Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Barely surviving! Resident gets runaround waiting for new permit

Barely surviving! Resident gets runaround waiting for new permit

After making several failed attempts to have his new work permit processed, British national Geoffrey Day, who has been a resident of the British Virgin Islands for the past 12 years, remains stuck in St Maarten for nine months now.

Day initially left the territory for St Maarten on February 26 while he awaits a new work permit after switching jobs. A week later, the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to territory; resulting in the BVI closing its borders and government departments closing due to the imposed curfew lockdown.

Speaking to BVI News nearly four months following a previous interview, Day who is a carpenter by profession explained that he has been taking the recommended measures to have his new work permit processed, but was constantly getting the runaround.

These efforts according to Day included contacting the Minister for Labour & Immigration Vincent Wheatley and the Chief Immigration Officer Ian Penn.

He said: “My employer is contacting Mr Wheatley shortly. He has to get permission from him first before I can put any paperwork in for my work permit. It will be the third time I have done this, the last time I was told to contact Immigration and Mr Penn. They then sent me to Labour, who then again sent me back to Immigration and so forth. It’s getting tiring.”

Wrote Minister for Overseas Territories


With no other avenue available, Day said he wrote to the then Minister for Overseas Territories Elizabeth Sugg as his last hope of desperation to see what could be done in his case.

“The basis of the email to the minister was just to explain my situation and the fact that I was getting no constructive response from the BVI government, rather being that I felt I was being ignored,” he said.

“I want to find out from them whether or not this was legal and based on humanitarian grounds, whether I was being victimized. I don’t know, I’ve got to try all avenues,” he explained.

Barely surviving


The Josiah’s Bay resident who said he continues to pay rent for his apartment to date, explained that he has now nearly depleted all of his resources and is barely surviving while on St Maarten.

“I’ve managed to survive here in St Maarten because friends have helped me out — a food parcel here and there and a place to stay. But with no regular job, I have no money to care for myself. Literally zero dollars.”

“Last week I also ran out of food and had five days living off tea and sugar. Fortunately, a BVI friend is here who has helped me out this week,” he added.

Nowhere to go


Despite being a national of the United Kingdom, Day said he has not lived in the UK since 1997. After making the BVI his home for more than a decade, he said that all of his belongings are still in the territory. He has nowhere else to go.

“Worst case scenario is that if my work permit is denied, I will return in December sometime to organise my affairs and make arrangements to ship out all my belongings. To where? I haven’t yet worked out,” he dejectedly expressed.

Day is hoping that he receives some good news soon, as he continues to await a response from the relevant authorities.

Efforts to reach Labour & Immigration Minister, Vincent Wheatley has been unsuccessful.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×