THE YEAR LONG temporary permit  for  foreigners to complete their procedures seeking  permanent or temporary residence in Panama has been cut to six months, starting  Tuesday Jan. 10.

Since 2010, the term has been one year.

An executive decree published in the  Government Gazette Tuesday with the signature of President Juan

Carlos Varela and Minister of Public Security Alexis Bethancourt, says that immigration issues are resolved within six months, "so it is not necessary that the procedure  permit  has a validity for longer than that term."