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Visitor Visa — Refugee Status Claimant

KiribatiHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Kiribati Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

Refugee status claimants may be granted visitor visas while they await a decision on their refugee claim, per the Immigration Procedures manual's "Visitor visas for refugee claimants" section. Kiribati is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention; this is an administrative non-removal/temporary-stay mechanism, not a full asylum regime.

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Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers refugee status claimants awaiting a decision on their refugee claim; merely expressing an intention to seek refugee status is sufficient to trigger the process, as the manual quotes UNHCR guidelines: "an indication of intent is all that is required to initiate the processing of a refugee claim."

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Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

Applications are made in the prescribed manner, but an immigration officer may, by special direction, waive the application fee, the requirement to produce evidence of funds or sponsorship, and the requirement to produce evidence of travel tickets or onward travel arrangements. The official source does not state where the application is made.

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What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

No refugee status claimant may be deported from Kiribati until their refugee or protection status has been finally determined. If a possible refugee is identified, the immigration officer contacts the Director of Immigration and then the Secretary, who in turn contact UNHCR for expert and confidential guidance.

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Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

UNHCR is the official assistance channel: it may provide logistical and financial assistance to asylum-seekers and refugees while their cases are being investigated, and is contactable on a 24/7 hotline (+61 408 619 052), an office-hours telephone (+61 2 6260 3411), fax (+61 2 6260 3477) and email (aulca@unhcr.org).

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Limits of the record
  • these instructions are addressed to immigration officers: the Director of Immigration or the Secretary is the person directed to contact UNHCR, not the claimant
  • the claimant's own stated channel is different — an intention to seek refugee status may be expressed to a representative of the Ministry or to a constable
  • the source carries no fraud or scam warning about refugee or resettlement services
  • Kiribati is stated not to be a signatory to the Refugee Convention at present, so no protection outcome is guaranteed by this channel
  • chars 174512-174866
    UNHCR may, if necessary, provide logistical and financial assistance to asylum-seekers and refugees while their cases are being investigated. UNHCR can be contacted on: • 24/7 Hotline: +61 408 619 052 • Tel (office hours): +61 2 6260 3411 • Fax: +61 2 6260 3477 • Email: aulca@unhcr.org

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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