Gov’t announces costs, policies for Work In Paradise Programme
Cabinet has approved a list of costs that visitors will be mandated to pay under government’s Work In Paradise Programme (WIPP) which seeks to attract longer-stay tourists.
The programme was developed as part of the government’s plan to revive local tourism, which is experiencing major declines because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Cabinet, the following costs will apply to individuals or groups that register for the programme:
• Individual —$1,500
• Couple —$2,000
• Family —$2,750
• Dependent —$500
• Other (Nanny, Chef, etc) —$250.00
$10K fine for working with local companies
Since the programme seeks to attract people who are already employed in their home countries and are seeking to work remotely in the BVI, government has made it illegal for them to work with local companies once they arrive in the territory.
A fine of $10,000 will be paid by persons found to be in contravention of the work restrictions. Additionally, such persons would be barred from re-entering the BVI under the Work In Paradise Programme.
At the last Cabinet meeting on April 14, government made it clear that WIPP participants will not qualify for permanent residency based on time spent under the programme.
Tax and visa waivers
To attract as much individuals to the WIPP, the government also waived visa requirements for persons from countries that normally require visas to enter the territory.
Additionally, WIPP awardees will not be required to make Social Security payments, pay work permit fees, or pay Customs duties on “small personal items for use during the approved period”.
Cabinet further waived National Health Insurance (NHI) payments for WIPP participants. However, government has made it mandatory for these WIPP awardees and dependents to have private insurance while in BVI.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
How does one work remotely as a nanny or a chef?
Stop letting your jackass patch show! Surely it means the families that may come, if they want to walk with their own nanny and/or chef, that would be the fee for them.
And when them come, how long they are here for? These are some of the people who will one day be saying I want my Belonger status. This is just packing up the place with pale faces who will one day replace the brown faces. Our Govt. only think that tourists are the Edomites. God help us in this BVI
What a racist post!
Some people have their own personal chef or nanny that would come with them to take care of them and their kids.
We don’t want them to hire local nannies and chefs that need work?
You come up with this bulls**t now that people are vaccinated and going back to work. Once again the BVI is a year behind just like getting their population vaccinated. Oh wait, they all be screaming now for the vaccination since the only way to go shopping in St Thomas is to have the vaccine. Can’t fix stupid, can’t fix the BVI. FAT ALBERT you are doing great. You have helped the economy of every neighboring island with your utter stupidity.
You still dont get it, ha?
first, make a paradise, fight crime, make the place safe from COVID by getting everyone vaccinated, make it easier to get in and out .. then when demand is up …
then feel you are lucky and charge money. Till then, we thankful for what you get …
If i understand the context correctly, this is for for those individual coming here under the WIPP with their personal nannies and/or chefs. so they need to pay for $250 as well.
“A fine of $10,000 will be paid by persons found to be in contravention of the work restrictions.” I hope 1/2 that fine goes to the employer.
Goes to the employer, or is charged to the employer???
How does charging high fees attract tourists. Workers will be starting to return to the office soon. BVI is a day late and dollar short.
Lol. I shall be very interested to see how many take up this amazing offer.
Pay $2750 to stare at your screen while the internet grinds to a halt after the electricity goes off due to the pump overheating because the water has run out.
Welcome to BVI.
Well said Brit
And still all of the Covid bs to deal with.
USVI has 5G up and running…
And no fees…
Shoulda done this a year ago…
Had a whole bunch of rental enquiries last summer. They all went somewhere else while I made calls to immigration (most went to Barbados Who set something like this up right after Covid hit)
The renters all would have paid. That was never an issue. They just wanted safety (BVI was Covid free back then)
Thanks!
Another stupid idea. Why detour guests with higher prices to come and spend money. They should be given an incentive to come not deterrent with high prices. Hey Hey Hey Fat Albert. Such a cartoon show you are!
Is Barbados and Caman not doing the remote worker program since Summer 2020
Why not start with letting tourists stay for more than a month, and letting people that have property stay for as long as they want.
they cannot be a burden on BVI as they have zero rights.
nobody thinks logically
OMG you have no idea how far away from a paradise the BVI is! It could be, but no, still a long way off.
Dominica has this program going on for months now, and it is running smoothly, why all the headache here? smh want to copy but still don’t got it iron out as yet? it is so difficult here