BVI News

Effective Immediately! Minister announces new requirements needed to renew work permits

This story has been updated

Minister of Labour & Immigration Vincent Wheatley has announced new requirements that persons will need to renew their work permits.

“Effective immediately, all work permit renewals being submitted to the Department of Labour & Workforce Development are to be accompanied by the company’s good standing from the Social Security Board, Inland Revenue Department and the National Health Insurance as well as ,” Wheatley said in the House of Assembly on Friday, July 10.

Work permit holders will also need to submit certificates of earning from the Social Security Board and the Inland Revenue Department, Wheatley told the House.

The minister said the department will not accept any applications for renewal if they are not accompanied by those documents.

Some expats will have to leave country

These policy-changes have come amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused multiple lay-offs locally. Work permit holders who have been terminated and would like to seek alternative employment can apply for a conditional permit from the Chief Immigration Officer. That permit is valid for three months.

However, persons are only eligible for this conditional permit if they were residing in the BVI for at least five years and have not received a conditional permit in the last three years.

“The reality is [that] some will not be able to find alternative jobs. And without financial or family support, will be required to leave the territory,” Wheatley said.

Wheatley said these persons should start makeing the necessary arrangements to return to their homeland or an approved receiving jurisdiction of their choosing. 

He further said these persons should register with the Immigration Department by emailing [email protected], giving the particulars of their departure to allow for their exit to be ‘properly recorded’

This, Wheatley said, would assist “in a smooth re-entry when opportunity presents itself”.

“We recognize that many already wish to leave and we will do all that we can to assist those persons in whatever way we can … I am aware that in a time like this, many persons might be disheartened and frustrated by the decision to have them return to their home country. And though we are walking by faith and not by sight, the reality shows a future filled with bleak times for the entire world. Our territory is no exception to that reality,” he further said.

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101 Comments

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  1. about time says:

    GOOD!!!!! These island people were here getting away with free rides for years…BVIslanders too like to front.

    Like 19
    Dislike 94
    • So says:

      @ about time i can’t agree with you more.most of us come here trying to make a living and for some reason think’s we shouldn’t be paying social security nhi and income tax.why shouldn’t we ??. I also know that certain people working here under five yrs and changing work permit from one employer to another is allowed to stay here. This is a fact. To my understanding persons working here on work permit under five yrs have to leave the country but its not happening. Friends of friends helping out friends and this should not be allowed to happen. What is good for one should be good for all. The chief should not be helping out friends at this time. It needs to stop. Why some people have to leave and some allowed to stay?? In the last month or so many work permits have been renewed but the employer do not have a job for them so this move by this government i only hope its not one sided just like all the other rules that is in place.

      Like 30
      Dislike 12
      • Example says:

        Don’t pray for bad things to be done to your own black people!i always tell people the worst set of people here is the one who come here an get status they are worst then islander period

        Like 46
        Dislike 3
      • Styler says:

        I agreed with you. There are some who came here on vacation and get stuck with the lockdown and they already doing domestic work for white people… them mother here working and she was working at Peace Is Resorts Hon Ministers only in the BVI they can do these s**t and we as BVI citizens needs to stop fronting for them when the get what they want they call us stupid I hope you hold to your word Hon Wheatley. See America is asking our students on students visa to leave or be deported. You Hon Minister don’t be afraid do what you have to do. Time to take action all around the world is facing hard times and a country can only do so much for its own citizens

        Like 18
        Dislike 10
        • Hmm says:

          I thought u all were Americans

          Like 6
          Dislike 1
          • Jah bless says:

            There is allot of employers here who collecting social security and nhi from workers and don’t pay it. Y the government don’t penalize them employers

            Like 16
        • Concerned says:

          Being that US is taking such crazy measure does not mean that they are doing the right thing.The institutions are pointing it to the erratic leadership of US should reverse such measure because , even through legal means that, the step taken at this time is absurd.
          Good examples should be followed.
          The employers who have not been remitting the monies( such as NHI,TAXES, Social security fees etc) deducted from their employees should be made to do the right thing instead of subjecting their employees to embarrassment.
          God will restore the good condition on the islands and all to the residents.

    • Don’t says:

      Don’t say a freakin word about your lazy do nothing offspring sucking on the teats of the US taxpayer having to leave the US because they can’t go to classes. They weren’t going anyway. They living free collecting welfare and money sent by Mama. Good riddance to all of them and keep them in your precious BVI. Send them to Senegal for their education.

      Like 21
      Dislike 21
      • @Don't says:

        Wow…tell us how you really feel. We are all lazy and on welfare and living free on US tax dollars. I think you definitely need to leave this island. Take your generalizing butt back to AL of FL or whatever redneck state you are from. We don’t need your kind here.

        Like 1
        Dislike 1
    • Taxpayer says:

      NHI is missused by locals, most of them don’t pay NHI regularly,but utilize benefits as they knew some people in the NHI and manage to getaway. Audit , you catch it!

      Like 24
      Dislike 1
      • Hmmm says:

        Do you work for NHI???

      • @Taxpayer says:

        REally and truly, how do you know this. If you don’t like locals, please go. Get off. Leave BVI for BVIslanders. If we fail, so be it. But I guarantee we won’t. Tired of you MS complaining about what locals do as though you know everyone that is from here. Why are you not where you are from – obviously your life was so much better there, so go back.

        Like 4
        Dislike 4
    • Could tell says:

      YOU CAN TELL BY THIS COMMENT YOU’RE NOT A BVISLANDER. IT’S FUNNY HOW Y’ALL GET CITIZENSHIP AND WANT TO S**T ON Y’ALL OWN PEOPLE. THEN TRY MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT’S A LOCAL COMMENTING

      Like 5
      Dislike 2
    • Tortolian says:

      I am a BV Islander. Please don’t wish bad on the people from abroad. First of all you should note that this is an indictment to the locals who don’t pay the relevant taxes. Second of all, note that the BVI will be at a disadvantage when they leave and thirdly, this law is so serious that it will have a serious economic and spiritual backlash on this territory that all who live here will be sorry!! Mr. Wheathley please regroup and introduce this law in a timely fashion. Not so fast and furious!!

    • Albion says:

      What I don’t understand is why this can’t be checked automatically by government, without the employer having to procure and produce so many different certificates.

      I thought VIP were elected on the platform that they were going to bring in “electronic government” to make all this streamlined and connected.

      So why can’t they check your tax and social security with a click of the mouse?

  2. Don’t feel bad says:

    Mr. Wheatley, it had to be done. Basically, everywhere in the World it has come to this point.

    Like 29
    Dislike 13
  3. No name says:

    This is just the beginning. There’s more to come. Times are gonna get tough in lala land.

    Like 20
    Dislike 2
    • @No name says:

      Correct, reality has finally sank in. I agree, this is only the beginning of many more harsh reality to come. I know a lot of people is shaking in their boots. There is no way you can skate around this. No exceptions.

      Like 17
      Dislike 4
  4. Watch says:

    As we all thought … a conserted effort to get rid of people .

    Like 18
    Dislike 5
  5. bvi islander says:

    is not the bvi alone doing its all over the caribbean. it is sad but such is life it is what it is.

    Like 21
    Dislike 4
  6. Jane says:

    Great idea but let’s insist on this for Trade License renewals too.

    Like 37
    Dislike 4
  7. Captain Flint says:

    What about those firms on island without work permit holders? Do they have get those certificates as well?

    Like 9
    Dislike 1
    • Really? says:

      If there’s a firm on island without work permit holders why in goodness name would they need to present anything to the Department?

  8. local says:

    Good Move.
    Make sure from the very first Months they enter the BVI to the day they apply renewal…(Thumbs up)

    Like 2
    Dislike 11
  9. Yes says:

    Our government at work. I thought this was a must for work permit holders. Well my gosh all the previous governments been sleeping. I know of one guy who was living here for little over fourteen years and for the last nine yrs he never paid any social security nhi and no tax but his work permit was getting renewed every year and then recently he decided to leave the island. I use to wonder how the hell can he get his work permit renewed? I can only imagine now a lot of people are going to be here illegal because they are not going to pay any of the taxes. This is a government working for its people. Come on my people we have to pay to live and work here. We can’t be this greedy. It is time someone take the bull by its horne and reign it in.

    Like 27
    Dislike 6
    • BVI LOYALIST says:

      Some of you people are so dumb?. It’s the employers they need to go after. Not the employees who don’t pay the tax

      Like 54
      Dislike 3
    • Online Now says:

      Funny! I saw this as protecting the WP holder from unscrupulous local bosses not paying the amounts deducted from pay to the authorities.

      I guess it’s a bit of both and should have been happening forever.

      Like 15
      Dislike 1
    • @ yes says:

      So u basically saying this guy was paying himself?? You know I think the government is weak clear and simple… if I’m employed by Mr.John Doe my work permit expires if my taxes are not up to date I think Mr. John Doe should be the one in question or made to be punished and not the applicant but I guess the fact that the applicant is weak and helpless that’s who they find to jump on or because Mr. Doe have a large amount of votes so he gets away with whatever… It is the company obligations to pay their employees taxes not the employees obligations to do so… you know most people gets a slip to show the deduction is been taking out every pay day and with that they becomes comfortable but the real truth is it’s not been paid in…. B****’s did this for many years an only when something serious had happen staff realize that no social security was been paid at all but it was taken out every pay day….. many contractors check there books especially the ones that pay cash every week…

      Like 11
      Dislike 1
      • Yes says:

        Many of us work for people that are not our sponsors. You need me to explain that to.A lot of us our sponsors never had any work for us .they do it because of some friend who have a friend. Some of the sponsors in the bvi never even seen the person they sponsor. Lol watch a thing. This is the reason why many of us start to s**t our clothes because we know fully well that we haven’t paid social security nhi well lets not even talk about income tax because some of us never heard about that until this comes up.

        Like 6
        Dislike 4
        • @ yes says:

          You only making my point stronger go for whoever name on the permit as the sponsor because they the one that’s breaking the law… I’m fully well aware of what your saying but again as the sponsor you should say to the individual (s) you’re responsible for your taxes if it’s a case where you can’t provide work… I guess u don’t know many persons in the Bvi who can sponsor uses it as a business for their gains an I can go on to list many who does and the respective departments in government as well…

        • bs says:

          @yes anyone can see that you are trying to pose as an islander
          we know that your a bvi islander.just look at how you typed your comment

  10. Earl says:

    This is a good move by Government… it should have been done years ago !

    Like 20
    Dislike 4
  11. Jokes says:

    So how will those departments handle the demand to produce certificates?
    Would this not be better handled online or by using receipts of payments to those deportments?
    Sorry for those forced out, shrinking economy

    Like 8
    Dislike 2
    • @jokes says:

      I agree with you. Not only how will the departments find themselves inundated with requests, but it also costs $50 to get a certificate of good standing from Inland Revenue, and $20 from Social Security and NHI. Ouch!

  12. Plan Covid says:

    A pandemic has and always been the way to push the global RESET button. Lol its so funny how this is turning out. All around the world people are being “reset”

  13. Me says:

    I hope the minister ensures the employers pay employees their sevrens.

    Like 11
    • Never Have says:

      Government allowed do many employers to walk away without paying employee expenses, severance pay, vacation & holiday pay, retirement of ncrements… What makes you think they will enforce the Labour Code in these instances?

  14. GOOD says:

    So now we going to know the boss them who not paying the money they deducted.
    As usual you going to penalize the worker who already pay these deductions but the boss did not pay it over. There are going to be whole business places that are going to shut down because their friends will get the certificate for good standings for the business but the worker don’t have any friends in the offices to help them out.

    Like 16
    Dislike 1
  15. Rubber Duck says:

    Disgraceful. Employers, mostly BVIslanders take the money off wages but don’t pay the money to the govt , so the workers who were robbed are punished.

    Breathtaking racism.

    Like 36
    Dislike 4
  16. Example says:

    Don’t pray for bad things to be done to your own black people!i always tell people the worst set of people here is the one who come here an get status they are worst then islander period

    Like 5
    Dislike 4
  17. Thinking says:

    Let’s think about what we are doing and what our laws and policies are. Do they help the BVI?
    If you have persons here who cannot find a job but can support themselves, how long is it a good idea to let them remain (renting, buying groceries and paying for amenities) if they are likely to have their old job or similar from in a few months when things open up a little?
    Why if someone has had one conditional, it is important they should not get another when they have a job lined up? Does that help BVI?
    Why does a person have to leave the territory when their permit application is in to artificially pretend to be coming from outside when they already live and spend and have roots in the country? Does it help the BVI? Of course it does no such thing and in these times only increases risks of bringing back COVID and disruption for BVI business. The money they spend traveling should be spent here.
    The system needs some finessing to make it work for the betterment of the BVI.
    By contrast, Barbados is looking to stimulate their economy rather than trip it up. It invites people to “work from home” from Barbados on an annual permit. There are many clients of the BVI and people who already have links to here who could be desirable to attract here to spend their money here and contribute to bolstering our economy- at a time when the EU lunatics are pressing us to have more economic substance.

    Like 15
    Dislike 2
  18. 20 odd says:

    square miles Tortola is a island with island people

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
  19. Stupid says:

    So one has to obtain a certificate that the employer is in good standing with the government. Where does one get that ? The employer going to admit they’ve been screwing the government and stealing from the employee, don’t think so

    Like 4
    Dislike 2
    • Concerned says:

      When will arrangements be made Minister for those who wants to go. Perhaps if flights are leaving people would be motivated to go freeing up the place for nationals. These are unprecendented times, every country will have to stand on its own

      Like 3
      Dislike 2
  20. Anonymous says:

    When will flights be leaving Minister. Make some arrangements to get the people out. Especially those who wants to go

  21. Concerned says:

    When will arrangements be made Minister for those who wants to go. Perhaps if flights are leaving people would be motivated to go freeing up the place for nationals. These are unprecendented times, every country will have to stand on its own

  22. Concerned says:

    When will arrangements be made Minister for those who wants to go. Perhaps if flights are leaving people would be motivated to go freeing up the place for nationals. These are unprecendented times, every country will have to stand on its own and do what is necessary to ensure its survival

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  23. Anonymous says:

    Please open your borders!!!!!! And we will gladly leave..You all think that we don’t have anywhere to go??? We will go and eat all the NATURALLY GROWN FOOD IN OUR COUNTRY.” WHILE AYO HAY DEPENDING ON THE CONTAINER TO FEED AYO”

    Like 18
    Dislike 5
    • GTFOH says:

      You sound so foolish. You had a country that has naturally grown food and came to an island that “depends on container to feed us” Something isn’t right. You left your paradise and could go anywhere else in the world but chose to be in the BVI. I’m flattered.

      Like 12
      Dislike 3
      • @GTO says:

        Right…All of them need to GTFOH. Europeans, Jamaicans, Vincy whoever and whatever. Complaining about everything…why are they here? Tired of all dem. Go Home. All acting like you doing us a favor talking about who gon pay mortgage. That ain’t your concern.

        Like 4
        Dislike 2
  24. Expats paying taxes too.. we are not living here for free!!!! says:

    Please open your borders!!!!!! And we will gladly leave..You all think that we don’t have anywhere to go??? We will go and eat all the NATURALLY GROWN FOOD IN OUR COUNTRY.” WHILE AYO HAY DEPENDING ON THE CONTAINER TO FEED AYO”

    Like 9
    Dislike 7
    • My neck says:

      You can leave when ever you want .people leaving all the time .what is stopping you.welll you commenting under two name with the same comment .Go and eat all the natural starch its very good for you .while living here where your food was coming from?? The starch country. I am an expat and none of my fellow expat can tell me that they eat healthier than me whether here or there. I eat what i want when i want. Living in the bvi allowed me the opportunity to raise a beautiful family. I am not well off in money wise but i am living a good life better than if i had stayed in my country of birth and who want to criticize go right ahead. I love the bvi more than my birth land . This beautiful island has given me more than i asked for and i am not going to pretend i am deaf and blind and allowed anyone to pull this island down. They didn’t call me here i asked to come and they allowed me and i would always be grateful to these beautiful virgin islanders. Yes some of us pays our taxes but don’t we use the infrastructure dont we use the medical facilities?? The government is even moving our garbage for free what an island to live on. I go to sleep with my doors open day and night and even if am not home i still leave them open. This is paradise for me and my family. Yes i have been living here a while which is over 30 yrs and yes its my home so don’t chat crap talking about container food .what are you eating tonight?? Go eat all the pesticides they put in your natural food. I come from a Caribbean island that has a very high percentage of diabetes and hypertension very high because of some of the same natural food. Comment for good reason ok.

      Like 18
      Dislike 12
      • @My Neck says:

        You are a breath of fresh air. Why? Because BVIslanders have no problem with people coming to our country for a better life. I am in my mid 50s and from primary school expats in the Police Force and hotel jobs were all around me. What is now different are the expats that are moving here are unkind in words and actions. As a BVIslander, I read the blogs and listen to the comments on the job from bright expats who have a chip on their shoulder where every BVIslander is concerned. Be kind to the place and the people of where you move to for a leg up. We know what the difference is in the quality of life. BVIslanders travel and read the news. The crime rate is the biggest reason why so many run from other islands in the Caribbean and when raising a family that you can educate and raise on a much higher level. So please be God fearing and kind with your speech or just don’t stay. It is unkind if you hate a people and a country to stay and spew your hatred every day. God is not happy with you. So My Neck, thank you for your comment. I am proud of you for being honest.

        Like 9
        Dislike 1
  25. Bad boy says:

    Hope the employer pay the employees their severance pay

    Like 10
  26. Norris Turnbull says:

    Activate the surveillance and investigations team head by the hill man and walters for one year.

    Like 4
    Dislike 2
  27. Expatriate says:

    I knew this place was nth from the start you c*****t politicians at work.i got here easy through links at immigration alot of you politicians are the problem c*****t s***s

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
  28. Nationalist says:

    I’ve been saying it for so long alot of qualified professionals are here these work permit holders come here through corrupt means by bribing immigration officials.you should clamp down on then also go to there place of business and you will see alot of expatriates working contrary to there permits.put bvi nationals to work we most needy especially in the education sector

    Like 3
    Dislike 5
  29. Godchild says:

    Once plane do stop fly for good will be very happy and more willing to go back where am from so i will eat and drink all natural and leave 100 plus years strong and happy there is no place like home

    Like 7
    Dislike 3
  30. Diaspora says:

    Employers are responsible for deducting employees NHI and social security contributions from their wages and submitting them to Social Security in a timely manner. Contributions deducted, they should be submitted to Social Security. Failure to submit deducted contributions is probably fraud and government needs to pursue the fraudsters to the end of the earth to get the deductions.

    Employers are doing employees a grave disservice with withholding contributions and not submitting them to Social Security, eg, denial of needed medical services and reduced social security pension at retirement.

    Moreover, work permits are issued to fill jobs that exceed the workforce of the VI or fill jobs that Virgin Islanders don’t want to do. In these challenging times, Virgin Islanders must have preferential to available jobs. As such, unemployed expats should return to their homelands.

  31. Yeah Right says:

    It will be easier to remove a Wisdom tooth than it will be to get most of these people leave..They ain’t going nowhere.

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
  32. Disgrace says:

    Dear locals,

    I have live and raised in the bvi, and the title ‘I from here’ give you guys the opportunity and the freedom of speech. Let me emphasis, the bvi locals take advantage of the people that come here to work and go grow the bvi revenue. Without the high pay lawyers this country will be just like all the other island, such as: st Lucia, st Vincent and all those low income country.

    The bvi makes money, but yet people in this country are F**** cold hearted. Discrimination after discrimination, everything is blame against the expat, let the island stop being so ignorant and help the people that have work so hard to help.

    The comments that I just read above is highly insulting. Just because so and so did something, it does not mean that we all are equal. Agree with me or not, the bvi islandlander that use ‘I from here’ title are the biggest criminal. Just look how you guys treats the police officer, how you guys treat the government, how you guys treat the visitors. The fakesness need to stop, you do not want us here, well close the borders (not only when there is an epidemic) I mean for ever, and stay in between yourself. No tourists, no expats, no white, etc…. Let see the revenue grow.

    @me

    Like 19
    Dislike 4
    • @disgrace says:

      You are assuming that we were unhappy prior to the offshore business. A lot of people from other places just don’t come to work for locals. You came to work of the yachting companies and other businesses which we don’t own. So please don’t say that we have taken advantage of you. The problem is migration to this place is way too high. As a result, so many things have gone wrong. The place is over-run with foreigners and landlords are now slumlords and there are ghetto-like areas everywhere. You are just another dollar to most of those landlords, and that’s wrong. A lot of people get sponsored and don’t have “jobs”, they just moonlight. This means they are paying zero taxes. That’s wrong. I don’t feel like non-BVIslanders are to blame. This has to do with our immigration/work permit policies. And it’s time we fixed those policies. Britain has done this (Windrush) and is still doing exactly this, so is America. Please let’s stick to facts and not start with the emotional outbursts about locals vs caribbean expats.

  33. It is what it is folks says:

    You gotta go, you gotta go. Seems like the ones who is going to be sent back to their Countries is trying to gas light with the excuses. Why are these people so afraid to go back to their original Country? Every Country in the world is sending back work permit holders who no longer have employment or was terminated due to the COVID pandemic. Reality has set in folks.

    Like 8
    Dislike 2
  34. Doh says:

    BVIs means

    Broke
    Vacuous
    Imbeciles

    Like 6
    Dislike 5
  35. Steve says:

    I want to leave this place so bad. Just waiting on my home country to accept me.

    Like 6
    Dislike 2
  36. Got u says:

    Who is the biggest thieves from the NHI is places like p***** *****, them sucking the NHI dry. Since NHI come in the cost for doctor visits gone to the sky and when they put in their invoice to NHI its triple the cost, – – is one of the biggest thief from the NHI. Them to WICKED

    • This si says:

      A medical board should be appointed to ensure costs stay regulated for NHI fair comparison of costs made against other countries. USA has a broken system due to medical companies greed and costs 10x this of some places in South America for same procedures. The NHI is a great thing and can be something the BVI should be proud of, but we can’t allow it to milked to death.

  37. All talk says:

    So if a permit is unsuccessful because the employer was delinquent in paying Social security and nhi what happens to the applicant? That’s hard an unjust… on another note if my contributions are up to date and my boss has no work an I’m ask to leave will social security be forced to pay me a sum of what I have contributed if not all especially if I’m in the country for 3-5 years?

  38. Necessary says:

    Great. The employees of a large company have been paying social security nhi and tax out of their pay and it turns out none of it has made its way to the appropriate places. If sickening that they can get away with it. They should be helping employees in times like these and going after the big guys. Its a smart move but as always, its shop floor that gets affected. They should have been called out a long time ago, not now when ppl need all the help they can get.

    • Nope says:

      The “big guys” are from here and you are not. Justice will not be done. You are going home and your employer gets to keep all that money that was stolen out of your paycheck.

  39. Work Permit Hell says:

    Great! Lets make it harder to get a work permit! This is going to be a mess. Before the Covid-19 I had to get records pulled from NHI, Social Security and Emigrations for a Work Permit Waver application….it took 2 months to get this info. There are no automated systems for any of this. I live in Virgin Gorda, so they had to pull my files in Tortola and ship them over. AND there is only info for the last 2 years, because IRMA took the rest of my paper. Why the BVI want to harass people that want to work!? This place is still broken from IRMA. We need help to fix it. 2/3 of the population is not BORN HERE so you are messing with the Majority of people with this nonsense. Vincent is not a good dude.

    Like 4
    Dislike 5
  40. Hang on a minute! says:

    Isn’t there supposed to assistance in the way of a business grant?
    Wouldn’t employers then be able to pay their furloughed staff?
    That money could then be spent in the local economy?

    Oh! Wait!!!
    There hasn’t been a grant!
    Still waiting!

    Like 2
    Dislike 2
  41. Not from here says:

    employers have a bad habit of taking the NHI, Tax and SS from your pay and not paying it. which is stealing from your employee as far as im concerned but the government wont look into that. 🙁

  42. What a thing says:

    So who is going to check if locals are up to date. Or SS and Tax are for expats alone?? Well this is to show how expats are helping to develop the BVI.

    Like 4
    Dislike 1
    • Haha says:

      Amazing some of the comments from BVI Islanders. The majority of expats who come here come because they see an opportunity, a chance to make a better life or just a job plain and simple. We pay taxes, we live by the law. This cannot be said for A LOT of BVI Islanders. I have love and respect for all my Caribbean people including BVI Islanders. I would not wish bad on any one of them. I urge you not to wish for bad to happen to your fellow Islanders.

      Like 12
  43. Makes sense says:

    This makes sense. The minister is going after businesses and workers who are not contributing to NHI and tax.

    You may complain this punishes workers where companies have been guilty of not paying in on their behalf, but the end result is the same.

    Either:
    – the company corrects their status and pays back tax / NHI (as they should)
    – positions which were not generating contributions are now nullified, and if they re-staff it will either be with a valid permit holder which means the company needs to be paid up, or a BVI islander who wcan rightfully demand that their contributions are paid.
    – if the company fails to comply then it will shrink / and or die and be replaced by a company that does pay contributions

    This is about eliminating the non-contributing cash economies, and a positive move for the BVI on whole, even if it does hurt some unfortunate people in the short term. I think the requirement to register suggests that if contributions are paid, and bad ways are corrected, the minister will help smooth re-entry for those unfairly affected.

    Hon Wheatley is a fair man of good character, and seems to be working to fix a lot of the BVI’s little loopholes which have far reaching effects for exploiting migrant workers and businesses avoiding paying tax.

    I would however like to see that some extra extension might be given to those here longer than 5 yrs who have children at school and deeper roots here in the community

    For the record I am an ex-pat/immigrant worker of 10 years.

    Like 6
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  44. Jill says:

    Are those NEW requirements? I really tought those were the norm. The Minister should be ashame to make those announcements.

    What is the problem? Are they now realising that people are expecting to benefit from funds to which they made no contributions? Hmmm. Labour, immigration, SS, NHI and imland revenue should all be connected in some way. What backward dealings

  45. hellboy says:

    Willie Lynch Syndrome.

  46. Crosses says:

    I only hope that when the next disaster comes and people aren’t willing to come and help because when they do they will be sent home after they have assisted I. Rebuilding your country to each his own but this is a ruff decision and hope it don’t come bite us in the a** in the long run

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  47. Crosses says:

    From day one I always say construction should be under one umbrella so even if ur sponcered by a company who ever u work for ur tax social and nhi should be taken and paid then there would be enough revenue build in the country

  48. MAVERICK says:

    LORD HELP US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS!

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  49. Open the border it was nice bvi. says:

    Open the the border let us live sir.bvi it was nice.meeting you.

  50. Been there & Done that says:

    What a nightmare. The BVI are champions at creating red tape and making a bureaucratic morass. How many employees will your department need to add for this Mr. Wheatley?
    And the various departments writing your paperwork? $20 for each letter from each department. Couple that with hours and hours of wasted man hours Mr. Wheatley, a fine Labour example to set – wasted man hours.
    If you departmental employees were doing their jobs, they could answer these important questions with a simple e-mail to their compatriots in the other departments, but that would require working, wouldn’t it?
    I can’t believe how badly thought out this was. It’s par for the course though.

  51. Naturalize says:

    Every minute we look a boat load of people getting naturalized. The country can’t sustain itself and it’s own people yet you all keep naturalizing more. Wtf do you all be thinking in the event there is a crisis! Now we are in one they have to go. This is the government fault. Greed just for votes! We import everything. What are we suppose to do now that there are way too many mouths to feed. Sicknin man! Chups!!

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  52. 'bout time says:

    Now let’s get on to implemention the policy that companies/firms need to train locals for top positions. Too many locals returning with degrees and cannot get a job because of the excuse they have no experience. If it’s okay for expats to come in with, some with fake experience just to get the role and then get trained on the job, then the Ministry to enforce its policy for qualified locals to be hired and trained. No reason there should be work permit holders for the best roles and qualified locals struggling. And before some of you start commenting about how locals are lazy – there are lazy people from all walks of life and unless each and every local you know is lazy, then that’s not a valid excuse for not hiring or training.

  53. F*** tolans says:

    F*** the government and f*** nature’s little secret

  54. Omg says:

    Honorable Marlon Pen, we all know that you are a man of God sir. These people who they’re calling island people didn’t cause this world virus. Please contuine to be the VOICE for them.

  55. Stanley says:

    Whenever there is a crisis in the bvi we always turn on the people that are not from here and that’s not right..remember God is God and hurricane season is here again.

    Like 1
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  56. Mask up says:

    Am here for 13 plus years and never out of a job form.since I get here I have receipts more than money now wah I want to know out of my years of paying Social Security, Govt Tax after 10,000 now NHI how am I suppose to go will I be able to make a claim through all this?

  57. Jane says:

    I am renewing my work permit. I now have to go into the Social Security office in person to request my statement of contributions. Every single work permit holder renewing will do the same thing. That is probably going to be equivalent of 30-50 persons per day making the same request. Plus the requests to NHI and Inland Revenue too. This is a huge increase in civil service time, in an already notoriously bloated and inefficient civil service. There must be a better way. Government should be looking at ways to reduce the civil service payroll, introduce technological and systemic changes to bring efficiencies. This is a retrograde step. One government department ought to be able to get this information directly in an efficient way. What is being proposed is ill-considered and frankly typical of politicians here.

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