11 persons from 7 countries now Guyanese citizens

Some 11 individuals from seven countries on Monday received their Registration and Naturalisation Certificates from the Home Affairs Ministry’s Immigration Support Services, denoting their Guyanese citizenship.
During a ceremony attended by Head of Immigration Support Services, Michelle Davis, and Jessica Bacchus from the Citizenship Section, Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Andre Ally, congratulated the new citizens on this significant milestone, and extended to them a warm welcome as newest members of the Guyanese nation. He spoke about the importance of citizenship not just as a legal status, but as a shared commitment to the values, ideals and progress of the country, and highlighted that Guyana’s strength lies in its diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, which have been woven together into a vibrant, unique national identity.

Ally has expressed confidence that the new citizens would add to this rich culture with their own traditions and perspectives;
and, in emphasising the responsibilities that come with citizenship, has encouraged the new citizens to be active and engaged members of society, upholding the laws and contributing to the nation’s development.
Last April, 39 individuals from 13 countries received their Registration and Naturalisation Certificates; and last February, Ally reported that 300 Certificates of Citizenship had been issued for 2023.
In the case of marriage, the process of becoming a citizen takes two years after all the relevant documents have been submitted.
In September 2023, a total of 42 persons from 10 countries had received their Guyanese citizenship following the Home Affairs Ministry’s Naturalisation and Registration ceremony.
The Ministry’s website states that a person is eligible to apply for citizenship by naturalisation once that person shows they are ordinarily resident in Guyana and have been so resident throughout seven years immediately preceding the application, that they are of good character, and that they intend to reside in Guyana. On approval, the website said, the person would be granted a Certificate of Naturalisation and would have to take the Oath of Allegiance to Guyana.
Included in a list of requirements published on the Ministry’s website is that the “applicant must advertise in the newspaper for two consecutive days that he or she is applying to the Ministry of Home Affairs for Naturalisation as a citizen of Guyana.”
The Head of Immigration Support Services had in February announced that 10,155 Guyanese visas have been issued for 2023. Of the more than 10,000 visas issued, she explained, 4978 were for employment, 66 were for business, 64 were to facilitate students studying, 1764 were for visitors, and 3283 were landing permits.
Further, she had said these visas were issued under various categories, including extension of stay.