Dokument #1354020
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
According to a report of the United States Office of Personnel Management, Investigations Service, entitled Citizenship Laws of the World, a foreigner married to a woman who is a Jamaican citizen can apply for Jamaican citizenship (United States Mar. 2001, 102). According to the Website of the Jamaican High Commission in London, to obtain Jamaican citizenship by marriage, the person concerned must apply in writing to the Ministry of National Security and Justice (Jamaica n.d.a). The time for processing an application for citizenship is approximately one year (ibid.).
The Website of the Jamaican High Commission in New York indicated that persons applying for citizenship by marriage must submit a letter to the Minister of National Security and Justice requesting registration as a citizen of Jamaica, along with a completed Application R1 Form; two photographs; a certified copy of their passport, birth certificate, and marriage certificate; a certified copy of their spouse's birth certificate and Jamaican passport; a recent police record; and an international money order in the amount of 7,000 Jamaican dollars [approximately CDN$162 (Canada 16 Sept. 2003)] (ibid. n.d.b).
According Act No. 19 of 1999, Jamaican authorities can deny an application for citizenship by marriage if the applicant has been convicted in any country of an offence involving violence, fraud or dishonesty, or the production or sale of drugs; or an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term of two years or more (ibid. 26 Mar. 1999). A copy of this Act was attached to JAM33246.F of 10 December 1999.
A copy of the Jamaican Nationality Act could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Canada. 16 September 2003. Bank of
Canada. Currency Converter. http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/exchform.htm
[Accessed 16 Sept. 2003]
Jamaica. 26 March 1999. An Act to
Amend the Constitution of Jamaica to Provide for Matters Relating
to Citizenship. Document received by fax from the Jamaican
High Commission in Ottawa.
_____. n.d.a. Jamaican High Commission
in London. "Registration as a Citizen of Jamaica by Virtue of
Marriage." http://www.jhcuk.com/resources/reg_as_citz_ja_marriage.html
[Accessed 15 Sept. 2003]
_____. n.d.b. Jamaican High Commission
in New York. "Citizenship and Permanent Residency in Jamaica." http://www.congenjamaica-ny.org/permanent_residency.htm
[Accessed 15 Sept. 2003]
United States. March 2001. Office of
Personnel Management, Investigations Service. Citizenship Laws
of the World. http://www.opm.gov/extra/investigate/IS-01.pdf
[Accessed 15 Sept. 2003]
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Jamaican High Commission in Ottawa
Internet sites, including:
Jamaica Gleaner [Kingston]
Jamaica Observer [Kingston]
Ministry of National Security and
Justice
Supreme Court of Jamaica
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR)