There is still no set date for Guatemalan migrants living in the US to process the application again. Consular Identification Card (TICG). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) indicates that the process will resume during the second half of the year, through a pilot plan in two American cities.
However, Minex does not detail the procedure followed or the resources it has to rehabilitate the service.
“We continue with the same situation since January 2026. The consular registration (TICG) has not been restored and we have no news from the Minex of when they will reactivate the service at the consular headquarters in the United States. We continue with the same thing,” comments Alfonso Pérez, from the Alianza Guatemaltecos Unidos in Los Angeles, California, a city where, according to him, More than 2.5 million Guatemalans reside there.
He points out that since 2005 the document has helped them identify themselves before local authorities and to carry out procedures in banks, educational centers and emergency services, among others.
The TICG is not accepted in all cities. In those where it is, it allows the Guatemalan migrants prove that they reside in the North American country, since it has the person’s photograph and address printed on it. However, does not constitute proof of immigration status.
“Not having a document to identify themselves worsens or further complicates the situation of our migrants who do not have an immigration status,” says Pérez.
On the other hand, it mentions that There is also no Personal Identification Document (DPI) printing center in the US.so it does not consider that it can replace the consular card.
When checking the Facebook account of the Consulate General of Guatemala in Los Angeles, California, there are comments from fellow citizens asking when the TICG will be delivered again, but the answer remains uncertain.
Karla Peralta, a Guatemalan living in the US, writes: “They should take into account that there are many Guatemalan people who do not have the consular registration. It is already a long time to wait and we need it.”
One of the responses that the consulate gives to those who consult is: “Dear compatriot, at the moment the Consulate General of Guatemala in Los Angeles is not issuing a consular identification card. Keep an eye on our social networks or contact the number (213) 900-1098, extension 5, for more information.”
The TICG was offered for a cost of US$25 and a validity of five years, according to official information.
In progress
The Minex indicates that it is advancing in the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the identification of Guatemalans abroad, which, among other aspects, includes the development of a own system for the issuance of the TICG, with greater safety and efficiency measures.
It adds that the issuance process will resume during the second half of 2026, without giving a specific day, and it will be through a pilot plan which will encompass two printing centers located in Los Angeles, California, and Lake Worth, Florida. This will allow Guatemalans living in the US to complete the process at consular offices.
The Minex reports that currently There are 1 million 420 thousand 442 valid consular identification cardsbut this does not replace the passport; rather, it is a complementary identification document for fellow citizens living in the North American country.
Fernando Castro Molina, immigration analyst, points out that the Minex indefinitely suspended the delivery of the TICG after the termination of printing contract with the company that provided the service, which harms thousands of Guatemalan migrants residing in the United States.
Although the Foreign Ministry is working on the implementation of its own system to resume the card process, Castro Molina regrets that the problem was not anticipated and that the resumption of the process seven months late, since the card stopped being issued in January.
He considers that the Minex authorities should have anticipated the expiration of the contract and, in parallel, developed the new system so as not to interrupt the delivery of the document.
In addition, he states that the plan to print and distribute the TICG only in two consulates is limited and should be expanded to the 26 consular offices for greater efficiency, considering that in the US there are more than 4 million Guatemalan immigrantsthe vast majority in an irregular situation.
Worry
“By not having regular immigration status, many Guatemalan nationals do not have access to local driver’s licenses and depend on this consular card also to cash checks, rent homes and enter public buildings. Likewise, it is a requirement for opening bank accounts in various entities and for collecting or sending remittances,” says the analyst.
Both Castro Molina and Pérez mention that not having a valid identification document with local authorities increases the vulnerability of immigrants facing arrests and possible prosecutions deportation by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
The analyst recommends that the implementation of the new system for the issuance of the TICG by Minex be transparent.
It was verified on the Guatecompras portal (State Contracting and Acquisitions Information System) if the Foreign Ministry has published any event related to the development of the system for the issuance of the consular card; However, so far this year none have been located.