KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—Under the leadership of Andrew Holness, the Jamaican government has taken a significant step in enhancing immigration control and border security management with the development of a comprehensive National Visa Policy.
On Tuesday, the National Visa Policy (2024) was tabled in Parliament. The policy proposes six main categories of visas, which will be issued by the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency and guided by a set of criteria.
These categories include tourism, business, employment, student or exchange, diplomats, and officials.
Dr. Horace Chang, the National Security Minister, has underscored that the visa policy is designed to facilitate travel to Jamaica, particularly for business travelers and visitors, while ensuring border security.
In contributing to the sectoral debate, Chang said the policy would establish rules, outline the framework, and define the governance structure supporting the government’s strategic direction for all relevant stakeholders involved in the visa issuance process.
This comes against a sustained increase in annual visitor arrivals to Jamaica.
Chang also cited the strategic importance of economic growth through seamless travel facilitation, business development, and formal exchange programs.
and then 