Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act

What this bill does

This bill creates two new ways for long-term residents to get permanent residency in Bermuda. It allows people who have lived in Bermuda for 20 years to apply, or people who have lived here for 15 years if they have a child with Bermudian status.

If passed (voted YES)

• Long-term residents with 20+ years in Bermuda can apply for permanent residency for a $10,000 fee (much lower than the current $50,000 fee)
• Non-Bermudian parents with 15+ years residence and a Bermudian child can also apply for the same $10,000 fee
• Family members of new permanent residents (spouses and children) can also apply for permanent residency

If rejected (voted NO)

• Long-term residents would continue to have limited pathways to permanent residency
• The main route would remain the existing expensive option ($50,000 fee) with stricter requirements
• Non-Bermudian parents of Bermudian children would not get this special 15-year pathway

Who it affects

This primarily affects long-term foreign residents who have been living in Bermuda for many years but haven't been able to get permanent residency, especially non-Bermudian parents of Bermudian children and other established community members.