Immigration
Work permits under the Foreign Nationals Act, plus CARICOM free movement
Employment of a non-national normally requires a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security under the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens (Employment) Act. The main exception is the CARICOM Skilled National regime: a national of another CARICOM member state holding a recognised certificate may work without a permit. Entry and residence are administered by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National; permits issued by the Ministry of Labour, entry by PICA
- Deadline — Work permit: applied for before the worker begins employment, and renewed before expiry
- Deadline — CARICOM skilled national: certificate presented on entry, with an indefinite stay once accepted
Governing law
- Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens (Employment) Act
- Immigration Restriction (Commonwealth Citizens) Act
- Aliens Act
- Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Skilled Persons) Act 1997
In practice
The distinction that matters is between the permit route, where the employer must show the post could not reasonably be filled locally, and the CARICOM route, where the right to work follows the individual's skills certificate rather than any particular job. Because the certificate travels with the worker, a CARICOM skilled national can change employer without a fresh application, which a permit holder cannot.