Belongership under section 16. The new bill reverts the latter to 10 years.
“This bill builds on the progress we have made in 2024 and addresses several key areas that require attention,” Dr Wheatley stated. He said the government was working toward “a system that is fair, transparent, and responsive to the needs of all members of our territory,” Premier Wheatley had said.
The bill had received support from all members of the House.
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8 Responses to “Immigration & Passport (Amendment) Bill, 2025 passes in HoA”
Too much legislation in this country is rushed through and badly made. Just look at the Maritime laws that are a back to be changed again and again.
Can we not just take the time to get things right the first time.
We really need to ask how our HOA is passing bad legislation. We are going to need this before the people in the nation can even begin to contemplate pressing our leaders to take us to independence.
Must do better.