Section 5A:

5A. Persons who are permanent residents of Mauritius (1) Subject to the other provisions of this section and section 6A, any person, not being a citizen, may, on application to the Minister under this Act, be granted the status of permanent resident where— (a) he is an investor, a self-employed non-citizen or a retired non-citizen; (aa) he invests at least 500,000 US dollars, or its equivalent in any other hard convertible foreign currency, in an activity specified in Part IV of the Schedule to the Investment Promotion Act; [Issue 7] I2 – 6 Revised Laws of Mauritius (ab) he is a member of the Mauritian Diaspora under the Mauritian Diaspora Scheme; (b) he is the spouse of a person to whom paragraph (a), (aa) or (ab) applies; (c) he is a dependent child of a person to whom paragraph (a), (aa), (ab) or (b) applies; (d) — (e) he is the wholly dependent next of kin of an unmarried person to whom paragraph (a), (aa) or (ab) applies. (2) The number of persons who may obtain the status of permanent resident under subsection (1) (e) shall not exceed 3. (3) — (4) Any application under subsection (1) shall be made on the prescribed form. (5) (a) Any investor or self-employed non-citizen referred to in subsection (1) (a) who is the holder of an occupation permit may, at the expiry of a period of 3 years of his occupation permit, upon satisfying the criteria specified in Part III of the Schedule to the Investment Promotion Act and on application made under this section, be granted the status of permanent resident. (b) A non-citizen referred to in subsection (1) (aa) may, on investing the amount referred to in that subsection and on application made under this section, be granted the status of permanent resident. (5A) Any retired non-citizen referred to in subsection (1) (a) who is the holder of a residence permit may, at the expiry of a period of 3 years of his residence permit, upon satisfying continuously the criteria specified in Part I of the Schedule to the Investment Promotion Act and on application made under this section, be granted the status of permanent resident. (5AA) Any non-citizen who has been employed to work in Mauritius during at least 3 consecutive years immediately preceding his application under this section— (a) drawing a basic monthly salary of at least 150,000 rupees during those years by virtue of that employment; and (b) holding— (i) a valid work permit issued under the Non-Citizens (Employment Restriction) Act; or (ii) an occupation permit, may, on application made under this section, be granted the status of permanent resident. (5B) A permanent residence permit granted under subsection (5), (5A) or (5AA) shall, subject to section 6A, be valid for a period of 10 years as from the expiry date of his occupation permit or residence permit, as the case may be. (6) The spouse and dependants of a person to whom subsection (5), (5A) or (5AA) applies may, on application under this section, also be granted the status of permanent resident. [S. 5A amended by Act 33 of 1999; s. 13 (b) of Act 20 of 2002 w.e.f. 1 September 2002; s. 5 (c) of Act 21 of 2006 w.e.f. 1 October 2006; s. 16 (c) of Act 17 of 2007 w.e.f. 22 August 2007; s. 14 (b) of Act 18 of 2008 w.e.f. 19 July 2008; s. 11 (b) of Act 26 of 2012 w.e.f. 22 December 2012; s. 23 (c) of Act 9 of 2015 w.e.f. 14 May 2015.] I2 – 7 [Issue 7] Immigration Act