Jamaicans, Filipinos top work permit holder list in BVI
Jamaica and the Philippines are the top two nationalities holding active work permits in the Virgin Islands, according to figures released by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly.
Premier Wheatley revealed that as of May 30, 2025, a total of 5,913 active work permits were recorded in the Labour Management System. These included 5,217 approved permits and 696 awaiting consideration.
The top 10 countries with the highest number of work permit holders are:
• Jamaica – 709
• Philippines – 630
• Dominican Republic – 547
• St Vincent and the Grenadines – 522
• United Kingdom – 477
• United States – 389
• Guyana – 374
• South Africa – 153
• Dominica – 151
• St Lucia – 140
Jamaicans make up 10.82% of the workforce holding work permits, followed closely by the Philippines at 9.38%, St Vincent and the Grenadines at 8.58%, and the Dominican Republic at 6.85%.
Opposition Member Marlon Penn questioned the accuracy of the figures, suggesting that they seemed inadequate in capturing the true picture.
“Based on the numbers and historical information that’s come to this House, that number can’t be accurate in terms of the active work permits,” Penn said. “You’re saying to me that only 5,000 work permits we have in the territory?”
Dr Wheatley explained that the Labour Department had transitioned to a Labour Management System since July 2024 and acknowledged the possibility of gaps in the data. “We know that there will be businesses in the territory which have not been regularised, which perhaps are having persons working without a work permit,” Dr Wheatley said.
“We’ll go back and query the information to see where the gaps may be and to see if this figure is not accurate, how do we ascertain the true number,” he stated.
Regarding employment opportunities for Virgin Islanders and Belongers, the Premier reported that 2,342 of them are currently registered in the Labour Management System, seeking employment.
“There’s a skills gap for those Virgin Islanders and Belongers in the workforce who are not working,” Dr Wheatley said while pointing to the government’s plan to boost employment through training initiatives.
The Premier also mentioned that the government is aiming to upskill residents through programmes like RATED, which could lead to permanent employment in key trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work.
“These are the persons who we want to become our carpenters, our masons, our electricians, our plumbers,” he explained.
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AND NOW OUR GRADUATES CANT GET JOBS
The graduates going to the job that the expats doing ???
Nonsense
@Anonymous We grew up depending on summer jobs pumping gas or a lil construction. Yall too blasted forward and lie too much.
Time to introduce the 7-year rule
Close the flood gates by putting on a ceiling.
We say “BVI Love”, but too often it feels like we’re only playing politics on this small island. Good opportunities are being handed to friends and connections, while the children of the soil are left with crumbs.
It’s disheartening to see so many illegal immigrants working and collecting a paycheck, while qualified locals struggle to find work. And why? Because when undocumented workers get paid, there’s no obligation to contribute to NHI or Social Security. That’s a serious issue that needs addressing.
We have students graduating every year, full of hope and potential. Why should they be sitting and waiting while others benefit in their own homeland?
The Government needs to do better. We, the people of this island, must stand up for what is fair and right. Let’s bring back the real LOVE for the BVI — a love that supports its people, values its youth, and creates opportunities for its own.
may you cant read to understand can so many illegal people get work in the bvi ?
It is time to make the BVI great again
From a American being great has nothing to do with expelling immigrant workers. America was built on the backs of immigrants…
The greatest problem between the local and expatriates, minus the UKERS and Americans, is the wages paid.
The Philipinos , Jamacians and others work for considerably less than the local work force.
The business community continueS to engage in and practice wage discrimiation. They do sO to expand their pprofitS maRgins. They care nothhing about those called “LOCAL.”
THAT IS NOTHING MORE THAN SLAVERY 2.0
So this Government could have ended locl slavery by implementing the recommendations of the minimum waage report. But no they went for businesses being able to hire people without paying properly. It is right VIslanders stand up to that and refuse to take low paid jobs. Not sure it is right that we should be employing racist policies based on Colonial style thinking but we can’t stop Natalios continued path to Colonial styled local.
Please check again, the numbers don’t add.
Statistics has never the BVI’s thing! No way that is even remotely accurate – last statistic I got from the two Philippino associations was that they had in excess of 6000 members!
I doubt the D.R or Jamaica fall far short of those numbers either.
There is NO F**KING WAY there are 6000 Filipinos here. The most recent number was 1,800 or somewhere thereabout. You know what 6,000 people are? You guys just talk out your a** sometimes I swear.
Our hardworking Government Central Statistics Department can provide all up to date information necessary , or have they just stepped out?
It is all good to say that people are unemployed and are looking work but what kind of work do they want. There is a real skill gap. Most of the unemployed Belongers are looking cushy office jobs. They are not seeking to be bartenders, cleaners, waiters, chefs, waste disposal workers, cashiers or construction workers. These are the areas where you have 80% of work permit being issued for. Do you think you could ever think of offering any of these High school graduates a job a trainee bartender of waiter they do not want them and the parents would not let them take such jobs. Does the Government have a hotel sector training program available. No. So where are such skills going to come from. That is what the government was suppose to do with Prospect REEF which is now a ruin. They could offer such training to people form St Thomas and Anguilla and others but there is no vision in our present day leaders. they are more concern about the petty contracts and similar squabbles while keep crying about outsiders taking away jobs. Get our local people trained for the jobs available.
But still giving the people who live here 20 years hard time LOL
These stats must be for new work permits, not overall.
Can it be that the majority is undocumented or were already given status so they will no longer need work permit?
UNLESS ALL THE OTHERS ARE HERE WORKING ILLEGALLY OR WERE GIVEN BELONGERSHIP STATUS?
Jamaica – 709
• Philippines – 630
• Dominican Republic – 547
• St Vincent and the Grenadines – 522
• United Kingdom – 477
• United States – 389
• Guyana – 374
• South Africa – 153
• Dominica – 151
None of these countries have their hearts in the British Virgin Islands or its people. The majority are not loyal, even when they are granted Belonger Status.
The numbers highlighted between, Jamaica, Philippines, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, United States and South Africa equal 2905 estimated work permits. They do not represent the other Caribbean islands mentioned and the hundreds who are known to infiltrate the borders daily and nightly.
It is important to state or highlight here that those numbers should reflect local employment, not their disadvantage because of. And, where specialized expertise, skills and knowledge are concerned, there should have been, since the birth of the FSC, contingency plans established to train our people.
Establishment of the HHLSCC was an effort in that direction, however. Scholarships were and are another facet of that strategy, but that too has its challenges.
Any country that imports 99.5% of its skilled professionals, financial specialist, health care doctors, nurse and specialists, teachers and educational specialist and tourism management is a country that is setting a precedent towards continuous degradation and ultimate exclusion of its children’s right to personal upward mobility.
The politicians have clearly dropped the ball over many decades on the future of the country by neglecting the employment future of their children not privileged.
That is the authentic core reason why the territory has found itself as another outpost in the ocean for exploitation by non-locals, at the acquiescence of not so futuristic thinking politicians yesterday and today.
Mr. Walwyn posited recently, that the VI must be the protectors of its children. He is right. He also stated that government cannot actually protect its people.
You be the judge on that one. A misthought perhaps? The evidence of that is right before our eyes, where many nations peoples are prospering off of our economy except our local children, as there is no future contingency preparation plans being organized for them.
Therefore, soon every UK, American and SA child will be marching in ere and feeding at their hearts content.
Indeed, many will expose their hatreds with dogma and stereotypes that do not fit or reflect the traditional DNA, work ethic and philosophical views of this country and people.
We must get out of the complaining and status quo era, move boldly into the future so we can usher in the production for self-era.
2300 VIslanders registered looking for work?? That is a big number. Wow. That is a big problem.
Maybe there isn’t enough jobs.
Do not get paid more. It is strange less Spanish speakers are brought in. They bring in Filipinos but do not attempt to connect with their resources like DR.
My question is how long these people on work permit are allowed to stay in the BVI without leaving/ If not in the next 10-20 years the BVI will be full of expatriates. Also while on work permit and they get pregnant are they allowed to get their babies here or do they go back home to get their children
I thought ayo said GT people coming to take over our small islands dem
and others coming yes. Who don’t have greedfor money?
Every country looks out for it own people not the B.v.i No B.v.I person can go to any of these other countries and get Employed, our country has been to kind to these ungrateful people.
The last time I checked, there were almost 400 Filipinos in the BVI. How could there be so few work permit ?
We can’t really blame employers for hiring expats, because let’s admit it — Belongers often demand high salaries even though they aren’t as knowledgeable or skilled compared to expats who truly have the necessary qualifications for the job. Belongers also tend to be lazy when it comes to work, while expats are hardworking and deliver quality results. So it’s no surprise to me why many Belongers are unemployed — employers simply don’t want that kind of worker in their company. Let’s admit it, truth hurts. The government need to train their Bvilanders well.
LOUDER Please!!!!! This is big facts
This is very true. I know a lot of locals working in every company and to be honest, NOT ALL, but they are the ones who are pain in the a**. That’s why employers don’t want to hire them but they have no choice because it’s a policy here in the Bvi to hire locals then the rest are expats.
Who is bringing these people here? The first Phillipinos were brought here by a very well known local gentleman. Bringing a Phillipino here is not a simple thing, the employer has to go through the Phillipine embassy in Washington, DC. So if there are a lot of them here, and they are openly working, they might not be undocumented.
Locals will not want to do what they do or for the salary they agree to do it for. We aren’t hungry enough to do what they do, or for the salary they do it for.
We can’t really blame employers for hiring expats, because let’s admit it — Belongers often demand high salaries even though they aren’t as knowledgeable or skilled compared to expats who truly have the necessary qualifications for the job. Belongers also tend to be lazy when it comes to work, while expats are hardworking and deliver quality results. So it’s no surprise to me why many Belongers are unemployed — employers simply don’t want that kind of worker in their company.
Government should train belongers well so they get a job!
Not a good look for Jamaica and same for these VI.
The cost financially and socially is not worth the
overwhelming presence of Jamaicans nor Dingos.
Why Jamaicans are the dominant immigrant group from the Caribbean globally is a reflection of their status as the crime capital in the Caribbean accompanied by the resulting negative effects and considering their large amount of all that Nature has to offer,in addition to being Independent for many moons,their incompatibility with themselves and other places away,they are uneasy to be around and is a disruptive force and costs more than the damage they inflict on their host countries.
You need to chexk before you speak. Jamaicans are one of the most highly qualified in these Virgin Islands, periodtt.
Imagine my child graduate five years now and can’t get a job. As a belonger and I see a Guyanese. Child here on vacation working here in the bvi thing to talk.
In the DR,Black skinned folks are not hired,unless they are sweeping and cleaning..F A C T S!!!!
Start at the airport….ZERO visible,,go to your hotel,,ZErRO…front desk…goto the BANK.,,zero…Lady but Tola have them in tit’s Bosom and partnering with them in the losing game of Trafficking, Prostitution,Illicit Drugs and all the goof for no reason nothing stuff…heyyy
KARMA cummin’ They are a frig in the US.
If u think I am saying false…ask any DINGO.
Black Haitians are murdered by them and no follow up by Police,,ask a DINGO or go see for yourself!!!!!also many UN reports can be read..
The amount of real money it costs to house legion of Jamaicans and their offspring including lifers in our now overcrowded prison,is a whole lot more than our civil servants earn. Their presence is a burden socially,culturally and financially.
Not fair at all to be destroyed by a place labeled the murder capital of the Northern hemisphere.
If you ask me, too much Jamaican in this country, they need to put a control on these Jamaicans, some of them so pompous and arrogant, I think some of them need to leave, just look at the mess that they creating in the RVIPF, mashup the whole thing.
Well if Jamaicans are such a nuisance, stop eating our food, listen our music, or covet our opposite sex when you see them. Its easy to blame Jamaicans but as i read and have experienced, many dont want to do the simple work, i worked in a garden for sometime and i enjoyed it. Tell some of the persons here to do that, they frown on those cheap jobs. I did everything legitimately to be here so if you dont want us here petition your politicians who benefit also off expats labour to vote n change the laws. lets see if some of the jobs dont stay empty
Go cook and feed your food to your beggars and the poverty in your Country of Jamaica.There are no starving beggars ,BVIslanders in these Vi ever.Your dazzling women you fantasize as being coveted are the maids,prostitutes,nannies and the broom sweepers globally while your children running amok and fulling up the prisons all over the Earth with unknown daddies,,searching for what Hamaica cannot give them,namely PEACE. Cursed and possessed,,gold oil water.,you name IT allis right their in your countries in abundance but the leaving home even at the risk of death is a must do because of all the unholy curse as murderers and everything else. A blight everywhere. He’ll soon breaking loose as the thousand rajed up in NY and discarded by Trump will be adding to the misery and the criminality in Jamica with horrific results for neighboring islands,BVI not excluded.
Not buying this…persons are employed as receptionist, sales representatives, clerks, boat attendee, etc. Tell me why can’t our citizens occupy these positions?
The reported work permit statistics are wildly inaccurate, and if we’re relying on the statistics department for these numbers, we’re in serious trouble. I could sit at a roundabout and count by hand and give more reliable data myself by asking questions directly. The department should be embarrassed to publish such flawed figures.The article mentions “active work permits,” implying that anyone not accounted
for is either exempt or undocumented. This is unacceptable. The Immigration Department needs to take action start rounding up accurate data and enforcing compliance. Labour should notify Immigration immediately when a work permit is outdated or when sponsors fail to provide valid reasons for non-compliance. These cases must escalate and be handled according to the law.Right now, it feels like the wild west no law ans order, just a disorganized mess. The Immigration and Labour departments seem complicit in this chaos, failing to do their jobs. We also need to scrutinize work permits for UK and US nationals, as well as those in charter companies, marinas, and law firms. There’s a long list of sectors that require urgent investigation to restore accountability.
And they don’t like the country them need send some of them back home. Set ah crawsis
I am quite concerned about this silly phrase “skills gap” that the Premier loves repeating when mentioning the reason why we are overrun by exdpats and our locals are not working.
In the past, businesses contacted the High School and interviewed students, offering work to graduates even before graduation day. This no longer pertains, which is sad. The truth is expats already in your employ jump at the chance to bring in family or friends and recommends to their employer who hire expats for cost savings. New graduates, Belongers should be offered entry level positions. They are no less skilled than the expats as many only have a high school diploma, if that. Clerks, receptionists, these can be done part time by students attending college, two per day shifts. Personally some of these businesses where only expats are being hired should be boycotted by locals and belongers as it is truly heartless to ignore your own when hiring but expect us to patronise your busineses. Imagine, local cannot make pizza. Lacking skills. Everywhere you go it is an epidemic in this country. Visited a local supermarket and my favourite taco place and Filipinos are cooking and cashing customers while college students and other new graduates would be happy for the work. It is a sad day in the BVI when strangers are preferred over your own. Where else can BVIslanders and Belongers get preferential treatment? Where else should they be preferred and hired over others? Where else should they be first considered for promotions when they have the skill set? Because it is not a skills issue. Many expats learn on the job, even in construction work. Who know know.
Public BVI education(primary,secondary,HLSCC) equals BVI civil service employment only.
Private education ANYWHERE equals private employment ANYWHERE on earth!
I am a Virgin Islander and it’s sad that we all can get along with others. Unfortunately, we have been used and abused so many times, we are fed up with the others. Mind you, there has been times when the Virgin Islander used and abused the others and often their own people. I believe most people, VIslanders, Belongers and Expats want to work inorder to earn to facilitate paying their bills, taking care of their families, building a house, buying a car, travel, saving for a rainy day or anything that their heart desire. There are lazy people in every Country, including those where expats were formerly domiciled. What hurts is when you enter a business and almost all of the working staff are from the Philipines. What happened to our VI and/or black and brown Caribbean brothers and sisters? Are they not employable any more? Some of you have decided that VIslanders isn’t going to take such jobs but how did you arrive at such a conclusion? I have worked for numerous businesses, where the jobs has been advertised but the vacancy has already been filled. Its just a sham for Labour and Immigration! They only create the vacancy ad after having interviewed the filipino candidate via Zoom or Teams. The Ad is curated to fit the qualifications of their preferred candidate. Often times, they would include some type of Computer system that no one in the Caribbean has ever heard of or used. Its a sham computer system that was created to be utilised by their Company. If Labour ever decided to send one of the Officers to see this system, they would recognise it doesn’t even exist. Its just a sham to be used as an excuse to deny any VIslanders or Caribbean folks to work with that Company. Some of these Companies are racist to the core! Imagine, two persons employed with the same qualifications with one having more work experience in that field than the other and also has worked with the Company for more years than the other person. However, they are
both paid the same salary. This is whats happening in the VI. The filipinos are said to be educated, qualified, certified and ‘well lettered’but you are still supposed to train them to do the hob whilst they get the praise and higher salary. Yes, some are helpful but one has to be wary of having to work with so many as the following tends to happen:-
1. they lie at the drop of a hat;
2. they fool the boss left, right &
center;
3. they are very good at stealing and
not getting caught until its too
late;
4. they always have a friend or family
that can do your job better for less;
5. they are great at pretending to know
how to do something just to impress
the boss;
6. they are great at pretending to be
nice (an overbearing politeness)
whilst running a game on you;
7. they will always make it look as if
they are always working, by coming
early and staying late, do work
during lunch. However, they only run
to do that when they see the boss
or a senior member of staff coming;
7. they are one of Asia’s greatest
SCHEMERS!
They will continue to scam employers here in the Virgin Islands, because they continue to help each other cover up whatever scam they are running. All you stupid. Grandma says is not everybskin teeth is you friend! I can tell you about them having worked in two different establishments dealing with them. Btw, let me give y’all aheads up, they don’t like Virgin Islanders. That much has been said. They ate only here to get the exorbitant salaries being doled out to them, its easier getting a US Visa after working here for a couple of years and they are able to travel to St. Thomas or Puerto Rico to have their babies; plus the local and Caribbean men are now finding out they might be more suitable or conducive to their needs. Good Luck y’all. I would hope at some pount we start looking out for ourselves and also our Caribbean brothers and sisters because we have the same culture, mentality and we should be our brother/sister’s keeper.
People acting like the country doesn’t have a 65% immigrant workforce…
Why publish this erroneous data .. its wrong in all angles.. aint know way possible that’s accurate… its not a true picture probably thousands not even register yet.. on the new system it has not been even a full year working good. Aint No way you know how much guayanese and Dominicans here.
WIGO THAT GOT TO BE YOU / ITS ALWAYS THE OUTSIDERS OR THE EHITE BOYZ / OR VINDY OR WALWYN , IS THAT THE REASON WHY THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISN’T BEING TAKEN CARE OF / YOU AND OTHERS LIKE YOU ALWAYS YAPPING OFF YA’AL ST*NKING MOUTHS ON. OTHER HUMANS LIKE YA’AL OWN THE LAND / THE PEOPLE FROM HERE ALWAYS HAS THE FIRST PREFERENCE DO YOU JUST TARKING SH*T AS USUAL / IF PEOPLE CAN COME HERE AND FIND WORK / WHAT CAN STOP THOSE WHO’S FROM HERE AND WHO HAS THE FIRST PREFERENCE FROM GETTING A JOB ? DUHHH ( CHANGE THAT WIG TO AN ( AFRO WIG ) AND PUT ON SOME
MAKE UP AND PROTEST BY SITTING DOWN IN MAIN STREET WITH A SIGN SAYING ” FREE THE DREW •
IS SPEWING HIS USUAL HATRED ON THE SITE JUST LIKE DOES IN HIS YELLO SITE WITH HIS LONG AND EVIL MENTALITY AT OUTSIDERS / PEOPLE CANNOT VOME HERE SND DEMAND ANY JOB / THOSE ENTITLED ONES DON’T REALLY LIKE TO WORK WE ALL KNOW THAT / BUT THIS JUDAS ALWAYS TRYING TO CREATE DRAMA AND DO OR SAY ANYTHING TO GET ATTENTION TO HIMSELF USING DECEPTION AS IN WRITING & BLOGGING UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES / GET ADRESS TO GO WITH YOUR WIG – DOLL