Overview:
Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur has called on President Surangel Whipps Jr. to correct an immigration regulation that ties visa extensions to digital residency, saying the rule conflicts with national law and must be brought into compliance.
By: L.N. Reklai
Koror, Palau — Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur is calling on President Surangel Whipps Jr. to address what he says is a clear mismatch between Palau’s immigration law and a regulation granting visa benefits tied to digital residency.
In a Nov. 24 letter, Mariur flagged Section 320 of the Immigration Regulations, amended and approved in May 2023, which allows digital residents to receive up to two consecutive 90-day extensions of their tourist visas each year. The provision effectively creates a residency-linked exception for digital residents—an exception, he argued, that is not supported by statute.
Mariur pointed to Title 13, Section 1022 of the Palau National Code, which explicitly states that digital residency does not confer any right to reside in or visit Palau, and cannot be used to approve or deny entry. By making visa extensions dependent on digital residency status, he said, the regulation appears to contradict the law and extends benefits the statute does not authorize.
The senator urged the executive branch to “expeditiously” correct the discrepancy and ensure the regulation complies with national law. Maintaining consistency between legislative intent and implementing regulations, he said, is a shared responsibility of both the Olbiil Era Kelulau and the administration.
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