2024-04-17 16:47:30
WORLD
The immigration regularization process in Ecuador for Venezuelan citizens reaches a crucial moment with the expiration of the deadline to apply for the VIRTE visa on April 5. This visa is specifically aimed at those Venezuelans who entered the country through unofficial immigration control points and who have previously registered in Ecuador.
Initiated in 2022 by the Ecuadorian government, this process seeks to grant an Exceptional Temporary Residence Visa (VIRTE) to Venezuelan migrants who are in Ecuadorian territory. To opt for this benefit, those interested must previously register with the immigration authorities to obtain a Certificate of Immigration Permanence, the term of which expired on August 15, 2023.
It is important to highlight that, although the initiative was designed mainly to regularize the situation of Venezuelans, citizens of other nationalities who are in the same condition can also apply for the VIRTE visa. Likewise, the scope of regularization includes your family group.
The UN Refugee Agency in Ecuador (UNHCR) has played a fundamental role in promoting this regularization process, providing advice and support to Venezuelans and other migrants seeking to obtain a visa.
According to data from the United Nations, Ecuador is home to almost half a million Venezuelan migrants, consolidating itself as the third country with the largest population of migrants from that country in the world, after Colombia and Peru.
With the expiration of the deadline to apply for the VIRTE visa, it is expected that Venezuelan migrants and others affected will complete their procedures before the deadline to regularize their immigration status in Ecuador.