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Valerie Woods - Opposition Senator
"I am at a loss having reviewed the immigration act and the amendments made, I believe it was 2014, 2015 and 2016, as to what is the urgency of now creating temporary residence for investors. Why would we tinker with this now? One would have to assume unless told otherwise and presented with data, that it is some urgency. How much faster, because it is not clear in this at all, how much faster will the process be for temporary residencies to be granted than the current regular permanent residence process?"

Eamon Courtenay - Opposition Senator
"In the context of the ongoing quarry, we have these loopholes, these things that are not specific and people who are ill-intentioned take advantage of legislation that is not accurate. So, my point with highlighting these is based on what we have experience and indicate that we on this side believe that the legislation needs to be more specific, clearer and direct when it comes to these applicants."

Mark Lizarraga - Senator for Business
"Is it that we have a new policy to attract investment? Are present investors in need of this? Do we need to have this to facilitate present investors for banking purposes? What is the matter and why is it being pushed? Everybody else is waiting for the Special Select Committee to put into place whatever it is that they think they need to put into place or to begin investigating or to do whatever. Why is this being pushed through in this manner and not a part of the overall recommendations that will come from the committee to strengthen the way we do things at immigration? That baffles me."

Steven Duncan - UDP Senator
"It is conceded that the requirements might be more stringent than what is required for permanent residency but it is an issue of time. In the case of this, it seems to me that to have the things listed in this bill you have to be doing business in the country and it is not to apply to get a status in the country but that you are already in the country, doing business."

Godwin Hulse - Senator, Leader of Government Business
"The current law makes available an in-transit permit, a dependent permit, a temporary employment permit- which we call a work permit-, a student permit- when you are going to UB or anywhere else-, a special permit and a visitor's permit. But Beltraide presented to us several meetings. In fact, they had a study done. But the problem came up that a lot of these investors, how they get to Belize? They get a visitor permit, that's the first thing. Then they have to stamp up every month, every month, which is a bit of a hassle because if they miss a month then immigration grabs them or at least chastises them. Then after six months they have to leave the country, if they were here six months and then they have to get a visa, so that doesn't really satisfy their needs because this is the man that is putting his money. So they have been going for work permits but he is not the worker, he is the employer. I could name several but I won't call names in this Senate, who have huge investments in Belize and this going and coming. They don't want to be citizens and they can't be permanent residence because you have to live here and you have to wait five years and turn citizen. They don't want to do that because they have legal residency in another country and they can't be a legal resident, I guess, in 2 or 3 countries, your legal residence is in the US. There are even some investors who have said, look, we have other nationalities but we have permanent residence in the US and if we ever get permanent residence for Belize well then that will be a big problem because you can't be permanent resident in two places."

Again, this amendment was passed this evening, after its third reading.