Roadtown, Tortola - Government is again taking steps to facilitate summertime visits by dependent children of residents in the Territory.

Effective immediately, children from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica, who are under the age of 18 and enrolled in school, will benefit from a Summer Visa Programme which allows their parents residing in the Territory to apply for visas at the Civil Registry and Passport Office located in the Central Administration Building.

The usual procedure is for such visa applications to be made at the British High Commission in the child’s country of residence.

Parents wishing to capitalise on the Summer Visa Programme should submit a valid passport, two passport sized photographs and a letter from the child’s school confirming enrollment. These should be accompanied by the parents’ job letter and work permit card along with a non-refundable fee of $25.

As a new stipulation to the Summer Visa Programme, Cabinet has decided that upon arrival in the Territory, the passports of the children benefitting from the programme will be held at the Department of Immigration.

Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Mr. Guy Hill explained to the Department of Information and Public Relations that the decision to keep the passports is “part of the enforcement mechanisms being instituted by the Department of Immigration which will also help to facilitate more accurate record-keeping.”

Mr. Hill further stated that “parents should notify the Department of Immigration at least two days before the child’s departure to ensure that the passport is delivered to the airport to facilitate check-in and departure.”

The Deputy Chief Immigration Officer assured parents that the passports will be kept safely and he stressed the need for compliance. “The Department of Immigration is urging all parents who utilise the Summer Visa Programme to comply with the directives received at the port of entry.”

The programme will remain in effect until September 15, by which date, it is mandatory that all children who entered the Territory under the programme would have returned to their country of residence.

The temporary easing of the Territory’s visa policy was first introduced in 2008. Persons needing more information on the Summer Visa Programme can contact the Department of Immigration at 486-3701 ext.4700 and 4770 or the Civil Registry and Passport Office at 468-3701 ext.3035 or 3038.