BVI lacks distinction for persons coming to work and reside
Former Permanent Secretary Kedrick Malone has argued that the BVI lacks the proper mechanism to distinguish between persons coming to the territory for work versus those coming to the territory with the intention of residing on a long-term basis.
Malone, who recently authored a report on a review of the territory’s residence and Belonger procedures, pointed out that this mechanism is available in many other countries but was simply never implemented in the BVI and has resulted in the current state of affairs.
“Well, you know, in any country, when you go there, you have to state your intent. If you come to work, you get a work visa. If you want to reside, you apply for residency, and so forth,” Malone posited.
He added: “So, we have just had situations where, again, we had a large influx of persons coming in to work and the work permit period goes on for years and sometimes decades and there’s no process where a person has to state their intent.”
According to Malone, some countries even have a mechanism for persons to work on a seasonal basis and the BVI now needs to establish tracks for persons who are interested in coming to work and those who intend to come to the territory to live.
“We have a different model where persons can come and work and work continuously year-round. Persons may even go home for the off-season, as many persons do in the tourism sector,” Malone said.
He continued: “So, we have to establish tracks for different purposes and being in the country — one for work, and one for living and residing permanently, which can become citizenship or it can just be residing permanently.”
Malone argued further that persons don’t have to become citizens of any country if they can reside there permanently while being free of immigration and work controls.
He further contended that most countries have a limit on how long people can work in the country so that there’s no expectation that you have any obligation beyond what you came there for.
“Countries have a process where you can come in to work and after a period of time, if you want to become a permanent resident, free of work and immigration control, then you can apply for that status. Some countries require you to leave and re-enter for that status,” he added.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
The only people who would come to “reside” but not to work are those who are independently wealthy or otherwise retired. Who comes to simply reside but has no plans to work? Drug lords? What is this man talking about?
In other words,foreigners come in nillywilly stay as long as they wish with or without purpose or intent declared, including escapees and one mawnin they wakeup and start demanding the impossible distinction of BVIslandership or else.
What kind of place is this where the sanctity and safety of its country its future is cast to the whim of elected demons whose personal interest becomes unwritten law and procedure?
Gives meaning to the utterances of the updeislun folks ” Totola people chupid”.
Our future is in smothering for we can’t breathe.
All the dregs from other countries come here all the time to settle.
7 YEARS MAX
A PRIVILEGE IS ENOUGH….NO MORE BELONGERS
someone in the public service noticed this detail. Visitors between 20-50 years of age that invest in BVI property are usually seeking to reside but not work in the BVI BECAUSE wages are too low here AND their income is much higher in their offshore professions as pilots, ship captains, oil rig tool pushers, commercial divers, medical doctors, etc.
Fortunately other more friendly Caribbean islands realized this distinction 50 years ago and that is where most of the above professional persons reside now.
Mr. Malone makes sense but only up to a point. There’s theory on paper then there is hard reality. Everything sounds good on paper until you start looking at the realities on the ground. For the BVI, the reality is that there’s serious work to be done on the local labour force. I’m a local and I don’t believe locals are lazy, I just believe that because most locals have had a fairly decent life, they pick and chose what jobs they want to do and life doesn’t work that way. The BVI cannot be about development of industries while failing to grow its local workforce. The BVI cannot be about clamping down on permits while businesses struggle (genuinely) to find adequate labour for their businesses. It starts with the education system and Government needs to decide what direction we want to go.
He is talking about the white expat that comes and is involved within the drug trade, both import and export to the UK and US, with the approval of law enforcement.
A problem they would vehemently deny, yet not one arrest within the last fifty years of those, while the arrest of others remain very high..
Can’t fool all the people all the time.
There is absolutely that requirement. I’m on a residential visa on account of being married to a bvislander and work (remotely) abroad due to not being permitted to seek work in the BVI. It’s a stupid system on many levels…
The Entry Permit is the “breedér” document for persons coming to the virgin Islands to WORK or RESIDE in the virgin Islands. That document has Restrictions and Conditions. Often times those restrictions and conditions are abused by the status quo.
I was thinking max 5 years with no possibility of re-entering for work purposes.
Through diversity, not politics. No Melting POT= No Local Economy
You have an alternative choice.
You and your spouse should reside and work in your country.
Why choose to be miserable.
It is enough being rubbish. Why choose to be misersble rubbish.
MONACO
MODEL MONACO
MONACO MODEL
MONACO MONACO MODEL
#@$$
The Caribbean does not need to again prove to the World,the existence of Black self hatred in the form of self anhialation,poverty and destruction.
BE THE CHANGE!!!
You have an alternative choice.
You and your spouse should reside and work in your country.
Why choose to be miserable.
It is enough being rubbish. Why choose to be miserable rubbish.
BVIslanders thought process is too narrow to realize that people who come to the territory, and aren’t allowed to work, still contribute to the economy by way of buying food, gas, paying rent, and other services. But y’all not ready for that discussion!
Recently it was revealed that there were only nine local nurses in the health system. Why is that? Some local folks like to exploit the immigrants while the locals folks may be more vocal and resist ill-treatment and harsh work environment.
The e***ness in that dude face that lurks within and he has another set of xenophobia bloggers allegedly singing and dancing to their racist remarks / it just exposes where their minds at ( we are supposed to
be in the 21st century, but some people’s minds are still living in the DARK AGES
The correct spelling is Tortola.
This guy is crazy. He ultimately wants cousin and cousin making babies like the good ole days
Hope he is not being paid for this. The constitution is already very clear on this and has all that he is saying missing clearly spelled out and it makes a lot of sense..You all just have to work with the constitution.
No killings either or is that a thrill unique to the drug lords of the melanated kind with their cannibalistic trait. Perhaps the main reason why drugs is their preferred occupation.
Those who come and sit at the bars and outside the supermarkets daily did not come to work either. Some came on vacation and never left.
The white expats dealing in the drug trade ARE working, it’s what makes them invisible. Boat trade, ships registies… and some from that old aparthied country South Africa not just UK and US.
Plenty nurses from the BVI go to US and UK to train and get paid better so they don’t come back. We are lucky to have 9!
Ppl will lie
Years will pass
Permits be renewed
And then boom applications would be sent In
As long as the USD currency is here
Ppl don’t want to leave it
BVI LACKS ALOT OF THINGS MEH SON , TALK ABOUT PHYSICAL THINGS THAT CAN MAKE LIFE EASY FOR RESIDENTS. ROAD, WATER, SEWAGE SYSTEMS, RELIABLE POWER, THESE ARE BASIC THINGS THT ARE LACKING. WHEN WE FIX THESE THINGS MAYBE THEN WE CAN HIRE A CONSULTANT TO TELL US HOW TO FIX OUR LABOUR ISSUE.PRIORTISE
Labour dept play favourites. Trust companies get all the permits they ask for and bring in UK nationals and who change jobs all the time, 2 years here, 2 another place or Jamaicans. Local lawyers and accountants don’t get much of a share of this pie. Small businesses, bakeries, retail and the like smetimes wait more than 9 months to get a permit, or to tell them it denied. Put Labour under Trades. Trade Dept works for the good of locals (mostly) and knows what businesses need permits for work locals don’t want. Or go thew hole hog and offer Oleanvine her job back when she return time served January
Delusional…The statistics say your wrong.You see caucasians running around causing mayhem..please point it out..thank you.