Jamaica to exempt Caricom nationals from work permits

TIMES INT'L

The Jamaica government will soon introduce an amendment to the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Bill to allow certain categories of Caricom nationals to work without a work permit.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz said that the Cabinet, at its usual meeting last week, gave the green light for the Bruce Golding administration to introduce the new piece of legislation.

The amendment will also allow for an increase in the applicable fines and penalties for breaches of the act’s provisions.

Vaz said the new legislation will allow for the removal of the requirement for an exemption certificate to enter Jamaica for certain categories of persons in respect of visits to carry out business-related activities not exceeding 30 days on any one occasion, or six months in a calendar year. Jamaica is signatory to the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) treaty that allows for certain categories of Caricom nationals, such as media workers, musicians and university graduates, to work freely in the country once they are in possession of a Caricom Skills Certificate.

The CSME allows for the free movement of skills, goods, services, and labour across the region.

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