Residence permit application form now also in Chinese

Justice and Police (Juspol) Minister Jennifer van Dijk-Silos recently announced that the application form for a residence permit is currently also available in Chinese. Information that is in Chinese has also been added to the application form so that foreigners from China, Hong Kong and other countries can immediately know what the requirements are for a residence permit.

Van Dijk-Silos said that one of the requirements is having sufficient means of income. “We must be certain that the foreigner has a livelihood.” If the foreigner wants to work or is working in Suriname, he or she needs to have a work permit. The work permit is reportedly attached to the residence permit. The minister has reportedly noticed that most of the foreigners who work in Suriname do not have a work permit which is why they cannot successfully apply for an extension of their stay in Suriname. This is why the minister has decided to launch an information/ awareness campaign. According to Van Dijk-Silos, foreigners think that they can only get an extension with their residence permit. “We must make sure that the foreigners are earning a living in order to keep alive.” In December 2015, the minister announced that the Immigration Act would be carried out stringently. If a foreigner does not meet the requirements, the application form cannot be handed in. Officials can also reject the request. The Ministry of Justice and Police wants to tackle the issues in association with the Brazilian and the Chinese embassy. The Chinese embassy has already announced that it will utilize the new online system as of October 1. The ministry has also initiated a partnership with the Brazilian embassy to make sure that Brazilians receive the proper help in certain matters.