Labour Department cracks down on poor quality uploads

The Department of Labour and Workforce Development has announced that it will automatically reject substandard files uploaded to the Virgin Islands’ Labour Management System (LMS), ending what it described as previous leniency toward poor-quality submissions.

In a recent bulletin, the department said it is now enforcing stricter universal standards for all documents submitted through the online platform to improve processing times and ensure compliance with the Labour Code 2010.

“The Department of Labour and Workforce Development is informing users of the Labour Management System that the department is now enforcing strict universal standards for all system uploads,” the bulletin stated.

It added that “Leniency for poor-quality files is ending immediately to ensure faster digital processing and compliance with the 2010 Labour Code”.

The department reminded employers, employees and other LMS users that applicant photographs must meet official BVI and UK passport specifications. Photos must measure 35 millimetres by 45 millimetres, have a plain background, be sharply focused and show a neutral facial expression.

The bulletin also warned that cropped images, blurry photographs and enlarged selfies will not be accepted.

For supporting documents such as passports, licences and permits, the department said users must upload official scanned PDF files only. “No casual camera pictures of paperwork. Keep hands and fingers completely out of the shot,” the department stated.

To help applicants meet the new requirements, the department recommended using document-scanning applications such as Adobe Scan or a smartphone’s built-in document scanner to create PDF files.

“Do it right the first time,” the department advised.

The government introduced the Labour Management System in July 2024 to digitise work permit processing, job applications, complaint management, and other labour-related services to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and enhance service delivery.

The department said users seeking additional information about the new upload requirements should make contact by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 468-4707.