UK lifts visa requirement for Guyanese

Oct 19, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – British High Commissioner, Jane Miller along with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali was pleased to announce on Tuesday that Guyanese no longer require a visa to visit the United Kingdom.

During a joint press conference at her residence, Ambassador Miller said visa-free travel takes effect from November 9, 2022. The envoy explained that individuals seeking to stay in the UK for more than 180 days for the purposes or work or study would require a visa to do so. Nonetheless, Ambassador Miller said this new development marks a historic shift for United Kingdom-Guyana relations.

She recalled that the visa restriction was one of the first issues to be brought to her attention when she arrived 15 months ago. She recalled that it was also raised by President Ali when he was in the UK earlier this year for a high level engagement with former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

From left – Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Judy Kpogho; British High Commissioner, Jane Miller; President Dr. Irfaan Ali; and Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Elisabeth Harper

Ambassador Miller said this visa lift is a real sign of the confidence of the UK in the Guyana economy. Together with direct flights by British Airways, she said this move will be transformative to the already strong relationship between Guyana and the UK. She was keen to note that in mid-November, there will be a trade mission for British businesses to visit and better understand the opportunities available here. She expressed hope that Guyana’s private sector would do the same in light of the visa lift.

Meanwhile, the Head of State during his remarks was keen to note that the idea of the visa lift is not just about strengthening the relations to advance economic opportunities but to also promote Guyana’s strong tourism potential. He said the UK has significantly large bird watching population; along with persons who are simply deeply connected with nature. Ali therefore believes the country has a momentous opportunity to exploit its tourism potential while expanding networking benefits.

Ali said too that the visa-free announcement comes with very hard work, adding that Guyanese must be mindful not to abuse it. He said systems will be put in place to ensure rigid monitoring.

ACCESS TO MORE FINANCING

In addition to the foregoing move, Ali said his government will be pushing to access various financing arrangements from the UK to support the government’s infrastructural projects. The Head of State reminded that Guyana’s new oil producer along with the volatility in the market has made access to cheap financing harder. Be that as it may, Ali said, “We are pursuing very strong terms in favour of Guyana, that is to say fixed rate financing at less than three percent…it is difficult to achieve but still we are pushing for this.”

Similar to the US Exim Bank, Ali said the UK also has a facility in which it is able to build, finance and transfer. He said there are also facilities that allow for countries to benefit from export credits. This helps companies with the support they need for international trade.

Additionally, Ali said work is continuing on access to UK technology to build concrete drains in Guyana at a very fast pace. “As you know, the drainage system in Georgetown needs to be completely rehabilitated. We have committed to the upgrade of the drainage system in South Georgetown and we are looking at the best technology available to do this in a very efficient manner,” the President stated. Overall, he said these efforts will go a long way in supporting the government’s agenda for development.