No work permits required for OECS citizens in Antigua

work permitCitizens from member states of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Economic Union are no longer required to apply for a work permit to be employed in Antigua and Barbuda.

The announcement was made on Tuesday in accordance with the OECS’ Statutory Instrument No. 31 of 2014.

Those who are presently living in Antigua and hold work permits are no longer required to make applications for renewals of these permits, however they are expected to approach the Immigration Department to regularize their status.

Furthermore work permit applications which were approved prior to July 2014 and remain uncollected should be collected from the Employment Unit of the Labour Department with the presentation of receipts of application or a valid passport as soon as possible.

Persons failing to come forward will be contacted by the Labour Department.

OECS member states include Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are associate members of the OECS.

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17 Comments

  1. Conneth
    December 5, 2014

    I don’t agree with them , y stop give out work permit. The OECS members go America and Canada and all over to become citizens, so y the Guyanese and those other country come to Antigua and can’t get work permit. :cry: :?:

  2. dcagirl
    November 26, 2014

    it was a bout time,,,, but after they take 1500 frm me they find to so.. well thank god its no more

  3. ex-police.
    November 26, 2014

    Anguilla is not a full time member of OECS, it is an associated members and not yet full members so this no work permit does not apply there nor the BVI

  4. Pittsburgh Dominican
    November 26, 2014

    One step closer to full community (OECS) integration.

  5. Kim
    November 26, 2014

    They left out Barbados

    • Anonymous
      November 26, 2014

      When did Barbados join OECS? :oops: OECS is not Caricom, I am indicating this because I am making the assumption you made this mistake. Primary School Social Studies.

    • jonny cum lately
      November 26, 2014

      barbados is not part of the oecs and thier dont use the eastern caribbean dollars

    • Malgrahysa
      November 27, 2014

      Kim, Barbados is not a member of the OECS. It is however a member of Caricom and I had hopes that the same rules would apply to that orgainisation also, like they do in Europe for the E.U. We are moving too slow, after all this restriction in Antigua was only removed after 33 years since the OECS was established.

    • CYRIL Volney
      November 27, 2014

      Barbados is not a member of the OECS (although I hope to see them join one day).

  6. November 26, 2014

    The OECS are only nine members states…Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica , Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St.Kitts & Nevis, St.Vincent &The Grenadines these islands used the same currentcy, this is more opening for folks with skills, I hope some folks will conduct their selfs proper
    manner for this opportunity.

  7. DC
    November 26, 2014

    Wonderful! We must speak as one voice! The Caribbean needs to put their words in action. Antigua must be commended. The other Islands must do the same. We are one people. One love to all!

    • joe
      November 26, 2014

      DC Antigua is way behind, all the other islands in the OECS including Dominica, allows all nationals including Antiguans indefinite stay so they can live and work without work permit. The islands pass that law since 2012, so as a citizen of Dominica i can go to St. Kitts and take up a job there without any hassle so to for Grenada, St Vincent and St Lucia. Antigua should do the same and stop their rubbish!!!!!!

      • papamet oye
        November 27, 2014

        joe shut up

  8. country
    November 26, 2014

    THAT JUST WRONG

    • Anonymous
      November 26, 2014

      You really ARE “country” like your name suggests. I take it you did not understand anything the article says. You just commented for commenting sake. Let me add “bookie” to that country for you. Smh.

  9. Pedro
    November 26, 2014

    Great news, but why are governments so steeped in useless bureaucracy? No work permits are required yet one must collect work permits already issued and those who already have permits must be regularized? What does that mean? Does that make sense? You already know who applied previously, then why maintain such bureaucracy and hassle and needless paperwork? Stop holding on to old processes!

    • Malgrahysa
      November 27, 2014

      Pedro, good observation. So much wasteful paperwork and time-wasting going on, even here. Why, for instance must I fill in a a form for immigration and have my passport stamped when I return to my own country on a Dominican passport? We live in the age of IT technology and I would have thought that a) our immigration service would have gleaned that information from the passenger list before my arrival and b) simply scanned my passport to confirm the details upon arrival. We especially introduced a machine-readable passport for that purpose. The same applies to departures. I’m fed up having my passport full of these stamps and have to apply and pay for a new again again before its expiry date because there is no more room for stamps.

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