22 December 2023
PR OFFICIAL DIRECTIVE NOTICE NO.2 FOR 2023
TO: Designated Agents for VANUATU PERMANENT RESIDENCY VISA
This note is made in additional to the notice dated the 10 of November 2023 Title “PRG Consulting Limited as Exclusive AGENT FOR GREATER CHINA, HONG KONG, MACAU AND TAIWAN“.
It is apparent to the Department for Vanuatu Immigration & Passport Services that the directive on the 10 of November 2023 was not respected or received well by some of the designated PR agents.
The purpose of the 10 of November 2023 notice is to reiterates the Ministerial Order for Immigration Visa Regulation (Amendment) order No 120 of 2023, which had appointed PRG Consulting Limited to be its exclusive agent to market the PR Program for Greater China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
In addition to the Ministerial order, it allows the Vanuatu Government in good faith to enter into contractual agreement and authorise other agents to act on Government behalf as agents for the Permanent Residency program. All PR agents must be reminded on the overall objectives of the PR program which are:
- Attracts foreign capital Investment for Vanuatu
- Promotion of Vanuatu as a destination for genuine Foreign Investor.
- Align investment opportunities with the Decentralisation policy for the Vanuatu Government.
- Create employment opportunities for Vanuatu Citizens.
Amendment to the Immigration Visa Regulation
On the 4th of October 2023, the Minister responsible for Immigration signed another ministerial order to amend the Immigration Visa Regulation Order No 180 of 2011. In that amendment of the Immigration Visa Regulation Order, Clause 5A specifically distinguishes the Permanent Residency Visa issued in Vanuatu or Hong Kong and expand on the following:
- PR issued in Hong Kong, the PR card must be Yellow in Colour and include the name “Permanent Residency issued Overseas”.
- PR issued in Vanuatu must be White in Colour.
- It also provides that a person is entitled to one permanent Residency Visa only.
Therefore, the Permanent Residency Visa issued in HONG KONG by the Consulate Office is recognised by the Vanuatu Immigration document as the only PR card for applicants in Great China Regions.. The holder of the PR in Hong Kong also has the privileges to enter Vanuatu in permanent residence status.
PR Market
Despite the exclusivity for PRG Consulting Limited for greater China, Hong Kong Macau, and Taiwan, the scope of the PR applies to Middle East, India, Africa, Europe, Americas, Pacific Region and South East Asia Region.
Therefore, it is a must for the Vanuatu Government to encourage all agents in exception to PRG Consulting Limited to promote Vanuatu in other regions of the world to bring in more investment to Vanuatu.
Legal implication
The Department of Vanuatu Immigration and Passport Services would like to remind everyone of the contractual obligations that the Government has with the agents. Please promote Vanuatu PR with some accountability for the PR program. Since the PR program has gone through so much review this year, this notice is to inform everyone to respect the current PR Immigration regulation order and contracts terms and conditions which outline the PR promotion right for regions as stated on contracts. For the purpose of clarification, PRG has exclusivity for Greater China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan while other PR agents are assign to the Middle East region, India, Africa, Europe, America, Pacific and South East Asia Region.
The Immigration Department through the compliance officers will be strictly monitoring this directive and also reserve the rights to stop processing PR applications for those whom not adhere to this directive.
If you have further questions, please conduct my office or the compliance officers at [email protected].