Expats In BVI Now At The Back Of The Jobs Queue

Expats, Belongers and BVIslanders’ basic immigration status prevents them from getting jobs.

PM of the British Virgin Islands Andrew Fahie recently announced that the immigration status of BVIslanders and Belongers does not mean they will be prioritised as regards job offers. The comment came after the PM prohibited work permits for expats unless employers had exhausted official lists of unemployed local islanders when advertising a vacancy.

His comments were mostly aimed at Belongers and included a statement that the status came with certain privileges which could be lost should preparation not be made for future changes. Belongers, he added, need to bring relevant skills to any job as well as having a strong work ethic which adds value to the job itself. The announcement coincided with the launch of an employment initiative aimed at providing 1,000 job vacancies for BV Islanders and Belongers over the next 1,000 days.

According to the PM, the list of unemployed workers also gives details of the type of work able to be done by each job-seeker, and a team is to be sent to all BVI districts in order to ensure all who want to work have the chance of a local job. Potential employers who don’t prove they’ve exhausted the pool of unemployed locals will not be able to get the required work permits for expats or Belongers.