Authorization Now Required For International Travel During Application Processing

At a Glance

Effective immediately, foreign nationals in Chile with pending new or renewal visa or residence applications who are awaiting documents that prove their application is pending must obtain prior authorization from the Immigration Department to exit the country. This will add an administrative hurdle and possibly additional costs for applicants and employers, since prior authorization is required for each international trip until the documents proving their application is pending are issued. Affected foreign nationals are no longer permitted to exit the country presenting only the original courier delivery receipt or electronic filing of their pending application, as has been allowed since May 2019. The situation

Based on an official government announcement, effective immediately, foreign nationals with pending new or renewal visa or residence applications who intend to leave Chile while their immigration application is being processed (which could take up to five months under currently delayed processing times), are subject to a new step before they can leave Chile.

A closer look

Proof of pending application. According to standing law, travelers who seek to leave Chile after submitting their immigration application must obtain a visa-in-process or residence-in-process certificate to prove their application is pending. Current processing times for these documents are four to five months instead of 30 to 45 business days, as was the case prior to August 2018. New travel authorization process. The new rule now requires such applicants to obtain authorization from the Immigration Department to leave Chile, which requires submitting a request to the Immigration Department by email at least five business days before their trip, attaching a copy of the electronic filing or courier delivery receipt of their pending application; airline or international transportation ticket; and an explanatory letter for their request. It is still uncertain how long the Immigration Department will take to issue the travel authorization upon receipt of the request. Impact

Impacted foreign nationals. Foreign nationals most impacted by this new rule are those who must leave...