Panama: Information on the possibility of becoming a naturalized Panamanian or obtaining legal residence status for a Chinese national living four years (legally or illegally) in Panama, 1987-1992
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAN10827 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Panama: Information on the possibility of becoming a naturalized Panamanian or obtaining legal residence status for a Chinese national living four years (legally or illegally) in Panama, 1987-1992, 1 May 1992, PAN10827, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad988.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In addition to the documents already available to the requester (a copy of the Panamanian Constitution and previous Responses to Information Requests), the information that follows was provided by a legal advisor of the Embassy of Panama in Washington, D.C. (7 May 1992). The legal advisor stated that he has practised law on immigration-related issues in Panama and participated in a recent government study on the status of aliens residing without proper documentation in Panama.
In order to become a naturalized Panamanian, a person must initially reside in Panama for one year with a visa. The visa can belong to one of many categories that allow temporary residence (student, investor, etc.). After residing legally in the country for one year, the person can request residencia definitiva (permanent residence status). The person may request naturalization after living in Panama as a permanent resident for three years if married to a Panamanian, or after five years if the person is not married to a Panamanian.
A person can acquire legal residence status in Panama after having resided in the country illegally without the required documents. The person must first approach Panamanian authorities and request legalization of their status. A fine is paid, in proportion to the amount of time the person has been residing illegally in the country. The person is given a temporary I.D. (usually valid for one month), while the request is reviewed by the authorities. If the person meets the criteria for residing legally in Panama, a visa will be issued (the category could depend on the occupation or status of the person: student, investor, etc.). The source did not elaborate on the critera required to be met for residing legally in Panama. If the person is granted a visa, residencia definitiva may be requested after one year of living legally in Panama. The person may request naturalization after living in Panama as a permanent resident for three years if married to a Panamanian, or after five years if the person is not married to a Panamanian.
Finally, the legal advisor indicated that Panama currently has a rather large number of Chinese, Cubans, Colombians and other foreigners who entered the country without the authorities' permission or illegally acquired from Panamanian authorities documents which are considered to have no legal value. During the Noriega regime, false or illegal travel documents and visas were apparently sold to Chinese and other foreigners. The Panamanian government is currently discussing legislation to solve the problem faced by the illegal residents. The legislation has already been approved by the Cabinet and forwarded to Congress. It is expected that the proposed law, or perhaps a modified version of it, will be passed by Congress before the end of 1992. The law should make it easier for Panamanian authorities to decide the legal status of those who have been residing in Panama illegally, be it without documentation or with forged or illegally-acquired documents.
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC.
References
Embassy of Panama, Washington, D.C. 7 May 1992. Telephone Interview with Legal Advisor.
