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Changes Coming for Work Permit Process on June 23

By: , June 19, 2014

The Key Point:

As of Monday, June 23, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) will restructure the processing of work permits for foreign nationals.
Changes Coming for Work Permit Process on June 23
Director of the Work Permit Unit at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ms. Lisa-Ann Grant, speaking at a JIS ‘Think Thank’ on June 18.

The Facts

  • The changes will see a four per cent increase in the current application fee of $14,400 to $15,000.
  • Director of the Ministry’s Work Permit Unit, Lisa-Ann Grant, said the new structure is based on a categorisation of economic sectors with different fees applied to each group.

The Full Story

As of Monday, June 23, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) will restructure the processing of work permits for foreign nationals to protect the Jamaican labour force from a saturation of skills that are already available locally.

The changes will see a four per cent increase in the current application fee of $14,400 to $15,000.

The reform is in keeping with the country’s Labour Market Reform, which is intended to create a dynamic labour market which can foster productivity growth, promote flexibility, provide an effective social safety net, and increase real incomes.

Director of the Ministry’s Work Permit Unit, Lisa-Ann Grant, said the new structure is based on a categorisation of economic sectors with different fees applied to each group.

“The sectors that will encourage investment, economic growth, and employment will attract lower fees. Conversely, the sectors for which adequate skill sets are available locally will attract higher fees,” she explained.

She further informed that, “under the new regulations, the existing general permit fee of $180,000 per annum will be abolished to introduce several categories of employment under which respective fees are to be paid, in accordance with skill set demands”.

Ms. Grant was speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, on June 17 at the agency’s head office in Kingston.

Ms. Grant noted that foreign nationals in the wholesale and retail trade and motor vehicle repair sector will pay a fee of $170,000 annually, while the hotel and restaurant services, and construction sectors will see work permit seekers paying $150,000 per annum.

“Those in transport, storage and communication will pay up to $130,000, while persons in the manufacturing and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors will pay a maximum of $110,000 in permit fees,” Ms. Grant added.

The changes follow modifications to the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens (Employment) (Work Permit Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

For more information on the restructured employment categories, the public is invited to contact the Ministry at 922-9590. Work permit fees were last increased in 2008.

Last Updated: June 19, 2014

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