IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Chile has modified its permanent residence application process.

What does the change mean? Effective immediately, applicants from most countries will be able to apply for permanent residence and provide required documents through a new online portal, rather than by sending hard-copy documents to the Immigration Department. Nationals of Brazil, China, Cuba, Haiti and Peru are not eligible to use the online portal and must apply for permanent residence in person at the Immigration Department. Officials have also begun requiring all applicants to provide a police clearance certificate from their country of origin. Previously, police clearances were only required from nationals of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Peru.

  • Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing. The changes took effect this month.
  • Visas/permits affected: Permanent residence.
  • Who is affected: Anyone applying for permanent residence in Chile, whether as the principal applicant or a dependent.
  • Impact on processing times: The online portal is meant to ease application procedures, but the police clearance requirement may add to the time it takes to prepare an application.

Additional information: Up until now, foreign nationals applying for permanent residence did so by sending hard-copy documents by courier to the Immigration Department. The online portal may ease procedures for most applicants, but nationals of Brazil, China, Cuba, Haiti and Peru will be required to make an in-person appearance and cannot use the online portal at this time.

Authorities have extended the police clearance requirement, meanwhile, to all nationalities. This requirement will apply to both principal applicants and dependents ages 18 and up. The police clearance certificate must be duly apostilled and must be accompanied by an official translation if the original is in a language other than Spanish, English, French, Italian or Portuguese.

Analysis & Comments: Employers and foreign nationals applying for permanent residence should take note of the changes. The online portal may ease parts of the application process, but applicants should be sure to leave additional time to obtain the required police clearance certificate and to have it apostilled and, if necessary, translated.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.