El Salvadore Announces Free Passport to 5000 Skilled Workers, Nigerians Can Apply

• El Salvadore is inviting skilled workers across countries to join its passport programs
• The president of the Central American country plans to give away 5,000 passports in this regard
• In addition, the country is planning to entice workers with things like tax removal and tariffs and more

The government is giving away 5,000 free passports to foreign skilled workers, or $5 billion, as part of its passport program, according to El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele’s announcement.

Bukele stated that this would allow foreign workers to support the nation’s labour in the future, guaranteeing all recipients full citizenship and voting rights.

The announcement was made on Saturday on the president’s account on X, which read:

“We’re offering 5,000 free passports (equivalent to $5 billion in our passport program) to highly skilled scientists, engineers, doctors, artists, and philosophers from abroad.

“This represents less than 0.1% of our population, so granting them full citizen status, including voting rights, poses no issue.

“Despite the small number, their contributions will have a huge impact on our society and the future of our country.”

Bukele also mentioned that removing taxes and tariffs on relocating families and assets—including high-value business goods like software, equipment, and intellectual property—will make their move easier thanks to the passport program.

About El Salvador

Notably, El Salvador is a nation in Central America bordered to the north and east by Honduras, to the northwest by Guatemala, and the south by the Pacific Ocean. It is the only nation in Central America devoid of a Caribbean coastline.

In Central America, El Salvador has more than 6 million people. As per the 2021 report by the International Labour Organization, women and young people in El Salvador’s main cities are impacted by low educational levels, high rates of underemployment and urban informality, and a concentration of workers in commerce and services, which in turn influences their intention to migrate.

Around 1.6 million people departed the nation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a shortage in the labour market, particularly in the sciences and health fields.

The government promises to release additional information about the program in due course and feels that this action will assist in addressing the issue.

Country announces visa-free entry

The list includes Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and others, with the earlier restrictions lifted for Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

BusinessDay, however, reported that the country exempted Nigeria from the list of visa-free countries.