Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Work Permit Exemption Policy being abused, changes coming– Hon Wheatley

Work Permit Exemption Policy being abused, changes coming– Hon Wheatley

Minister for Natural Resources, Labour, Immigration and Social Security, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) said persons are abusing the work permit exemption policy and has warned of changes on the horizon.

Speaking at the Seventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Fourth House of Assembly on Thursday, April 15, 2021, Hon Wheatley said the Work Permit Exemption Policy is one that is ever-evolving and requires reviewing, revising and renewing as the climate continues to change in the territory.

“Firstly, Mister Speaker, I want to bring awareness to the public on the reason for such a policy, as it has become more evident that a policy such as this can easily be misused, whether unintentionally or otherwise. The Work Permit Exemption Policy is one that has grown immensely over the years in the number of persons that apply and are successful,” he said.

He stated that after taking up office in 2019, he quickly revised this policy, with the most substantial change being where he added a term limit to the exemption, resulting in the ceasing of the issuance of indefinite work permit exemptions.

Categories of Work Permit Exemption by marriage and Minister’s discretion will remain, albeit with new guidelines.


Not a permanent status!


“Mister Speaker, it remains my belief that this change has allowed for the correct intent and purpose of the exemption to be realised. Further to this, the reality of persons abusing this exemption by categorising it as a “permanent status” must cease. Mister Speaker, Work Permit Exemption is not a permanent status. It does not allow a person to change employer freely, and it does not exempt a holder from immigration control.”

He reminded persons that a permanent status is one gained by a person under the recommendation of the Immigration Board to Cabinet or by virtue of the Constitution. Residence Status, Belonger Status and a Naturalized Citizen are permanent statuses unless revoked under the Immigration and Passport Act or otherwise, while work permit exemption is at the discretion of the Minister for Labour and it is in no way meant to be considered as a permanent status as it is indeed a privilege and not a right.

Changes coming


He said after a constant debate on what this policy should look like, another review was undertaken.

“Early in this review, we considered the trending issues, and it was agreed firstly to re-establish the connection of an approved Work Permit Exemption to a specific employer. The intent here is to allow the holder of such an exemption to be more conscious of the importance of continued employment, which will be realised by the automatic cancellation of the exemption if a person changes his or her employer.”

He also chided employers for what he described as the use of ‘the misleading statement of “work permit exemption holders preferred” right along with VIslanders and Belonger on job advertisements.”

“Mister Speaker, this is seen as a means of defying the work permit process and ultimately marginalises VIslander and Belongers by allowing someone not holding a permanent status to be seen as on the same playing field as a VIslander/Belonger. This too, Mister Speaker, is wrong...and the revised policy will address this.”

He also said he had reduced once more the categories of persons eligible to qualify for work permit exemption by removing the category of tenure.

“Therefore, persons are no longer eligible to apply for work permit exemption if employed for any specific number of years within the Territory. Mister Speaker, this will fall into line with the pending immigration reform and the aim to formalise both immigration and labour policies as it relates to the number of years a person can reside in the Territory while on a work permit, prior to their possibly transitioning into a permanent resident.”

He said; however, the categories of Work Permit Exemption by marriage and Minister’s discretion will remain, albeit with new guidelines.

“Mister Speaker, I would also like to point out that a grading scheme has been introduced to the Minister’s discretion category that will allow for a more streamlined, consistent, and fair approval of applications. Mister Speaker, the Work Permit Exemption issuance in this Territory will move from a situation of subsidy to one of substance,” he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
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
×