Any offer of employment to work on one of the Islands will be conditional on successfully obtaining a work permit from the Department of Immigration.
Your new employer will guide and sponsor you through this process and, provided all the correct information is submitted properly on a timely basis and Immigration procedures are adhered to, suitably qualified job-seekers should find this process to be a formality only.
Detailed information on the requirements for individual jurisdictions is provided via the links shown below. However, requirements as far as candidates are concerned usually include the following:
- Certified copy of your passport
- Certified copies of your degree and professional qualification certificates
- Police certificate* confirming you have no convictions
- Medical certificate**/X-ray*** confirming good general health
- Written references
*Request this early as some countries, including the UK, can potentially take quite a while to provide this document
**Some countries, including the UK, have no specific format for this. You should find that a letter from your GP saying that you appear to be in good general health and do not suffer from any known ailments will suffice.
***Make sure that your name is written on the scan so that the Immigration authority knows it is indeed your own X-ray result that has been submitted.
Eligibility for work permits
As a qualified lawyer or accountant, you are virtually guaranteed to be granted a work permit provided you hold a job offer from an employer and as long as the firm has gone through the necessary step of advertising the position locally in case there is an Islander who’d be eligible for consideration.
We often get asked if a partner or spouse will be able to go offshore too. The short answer is Yes provided either A) Your partner is also a qualified lawyer or accountant, or B) You are married (or can establish that you have a long-term relationship and are economically interdependent).
In the latter case of a married couple (or long-term relationship), both are permitted to live on the Island even if only has a job and related work permit. Work permits are associated with specific jobs/employers and are not available to use for any other employer or job.
Things worth thinking about
If you’re married but your spouse will not be working, employers may be cautious about hiring you if they fear that your partner will become bored/lonely or that you’ll struggle financially as a couple based off a single income (the Islands are not cheap, even if they are tax-free).
If you’re not married, your partner will either need to seek employment in their own right or they’ll have to remain on the mainland:
- In the former case, they might be successful in finding work in Financial Services, Administration/Business Support Services, Hospitality, Tourism, Teaching, Nursing or the Police but could struggle otherwise (often it is highly desirable for them to have at least two years of relevant work experience plus some sort of relevant supporting qualification)
- In the latter case of a partner deciding to remain behind, do be aware that employers may worry that the strains of separation could prove too great a risk for them to hire someone who plans on a long-distance relationship
If you’re holding a job offer from an offshore firm and have a partner who will also be looking for work, understand that your new employer has confidence that your partner will be successful in getting a job too, otherwise they would not have made you an offer. It entails a small leap of faith (in terms of timing in particular) but with patience, persistence and just a little luck, things have a way of working out. If you want it to happen, it usually will.
Applying for work permits
It is normal practice for job offers to be made subject to references proving satisfactory and a work permit being approved. An implied condition is also that you will supply the required work permit documentation within a reasonable time period. So be sure to complete your immigration and work permit application on a timely basis. It can take typically anywhere from 4-8 weeks on average to get final approval after your completed application has been received on the Island so you will need to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
Ensure you provide everything that is requested, exactly as asked for, together with supporting documentation (e.g. certified passport photos, certified proof of qualifications, medical and police clearances/criminal checks). It’s best to assemble the relevant paperwork and submit it to your new employer as a single package rather than submitting documents separately.
Additionally, be sure to return your completed package by courier (as opposed to air mail, recorded delivery). This is the only way of ensuring that your application is received promptly and even then it can take a few days longer than they claim. You’ll normally be allowed to reclaim the cost of this as part of your relocation package.
Some employers ask that you scan and email them what you plan to send by courier, just to make sure for themselves that everything is in order (they know how strict Immigration can be), and to avoid the risk of anything needing to be resubmitted later
Work permits for Bermuda
A non-Bermudian wishing to reside and work in Bermuda will need to submit the following information:
- A completed Immigration application form and questionnaire
- Certified copies of your qualifications and passport
- Police clearance form
- A full-size chest X-ray
- A medical certificate of good health
- Two character references plus two professional references
- Four (or more) passport-sized photographs
When your future employer sends you the Immigration paperwork to complete, it is critical that you complete the forms exactly as requested and provide all the information requested. If you do not, you will find that your form will be rejected and sent back to you for resubmission, however minor your omission. Since it normally takes 4-8 weeks for Immigration to process documentation, this can lead to significant delays that will not best please your new employer.
Fast-track work permits
On occasion, employers may want you to arrive in Bermuda more quickly than would be possible under the standard work permit. In such circumstances, they may arrange for you to be granted a temporary, fast-track permit which will allow you to start work more-or-less immediately, the idea being that your regular permit will be processed whilst you are already on the Island.
These permits are used sparingly but usually require the following basic information: a certified copy of your passport, confirmation of your marital status, and confirmation of whether you have any dependants. You will still need to apply for a regular permit as detailed above but under this mechanism it is possible for you to have permission to move to the Island earlier than would otherwise be the case.
Find out more at: Bermuda Work Permits | Read the detailed 2017 Work Permit regulations
Work permits for the British Virgin Islands
In order to be permitted to take up residence to work in the British Virgin Islands, you need to apply for permission to reside and work there.
The work permit allows you to be employed by a specific company, and the company applies for this permit on your behalf. A work permit application form requires the following supporting documents:
- A cover letter from the company
- A copy of the prospective employee’s CV
- Proof of your qualification for the position
- A copy of the newspaper advertisement of the job
- A passport-sized photo
The following have to be provided at the airport immediately on your arrival:
- A letter from the government Labour department to your employer approving your employment (someone from your new company will meet you at the airport with this item)
- Two copies of a police certificate of charter from your country of birth (and from your country of residence, if different)
- A certificate of good health from your country of residence
Providing the above documents allows you to stay on the Island for up to two weeks whilst your medical status is verified by the BVI Health Service.
After this, you are free to collect your work permit from the Labour department and then also your entry permit (which is a stamp in your passport) from the Immigration department. Once this process is done, you are legally permitted to work, reside and travel freely in and out of the British Virgin Islands.
Note that your new employer in the BVI will guide you through this process in detail. The information presented here is intended simply to give you a quick overview of the immigration process.
Find out more at: BVI Work Permits
Work permits for the Cayman Islands
To protect the local Islanders from what is viewed as undue competition from unqualified overseas applicants seeking to work in the Cayman Islands, the Immigration Board has developed a policy of work permits and criteria by which potential expatriate workers are assessed.
Temporary/Short-term permits
These are issued for one or six months and are primarily used to fill a position that is not permanent (e.g. for a waitress during the New Year period). In some instances, one-month permits can be issued to allow you to start working if you are waiting for your long-term permit to be approved by Immigration – effectively a ‘fast-track’ solution.
Six-month permits are designed to fill seasonal positions (e.g. a diving instructor working through the tourist season). No newspaper advertising is required for temporary permit applications.
Gainful occupation licences/Long-term permits
GOL permits are generally issued for a period of one year (it’s possible for two- to five-year permits to be granted on occasion) and must be submitted for annual renewal thereafter by your employer.
In order to have a long-term permit issued or renewed, your employer has to advertise the “vacancy” in the offshore press for a minimum of two weeks to see whether there is a suitable local Caymanian available for the position. Subsequent renewals are hence not automatic but in practice they are usually granted. Also, note that with a valid GOL you can bring personal items into the Islands “duty-free”.
You will need to assemble the following documentation for your work permit:
- A completed Immigration application form
- Certified copies of your qualifications and passport
- A police clearance form (non-UK) / Sworn affidavit* (UK applicants)
- A medical certificate of good health in the prescribed format
- Three references of good character (from non-relatives)
- Four passport-sized photographs (one must be in profile)
Find out more at: Cayman Work Permits
Work permits for the Channel Islands
Nationals for the UK and EU do not require a work permit or visa to enter the Channel Islands (Jersey/Guernsey). If you are not one of these nationals, you are likely to need a work permit to live and work in Jersey, unless you are a Commonwealth citizen who is admitted on the grounds of UK ancestry. Everyone else will need a skilled worker visa, which will be applied for on your behalf by your new employer, once you have provisionally secured new employment.
In Guernsey, all employed people have to obtain a Right to Work document to prove they are legally housed. If you are not already a resident of Guernsey and want to apply for employment, you need to ensure that you will be able to find accommodation. If you’re working in the finance sector then the Housing Authority will issue you with an ‘essential housing licence’ which is usually attached to the specific job you have been hired for by your new employer and which entitles you to live in Guernsey. Without a valid housing licence, you are not allowed to remain on the Island. These licences are generally issued for 3-5 year durations.
Find out more at: Immigration Department