How can my child get unconditional landing status?

Q. I would like my child, who was born and lives in Canada, to be granted unconditional landing status when he visits me in Jamaica. Unconditional landing would allow him to have the flexibility to stay with me for as long as he likes. How do we go about getting it and what's the cost?

A. Unconditional landing status is granted to persons who fall in any of the categories below:

Persons born in Jamaica but are travelling on foreign passports.

Persons born overseas to Jamaican parent(s).

Persons who have been naturalised or registered as Jamaican (that is, individuals who have been granted Jamaican citizenship). Children of naturalised Jamaicans born after the receipt of a citizenship certificate are also entitled to this status.

Persons who are recognised as Caribbean Community certified (free movement of skilled persons) by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. Dependents of such persons may also be granted unconditional landing status.

Unconditional landing status allows individuals to live in Jamaica indefinitely. It also allows the recipient to attend school and work on the island without having to obtain a work permit.

As your son is born to a Jamaican, he would qualify for unconditional landing status by virtue of descent. He must be in the island in order to apply. However, if he is under age 8, you could apply for the status on his behalf and he would not need to come into our office.

You will need to visit the Extension of Stay Unit at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in order to make the application. To apply for unconditional landing status by descent, you would need to provide:

The child's birth certificate (your name must be on the document).

Your birth certificate, as you are the parent.

A valid ID for you, the parent.

The child's passport.

You are also required to fill out an extension-of-stay application form.

If a guardian is making the application on your behalf, in addition to the documents required above, you would need to provide them with a notarised letter of consent to show that he/she is acting on your authority.

Generally, persons who have had a name change other than by marriage would need to present a deed poll certificate when applying. In cases where the applicant's descent is more than one generation away, he or she must produce the birth certificates which link him to the Jamaican national. So, for example, if a grandparent is Jamaican but the parents of the applicant are not, the applicant would need to show his/her parent's birth certificate (with the name of his/her grandparent appearing on the document) and the birth certificate of his grandparent.

The cost for unconditional landing status is J$10,000. Upon payment of the required fee, the applicant's passport will be endorsed (stamped), allowing him/her to remain here unconditionally.

Send questions, comments and suggestions to editor@gleanerjm.com and the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) will respond.