Government Moves To Fix Work Permit, PRC And Passport Backlog

Government is moving to overhaul the processing of Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs), passports, and other key documents, including work permit applications, following years of delays.

Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Shaun Malcolm

Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Shaun Malcolm and Deputy Premier and Minister of Immigration and Border Services Hon. Jamell Robinson announced at a town hall meeting at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex in Providenciales on Tuesday, March 10.

Addressing residents, Malcolm acknowledged what he described as “totally unacceptable” wait times, with some applicants waiting as long as two to three years for critical documents.

“These are life documents that people depend on,” he said. “When you have to wait months, one year, two years, three years, it is unacceptable.”

The minister revealed that his ministry has already begun a restructuring process aimed at improving efficiency and customer service within the Department of Home Affairs. He noted that the current system does not allow the ministry to directly manage document intake, contributing to longstanding bottlenecks.

As part of the reforms, a dedicated customer service unit will be established to address one of the public’s biggest frustrations - lack of communication.

“We know the public has serious issues getting responses to emails and calls,” Malcolm said, pointing to cases where applications stalled for years simply because additional documents were needed but applicants were never contacted.

In the interim, the government has introduced weekly public listings of processed documents, allowing applicants to check online whether their status cards, passports, or other documents are ready or require additional information.

Malcolm said while progress is being made to clear the backlog, “there is still a lot to be done,” with more sweeping changes expected in the areas of citizenship, PRCs, and passport processing.

Deputy Premier Robinson

Meanwhile, Robinson outlined parallel efforts to address delays in work permits and broader immigration services.

Robinson disclosed that 17 temporary staff have been hired to tackle the backlog, which worsened following a cyber incident that disrupted government systems and forced many processes to be handled manually.

To improve efficiency, an online application processing system (APS) was launched on December 1, 2025. In its first two months, approximately 8,000 applications were initiated through the platform.

Looking ahead, Robinson said the long-term solution lies in the government’s Digital Borders Programme, a $12 million initiative that will modernize immigration systems over the next 12 to 18 months.

The programme will introduce:

• A new immigration information management system

• Fully online processing for work permits, residency permits, and visas

• Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA)

• e-Gates at ports of entry

• Biometric processing capabilities

Consultants have already begun preliminary work on the project, following the signing of the contract in December 2025.

Robinson emphasized that the transformation will significantly improve turnaround times and bring Turks and Caicos in line with modern border management systems used internationally.

The announcements come amid growing public concern over immigration and citizenship delays, with residents at the town hall pressing officials for faster and more transparent service delivery.

Government officials say the reforms now underway are intended to restore public confidence and ensure that essential documents are processed in a timely and efficient manner.