By LK Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
Citizens and nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis holding the old ‘green passports’ are still confused over the travel document’s validity.
In an attempt to clear up the confusion over the passports issued before the implementation of the new Caricom passports, The Observer spoke with Hon. Timothy Harris, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Contrary to the misinformation floating around, the old green passports are still valid and will continue to be so until 2009. Some persons who had just gotten passports before the introduction of the new Caricom passports were complaining that that had to pay the monies associated with obtaining a passport a second time. Unless there is a recall of the old passports, they will continue to be valid until they expire or until 2009, whichever comes first,” the minister said.
Harris explained the reasons why persons should apply for the new Caricom passports, saying that the St. Christopher and Nevis passports previously issued were not machine readable.
Those persons whose old passports had US and other immigrant visas stamped in them would have to present both passports when travelling to countries that required visas.
When applying for the Caricom passport, national applicants must provide the old passport whether or not it has expired, along with a police record, birth certificate, two passport sized photos, and a completed application form. Applicants also have to provide $85 worth of stamps for the passport to be processed in two weeks, or $150 for two-day processing.
Persons who still possess the old green passports are being encouraged to obtain the Caricom passports to avoid any inconvenience when travelling as the older passports are not very compatible with the more modern equipment used by airport immigration around the world.
