Work Permits Discontinued in Bahamas
Wednesday May 11 2011 | 06:50 AM

Minister of Immigration and Foreign Affairs Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette made the announcement Monday that his ministry is now issuing work visas.

Mr. Symonette said the visas take the form of a credit card and are electronically readable.

The status of the many non-Bahamians that flock to The Bahamas for work will now be electronically monitored as they will have to travel with their work visas.

Just like the electronic passport, these work visas are equipped with a chip that will contain biometric information about the cardholder and will also make it easier for Immigration officials to determine whether a person is her legally or illegally.

"Because of my involvement, also in foreign affairs, [I found that] some [applicants] who needed a work permit also needed a visa to visit The Bahamas," Mr. Symonette said.

"So if I issued a work permit to a Chinese person, he or she would also have to come to Foreign Affairs to get a work visa to be able to fly. So now that can all be done with this new card.

"The one thing that is interesting is the spousal permit. Many people may have heard stories about a Bahamian marrying a non-Bahamian and they come over here and they want the right to work. If we are going to make it easier for people to come to The Bahamas, their spouses have to be entitled to work."

The deputy prime minister also announced that the Department of Immigration will no longer issue a general work permit.

Instead, the minister said persons applying for work visas will have to secure a job before they can even consider applying.

"For persons who want a work permit, and expect to get it by reason of having a general workers permit, [that will not happen]," Mr. Symonette said.

"[These people] will now need to have a sponsor. You will have to be working for someone. That is another one of the changes that we’ve made."

Since December 2010, the department has issued over 380 work visas in New Providence alone. The department has also received 5,000 applications since that time.