Work visa fees increase

What is the change? The Venezuelan Migration Authority has significantly increased the fee charged for all transient labor (TR-L) visas that are applied for in-country and now requires that the fee be paid in U.S. dollars and not in Venezuelan currency.

What does the change mean? The change increases the government fee from approximately US$3 to about US$200 for TR-L visa applicants and their dependent family members.

• Implementation time frame: Ongoing. The requirement to pay in U.S. dollars has not yet been implemented.
• Visas/permits affected: TR-L visas, 90-day TR-L visas and transient family labor (TR-FL) visas.
• Who is affected: Foreign nationals who are applying for new TR-L or TR-FL visas in Venezuela. It is unclear if the requirement will also apply to visa renewals.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to adjust their budgets to account for the increase.

Background: The TR-L visa is the primary work visa in Venezuela. The government implemented new regulations affecting the processes for obtaining new and renewed TR-L visas in 2016, adding new requirements to the application process.

BAL Analysis: Companies and individuals should budget for the increases as they submit TR-L and TR-FL applications. Fees for consular visas, such as business (TR-N) visas and investor (TR-I) visas, are also expected to increase, but the increases may depend on the individual consulates.

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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