Political Crisis Intensifies, Affecting All Immigration Processing

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At a Glance

• As the political situation intensifies following the resignation of the Bolivian President, more government offices and private entities are closing, preventing Fragomen, foreign nationals and employers from initiating or completing immigration processes.
• Foreign nationals and employers should expect processing delays for all pending and new immigration-related applications including Resident Visa applications, Identity Card issuance and document services, among other processes, until the situation normalizes.
• Affected foreign nationals with filed applications which require submission of the applicant’s original passport or identification document may face travel restrictions until the Ministry of Government reopens.

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The situation

Bolivia’s political crisis has intensified following President Evo Morales’ resignation, causing further closures of government office and private entities. The duration of closures is unclear at this time.

Impact

• General processing disruptions. Civil unrest and closures are preventing Fragomen, foreign nationals and employers from initiating or completing immigration processes. Foreign nationals and employers should expect processing delays for all pending and new immigration-related applications including Resident Visa applications, Identity Card issuance and document services, among other processes until the situation normalizes.

• Travel restrictions. Affected foreign nationals with filed applications which require submission of the applicant’s original passport or identification document may face travel restrictions until the Ministry of Government reopens, as currently there is no way to retrieve original documents from the Ministry.

 

Foreign nationals and their employers should continue to work with their immigration provider to develop strategies for mitigating disruptions and delays.

Background

President Evo Morales and other government officials have resigned amid growing opposition of the October 20 presidential election in Bolivia. He served as president for almost 14 years. It remains unclear who will be Bolivia’s next president.

Looking ahead

A change of administration would likely lead to immigration policy changes and continued immigration processing delays. Fragomen will provide updates as they become available.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].