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MEDIA RELEASE: Work Permit Exemption Extended for Registered Venezuelan Nationals in Trinidad and Tobago
June 12th 2023
Port of Spain: The Ministry of National Security wishes to advise that the duration of the Work Permit Exemption granted to Venezuelan nationals in Trinidad and Tobago, registered under the Migrant Registration Framework, has been extended to December 31, 2023.
Registered Venezuelan nationals who were issued with Minister’s Permits and Migrant Registration Cards are invited to visit the relevant Immigration Division, Enforcement Unit office during the period June 20, 2023 to July 28, 2023 to process their extended permits and update their Registration Cards.
A list of Minister’s Permits numbers will be posted to the Ministry of National Security’s website via link https://nationalsecurity.gov.tt/services/workpermit-exemptionextension/, and social media pages, indicating the scheduled dates when persons holding those card numbers must visit the relevant Immigration office.
Registrants are to present the following documents:
- Completed Immigration Form 17A (available on Ministry of National Security’s website (via https://nationalsecurity.gov.tt/services/workpermit-exemptionextension/)
- Certificate of Character (or receipt, if CoC is not available by the scheduled application date)
- Previously issued Minister’s Permit
- Previously issued Registration Card
- Passport-sized photograph (for self and minors declared on application form)
Documents are to be packaged, labelled with registrants’ names and updated contact information, and submitted at the relevant Immigration office locations as follows:
- Immigration Division Enforcement Unit, 135 Henry Street, Port of Spain;
- Immigration Division Enforcement Unit, No. 2 Knox Street, San Fernando; and
- Immigration Division Enforcement Unit, Port Authority, Scarborough, Tobago.
PLEASE NOTE that failure to visit the relevant Immigration office by July 28, 2023 will prevent further processing, and incomplete applications will be considered as withdrawn.
Registrants are urged to inform the Immigration Division of any changes in their address and contact details when they visit the relevant Immigration office. Without accurate and updated contact information, the Immigration Division will be unable to advise the registrant on the status of their application.
Approved applicants will be issued with new Minister’s Permits, which will be valid until December 31, 2023, and their existing registration cards will be updated with a sticker indicating the date of expiry at December 31, 2023.
In the instances where registration cards have been lost, stolen or mutilated, new cards will only be issued upon completion of the relevant statutory declaration and payment of a replacement fee of $500.00.
Registrants will be advised on the Ministry’s website when their Minister’s Permits are ready for collection.
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Changes to the UNHCR Registration Centre from 24 April 2023
April 24th, 2023
From 24 April 2023, if you are applying for asylum for the first time, you can visit the UNHCR Registration Centre, corner Keate and Pembroke Streets, Port of Spain, from Monday to Thursday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Please be reminded that Living Water Community will no longer be registering asylum seekers from 1 April 2023.
How to renew your UNHCR card (expired, lost or stolen cards)?
If you need to renew your UNHCR Card, you can visit the UNHCR Registration Centre when it reopens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
What to do if you have a UNHCR certificate (paper document) and remain to be registered?
If you need to renew your UNHCR Card, you can also visit the UNHCR Registration Centre when it reopens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Please note that the UNHCR ID Card is used for the purpose of documenting refugees and asylum seekers under UNHCR mandate. It does not replace official documentation issued by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and/or Immigration Division such as work permits for which you will need to follow the established processes under the national law.
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UNHCR TT discontinues COVID-19 food support programme
December 28th, 2022
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is mandated to protect people forced to flee and help find durable solutions so they can live in safety and with access to their rights.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as governments around the world – including Trinidad and Tobago – implemented lockdown procedures to mitigate the spread of the virus, UNHCR noted that food security would be fundamental to the well-being of the thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers we protect in the country.
As part of its pandemic response in April 2020, UNHCR mobilized emergency funding, and in partnership with Living Water Community (LWC), sought to provide immediate relief via hampers and vouchers to the most vulnerable in the community, many of whom were unable to earn a living because of the lockdown and restrictions on various sectors.
Since then, UNHCR and LWC have supported over 6,000 refugee, migrant, and local households with food assistance, allowing them to focus on other aspects of daily life, including seeking livelihoods opportunities.
Now that most countries have moved beyond the initial protocols instituted for the pandemic and as life returns to pre-pandemic routines, from January 1, 2023, UNHCR will discontinue our emergency food assistance. UNHCR, LWC, and other humanitarian partners remain committed to providing essential support services to refugees and migrants, as well as advocating for enhanced protection systems for people who have been forcibly displaced. For more information on the services UNHCR and our partners offer or to provide your feedback, please visit: https://help.unhcr.org/trinidadandtobago/.
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Update to UNHCR’s Office Number
November 9th, 2021
UNHCR’s main office phone number has changed to 610-POCS (7627). The previous number, 235-3810 has been discontinued. For general enquiries, please contact the new office number.