The Uruguayan government has enacted a new immigration law—effective later in October—that will offer expedited 30-business-day processing of permanent residence permits and accompanying work authorization to MERCOSUR nationals. It is expected to issue implementing regulations and specify application requirements within the next several weeks. Residence permit applications, which will be less burdensome, can be filed with the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at a Uruguayan consulate abroad.

MERCOSUR, which is a Spanish-language acronym for Southern Common Market, is a Latin American trade bloc composed of the member states Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Under the new law, those who were born in a member state and carry a valid passport from that country are eligible for the expedited processing.Continue Reading Uruguay Enhances Intra-MERCOSUR Mobility in EU-like Move