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Panama's immigration laws

The first thing to know about Panamanian immigration law is that it's not found in just one section of the law. Many laws having little to do with immigration have been passed to promote farming, reforestation, tourism, scientific research and other worthy goals, and many of these laws contain provisions to attract immigrants who will invest in these sectors.

The second thing to know is that if you were not born in Panama and neither of your parents were Panamanian, you will need a lawyer to become a legal immigrant. Most of the papers that must be filed will only be accepted if filed by an attorney. Lawyers figure that anyone who wants to immigrate is rich, and charge hundreds of dollars for a few minutes worth of work, which is itself often delayed for months or years. Any recourse you might have against a lawyer who takes your retainer and does no work is mostly theoretical. Thus you should understand that you will need a lawyer, and you should ask around and get a conscientious one.

There were some changes to Panama's basis immigration law in 1999, with those accretions adding to a body of law that dates back to the 1920s, when the country passed laws more than anything else designed to exclude blacks, Asians and people from the Middle East. Though the outright ban on immigration of such people has been lifted, there is still discrimination against their obtaining visas, which in turn is one of the great sources of corruption at Migracion. The 1999 changes went into effect in March of 2000. Among other things, they changed tourist visas from 30 to 90 days, which can now be extended to six months; eased requirements on musicians and other "transients," and mostly abolished the need for legal resident aliens to get a paz y salvo every time they leave the country.

Some of the visas that non-citizens may obtain to live here include:

• General Investor — you must invest at least $100,000 in a business that the government considers socially beneficial;

• Export Processing Zone Investor — you must invest at least $250,000 in Fort Davis or one of the other export processing zones;

• Agro-forestry Investor — you must invest at least $40,000 in a reforestation project;

• Small Investor — you must invest at least $10,000 and employ at least three Panamanians in a small business considered socially beneficial, and be an officer or manager of the business;

• Pensioner or Retiree — you must show that a retirement or disability pension from abroad yields you a monthly income of at least $500, plus another $100 per month for each dependent;

• Retired Investor — you must be retired and have a certificate of deposit in a Panamanian bank that yields an income of at least $750 per month;

• Farmer — you must have at least $40,000 invested in a producing farm in Panama;

• Colon Free Zone executive — you must have an executive position with a firm doing business in the Colon Free Zone;

• City of Knowledge — you must be a student, professor or administrator with an institution affiliated with the City of Knowledge.

Because much of this body of law was passed piecemeal, many of the requirements differ slightly from one type of visa to another. For example, you must present a report from the police departments in places where you have lived for most visas, but this requirement does not exist for those under the City of Knowledge program. Generally you will need a certificate of health and a negative HIV test to get any sort of visa.

Whatever type of visa you use to get into the country, if you are here legally for five year, you can become a resident alien with the right to work. However, though you may have been here for more than five years, if your status is as a pensioner or a retired investor, this will not automatically entitle you to work in Panama. On the other hand, even if you were working here illegally, if you are the parent of a child who was born here and can prove that you have been supporting this child for at least two years, you will become eligible for residency and a work permit.

Many people immigrate as spouses of Panamanians, and if that's your way in, you should be prepared to be questioned in depth, to determine whether yours is a sham marriage for the purposes of immigration fraud.

Some people get visas to work here as experts or consultants. If you're working as such for a foreign company, you won't need a work permit, but to work for a Panamanian company you will need a permit from the Ministry of Labor. These permits are for one year and are renewable. Under that program, an argument with your employer can get you not only fired, but deported as well.

If you're a citizen of Spain or one of several Latin American countries, Panama has reciprocal agreements that will make it easier for you to live and work here. The basic policy is that this is a Spanish-speaking country with laws designed to make it easier for Spanish-speaking immigrants.

also in this section: Peruvian investigators look here for Montesinos's and Fujimori's funds The latest issue of Business PanamaPanama's immigration laws World Bank plots rural strategy here Business Briefs
©2001 The Panama News