The Independent Lawyer

03/06/2026

Ryan hanging out with friends at the immigration office this morning for a 7AM meetup.

29/05/2026

We post a lot about immigration on our social media, but that’s just one part of what we do in our office. We also do a ton of real estate transactional work, we help our clients incorporate, open bank accounts, set up foundations, get their driver’s licenses, etc, etc.

And depending which type of visa you have, we can help you with a Panama work permit as well. Eric just finished up with Randal and a Chantel this morning at the labor Ministry, and they are both now legally permitted to work in Panama!

29/05/2026

Marta spent the morning with Kristen, Ray, Pamela and Chuck picking up their first Panama residency cards. Both are just delightful couples (and soon to be neighbors)!

28/05/2026

Nothing but positive energy this morning with our clients picking up their provisional residency cards.

Most of the time, our clients are in town just for a few days to submit the residency application. But everyone in this morning’s crew are already here, living and building their futures in Panama.

27/05/2026

In and out this morning with Pamela, Marty and Merri Ann, all of whom are now permanent Panama residents!

Congrats on a huge accomplishment, all before 8:00 AM!

26/05/2026

Priceless smiles this morning!

25/05/2026

With Mauricio and Evgenia this morning, extending their Panama residency (this time for permanent). Meanwhile, Carla and Christopher are picking up their permanent residency cards.

Back at the office, a number of families are starting their Panama residency processes with Ryan, while other team members are helping our clients to open bank accounts, to validate documents at their embassy, and to get their Panama driver’s licenses. Then we have a couple of real estate closings this afternoon.

It’s a dance we do every day, every week. All the moving parts and getting to play a role in so many people’s adventure is a thrill that never wanes.

21/05/2026

A number of families, couples, and future neighbors started their residency process with us this week.

One of the interesting things about immigration mornings is seeing how different everybody’s story is. Some people are retiring. Some are bringing young kids. Some are looking for a slower pace. Some are building businesses or looking for a second home base.

Different reasons. Same big decision.

And somehow, all roads end up in the same waiting room at immigration.

15/05/2026

Some updates to our article about how to obtain an FBI report for a Panama residency application!

Be sure to read this, or to just watch the short video before paying someone hundreds of dollars to handle this for you!

If you are from the US and applying for Panama residency, you'll need to submit fingerprints for an FBI background check. Here is everything you need to know.

15/05/2026

A lot of people come to Panama expecting the day at the immigration office to take forever.

Then Winston and Christina were in and out of immigration with Marta in less than 30 minutes.

Marta heads our immigration team at TIL and spends most of her time helping clients prepare before submission day so there are no surprises when they arrive.

We also had Pearl visiting from the UK this week for her own residency process. That’s a long flight across the pond, rewarded by a fast and easy process once she got to Panama.

The internet tends to make residency sound stressful. But you’ll be happy to know that most of your homework is actually completed before you arrive to Panama.

We hope these guys have had an amazing week, and we look forward to seeing them back in Panama in just a few months.