The National Immigration Service establishes a new deadline for submitting extensions for expired Residences Permits and modifies the procedure for requesting the Seafarer Visa Stamped Upon Arrival.

Comments:

• Initially, this measure had been established until December 31th, 2023, through Resolution No. 12457 of May 5th, 2023, and subsequently extended until February 29th, 2024, through Resolution No. 246 of January 3th, 2024.

• This measure is adopted after analyzing the situation resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic, which is still ongoing, and considering the reactivation of employment and the country’s economy.

• It is worth mentioning, regarding fines, that Resolution No. 636 of January 27th, 2021, established that any permit that expired from March 13th, 2020, to June 30th, 2021, is exempt from expiration fines.

• After June 30th, 2024, all provisions of Resolution No. 15,703 of August 24th, 2021, remain in effect. This resolution grants a period of six (6) months to submit extension requests, counted from the expiration of the corresponding Temporary Residence Permit or Provisional Permanent Resident Permit.

Resolution No. 9047 of March 1st, 2024

• The Resolution eliminated Subsection C of the Procedure Manual, which allowed requesting the VMEA when the seafarer has appeared at the immigration control post, duly accredited, without the Special Seafarer Visa.

• The Resolution eliminated the use of Form No. 8, which was the Manual Format for requesting the Special Seafarer Visa and/or VMEA.

• The VMEA must be requested when the Shipping Agency is notified by the land or air immigration control officials that the seafarer/crew represented have arrived in the country with a previously approved Electronic Seafarer Visa, but an inconsistency has been detected.
• The following conditions are maintained for the Shipping Agency to request VMEA:

  • In case the seafarer/crew presents a passport or seafarer’s book different from the one used to issue the Special Seafarer Visa.

  • In case there are errors in the data (name, passport number, seafarer’s book, date of birth, nationality).

• The Shipping Agency must request VMEA using the Pacific Sector System Application – Electronic Seafarer Visa System and comply with the same requirements as the Electronic Seafarer Visa (hereinafter the VEM-e) application. Subsequently, they must send to the email address (aatm@migración.gob.pa) the case number once the application has been completed and paid.

• The Resolution eliminated the title of Special Seafarer Visa – Manual System – Form No. 8 – PDF, with electronic signature or with fresh signature or stamp
  (hereinafter the “VEM-Manual System”) from the Procedure Manual, and therefore this procedure can no longer be used.

• The Resolution included Form No. 11 that can be used to request the creation, authorization, or cancellation for personnel of Shipping Agencies within the Administrative Area of Maritime Procedures.

• This Resolution will be in effect from March 6th, 2024.

Comments:

• Initially, the Procedure Manual was established through Resolution No. 18965 of August 16th, 2022.

• Previously, to request the VMEA, the Shipping Agency had to send an email attaching the required documentation, including Form No. 8. Now, this procedure has been modified, and the same requirements for requesting the VEM-e must be met.

• Previously, the VEM-Manual System was used under the following conditions: (i) contingency plan for power failures, (ii) visa system failures, (iii) outside office hours, weekends, and/or holidays. With this Resolution, the VEM-Manual System has been eliminated.