More bureaucratic headaches for businesses & families seeking VI visa
For years, the public has complained, with legitimate reasons, over long delays in obtaining a work permit and immigration clearance. This has killed many small businesses.
Now comes yet another bureaucratic headache for businesses and families: Obtaining a visa from the Civil Registry and Passport Office, a Department under the Governor’s portfolio.
The VI, because of its colonial status, has to comply with the request imposed by the United Kingdom to acknowledge a list of countries that require a visa in order to visit or work in the Territory.
Up to 6 months visa delays?
This means if you are bringing an employee from a country that needs a visa, once your work permit and immigration clearance are approved and paid for, comes another hurdle: The timely processing of a visa by the Civil Registry and Passport Office.
Many businesses, speaking to our newsroom on condition of anonymity, said the long process has contributed to them not getting their workers to the Territory on time and the prospective employees most often go elsewhere. There is even one case where a visa request took 7 months to process, only to be told it was not approved.
Others request visas to have family and friends visit the VI, but that too takes months to be approved, and most often the family member’s vacation time in their home country would have expired. There is also a dangerous mindset that some do not see persons from certain countries (Africa, Asia, Latin America) as tourists contributing to our economy, while others from European countries get easy access.
Are they short-staffed?
While it is reported that the Civil Registry and Passport Office is short-staffed (a summer/Christmas intern helped with visa backlog) and the application volumes can be high, a new complex security process has also contributed to the long delays, according to an insider speaking to our News Centre.
The lengthy visa delays have become a serious issue as they are now contributing to the financial hardships of businesses that cannot get employees on time, or families who cannot get their loved ones to spend a vacation in the VI.
There are also concerns that Caribbean countries are subjected to visa requirements- countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
It is unclear what the Governor’s Group will do to address these new challenges with long visa delays, but if it continues, according to economic experts, the VI will not remain competitive in this new global economy.
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29 Responses to “More bureaucratic headaches for businesses & families seeking VI visa”
You know better but just chatting crap.
Bag
Scooter
Chain
A trip
They quite......
We need an Airport visa or Etickt visa platform Right now. Not in 2026 we can't get sh** together
How is this math matting.
Investment in VI is dead.
ALL13MUSTGO
Ungrateful you say?? Shame on you!! Will the local do the dirty jobs ? Will the local work from home 8 am to all 10 pm? Will the locals work for peanuts changes?? The answer to the above is nooo!! Let me tell you who ungrateful local..not all . I been married to one local for years.and to think about it he is the best..but when you talking about let them ungrateful Caribbean stay them yard!! BVI isn’t the Caribbean?? Left all you to uncle Donald trump..when the hurricane the same ungrateful Caribbean people stay here help clean up you all $h!+!! Help bring back the BVI to standard..now who ungrateful?? Stop been so hateful..can yall do the jobs here no!! Can yall do the dirty job? No!! Stop been hatful..stop been so disrespectful to people who stand by you guys..when the going get tough.yall run to Florida wait uncle Donald here for yall
Leadership definitely needs to address the visa delays. Great job VINO
We got to do our checks and balances, but we honestly make things harder than easier.
And with that comes a lot of discrimination and the powers that be is not making it easier.