One Grand Bahama resident trying to secure permanent residency for his wife says the cost is just too much.
Dayle Wilson, who is married to a Jamaican woman said he has been working on getting a permanent residency permit following proper procedures, but recent policy changes are causing difficulties for him.
“Five years ago I put in for her spousal permit. They said come six months before the spousal permit is up to apply for the permanent residence. I went there and applied for the permanent residence,” he said.
Wilson said that he was informed that the new policy went into effect several weeks ago, but said that it is a huge financial burden to his family.
He said the fee for the spousal permit has undergone a dramatic increase, noting that when he secured one five years ago the processing fee cost $25 and is now $100.
“In the meantime, if I can’t afford to pay that $1,000 that means my wife has to stop working and move out of the country or something along those lines. The main thing is that she is going to have to stop working,” he said.
When The Freeport News contacted the Department of Immigration deputy director of immigration said the only change she is aware of is the department has been using a new electronic process for the applications.
Major-Smith said once you apply for a resident spouse permit and it is approved the approval letter states that once it expires you have six months before it is expired to apply for the permanent residency.
Major-Smith said if a spouses application has expired and has no immigration status they will then be required to get a permit to work, but if they are simply residing as a spouse a permit to reside will be needed to keep the immigration status current as the permanent residency application is processed.
“Many of them have that challenge because they think, this is my wife, but we must understand that the wife or the spouse is a foreign person in The Bahamas,” she said.
