Immigration Requirements

Required Documents for Entry into Jamaica

Before leaving your home country, please make sure that you have the documents necessary for entering Jamaica. All international students will require the following:

  • Offer letter from the University
  • Valid national passport
  • Letter of receipt of scholarship (applicable only to those students who have received scholarships and/or awards)
  • Sufficient funds for maintenance for the duration of your course of study
  • Valid Visa where required

All non-Commonwealth students are required to have valid visas, duly endorsed in their passports before entering Jamaica.
Students from Commonwealth counties, with the exception of Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands do not require a visa.

Non-Commonwealth nationals and those from Commonwealth Countries on which a visa requirement has been imposed must contact the nearest Jamaican Consulate or High Commission to secure their visas before they arrive in Jamaica.
Where there is no Consulate or High Commission, the British Consul may be able to facilitate arrangements.

Arrival at the Airport

All students must satisfy the Immigration Officer at the point of entry that they have met the entry requirements mentioned above.
Upon arrival, a student is landed as a visitor and will be required to visit the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency to have his/her status changed to that of a student.

Obtaining an Extension of Stay

An application for an Extension of Stay for the purpose of study should be submitted at the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency, (PICA), located at 25c Constant Spring Road, Kingston 10. This should be done within two (2) weeks of your arrival. The extension of stay will be granted for the duration of the course of study or to the expiry date of the student’s passport, whichever comes first. The processing fee for the extension of stay is J$10,000.00 per application. The minimum processing time is three (3) working days.

Obtaining a Multiple Entry Visa

Students from non-Commonwealth countries and Commonwealth countries on which a visa requirement has been imposed, will be granted a Multiple Entry Visa valid for the duration of the students’ status. The cost for multiple entry visas varies by country and ranges from J$500 to J$2000. Once a Multiple Entry Visa is granted, a student may enter and leave Jamaica any number of times, with no additional visa-related costs. In addition to a Multiple Entry Visa, all non-Commonwealth students must be registered with the Passport, Immigration, & Citizenship Agency. Students are required to fill out anAlien Registration Form and submit two passport sized photographs for persons residing in Kingston & St. Andrew, and three for persons residing in other parishes. The current processing fee is J$2000.00.

N.B. Application forms for extension of stay are available at the International Students’ Office. The Office provides students with status letters and assists them with the application process. Please contact the International Student Office for further details.