Restrictions on government office hours extended

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? The Venezuelan government has announced that it will extend restrictions on government working hours until June 10.

What does the change mean? Applicants should expect delays to continue until the end of June in all governmental services, including documents processing, legalizations, work permit applications and visas renewals.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Work permits, visa renewals, legalizations.
• Who is affected: Foreign nationals seeking immigration-related or other government services in Venezuela.
• Impact on processing times:Delays are expected to continue through the end of June.
• Business impact: Companies should anticipate significant delays that may impact business schedules and start dates.

Background: Through June 10, all Venezuelan government entities will only be open on Mondays and Tuesdays and closed the rest of the week. Additionally, most government entities will work a reduced schedule from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This means that most government entities will be working only 10 hours per week.

The announcement extends the curtailed schedule that was previously announced for the month of May. The closures are intended to reduce energy consumption during the El Niño storm season.

BAL Analysis: Although business hours are expected to return to normal by mid-June, employers and individuals should anticipate a backlog that will cause delays through at least the end of the month.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Venezuela. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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