Suspend WP policy of having to leave VI while changing jobs- Skelton-Cline
He made the calls on the May 25, 2021, edition of his Honestly Speaking radio show on ZBVI 780am.
“I would suggest that there be a suspension of this immigration policy, that sends people out the country only to come back when the people have already demonstrated that they either weren’t moving from one employee to another, they have become gainfully employed [or] there already have the stuff processed,” he said.
Skelton-Cline said the tedious process of having people leave the territory for work permit processing and return only to be faced with COVID-19 entry policies or having to find overseas accommodations is something that should not be in the current pandemic.
Conditional permit
It should be noted that there is a system in place where work permit holders changing jobs or who have been terminated due to COVID-19 and would like to seek alternative employment can apply for a conditional permit from the Chief Immigration Officer.
However, people are only eligible for this conditional permit, valid for three months, if they were residing in the VI for at least five years and have not received a conditional permit in the last three years.
They also have to prove they can sustain themselves financially while in the territory.
Authorities must exercise greater prudence - Skelton-Cline
According to Skelton-Cline; however, persons changing jobs during this pandemic should not be allowed to leave the territory at this time.
“We have to be able to be nimble and to exercise some greater prudence in navigating our way through these waves,” he said.
The man of the cloth further called on the Labour and Immigration departments to act rationally and move to temporarily suspend the policy forcing authorities to send people out of the country.
“It seems like to me that there are some simple ways in which we can begin to address a lot of these matters that continue to frustrate people, in an effort to bring the country and therefore the economy back on full stream,” he said.
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17 Responses to “Suspend WP policy of having to leave VI while changing jobs- Skelton-Cline”
If its was for the money, which I think it should be then it would have been a standard change fee. The work permit for expat construction workers is some $1135.00 or more. Most workers now leaving will not return and there will be a deficit in some areas. As some comments there are policies that expat workers should abide by that other countries does it. The BVI should not be a follow fashion country/island. Good leadership should have vision of what they can adopt and what they should not. This I believe it not one of it.
This policy not law has been questioned from the 1980's
What purpose does this policy serve?
And because it has been there for a long time is it still an effective instrument?
Let's go back and see why it introduced in the first place.
I don't know.
But it is presently archaic.
let's examine some facts.
Plane ticket $300.00 to $600.00
Quarantine $200.00- $1000.00
PCR tests $300.00
If as my friend Malone mentioned above, a sur charge of $200.00 was slapped on a work permit candidate "it's all a win win".
Time to change these archaic traditions.