The Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG), through its Departamento de Estudios, has delivered a database containing records of resident permits issued by the Chilean government for foreigners from the year 2000 to the closing of the semester of each year. This data refers to Residencia Temporal permits, Residencia Definitiva permits granted, and applications for Refuge, granted and rejected.
This database is intended to help with the government migration policy, and to be used as a tool for statistical analyses, but some considerations should be taken into account. The data published, because of its origin, does not provide information about migrants with a regular or irregular situation in Chile. This is because what is being informed corresponds exclusively to the residence permits records mentioned above. The reason for that is, one person could have, in a lapse of one or more years, more than one residence permit, and also without distinguishing whether that person left Chilean territory. Therefore, the information published can only show trends in the migration flows, and not the number of foreigners in Chile. For information about the number of foreigners in Chile you should go to the topic estimates of foreigners.
On the other hand, the database of residencias temporales y residencias definitivas permits does not constitute different groups of foreigners, because in order to be granted a Residencia Definitiva permit a foreigner must comply with certain administrative conditions required for Residencia Temporal applicants. Then, it can be concluded that the database of Residencia Definitiva permits granted includes foreigners who can be found in the database of Residencia Temporal permits granted.
In order to achieve a better understanding of the data, we propose to distinguish between temporary migration (Residencia Temporal), and permanent migration (Residencia Definitiva). That is, according to the permit’s validity. This is why a Residencia Temporal permit may reflect a recent migration since it is the first residence permit granted to a foreigner to remain in the country during the validity of the permit. On the other hand, a Residencia Definitiva permit may indicate a long-term migration, because this permit allows a foreigner to stay indefinitely in the country.
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Residencia Temporal
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Residencia Definitiva
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Refuge
Applications for Residencia Temporal accepted:
It corresponds to the applications for Residencia Temporal (RT) permits received by SERMIG that meet the minimum requirements, accepting their application and subsequent resolution.
Residencia Temporal permits granted:
The general number of Residencia Temporal permits granted considers all the administrative acts that may conclude in the granting of Residencia Temporal permits. Among them: First time Residencia Temporal permit granted, and permit extensions; Regularization processes in 1998, 2008, 2018, and 2021; reconsideration of prior Residencia Temporal permit refusals; among other subjects.
Applications for Residencia Definitiva accepted:
It corresponds to the applications for Residencia Definitiva (RD) permits received by SERMIG that meet the minimum requirements, accepting their application and subsequent resolution.
Residencia Definitiva permits granted:
The general number of Residencia Definitiva permits granted considers all the administrative acts that may conclude in the granting of these permits. Among them: Residencia Definitiva permits granted in a first instance or late. This last one considers those permits granted after refusal or revocation of the benefit.
Refuge requests formalized: "The general number of Refuge requests formalized considers the administrative act that grants a Residencia Temporal permit for the first time, and that derives from an Refuge request, which formalizes that request".
Refuge requests recognized: "The general number of Refuge recognized considers all administrative acts, which may be the following: recognition of refugee status granting a Residencia Definitiva permit in the first instance or later. This last one considers reconsiderations after refusal or revocations of this benefit".
Refuge requests refused: "The general number of Refuge requests refused considers the administrative act that refuses the Refuge request, but not the preservation of the measure of this refusal in further instances, like the refusal or approval of appeals that are intended to reconsider the refusal in the first instance".
* Spanish only.
* It is recommended to visualize these graphics from a desk computer.
* It is recommended to visualize these graphics from a desk computer.
* It is recommended to visualize these graphics from a desk computer.
* It is recommended to visualize these graphics from a desk computer.
* It is recommended to visualize these graphics from a desk computer.
