Work Permit Fee Increase Takes Effect April

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Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News
Hon. Dr Kedrick Pickering, Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Resources and Labour

(PLTM) - The government is delivering on its word to impose various fee hikes, and members of the expatriate community will have to brace themselves for an increase in work permit fees in the new year, 2017.

Yesterday, December 21, government stated that it is moving ahead with plans to revise work permit fees as indicated in the 2016 Budget Address.

"Work permit fees are currently being reviewed and the amended fees will become effective in April 2017," government stated.

The government is hoping to raise an additional $2.7M from the new fee structure, as it struggles to raise needed revenue.

Financial Secretary, Mr. Neil Smith said that the new work permit structure to be introduced will be related to the compensation on the profession of the persons requesting work permits.

“The professions that are more highly compensated would pay money on work permits and this should generate an additional $2.7M,” he previously stated.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith while delivering the 2016 budget in February of this year, announced that some fees have remained the same for decades and a decision was taken to augment some fees as part of the 2016-2018 fiscal strategy.

The current work permit fee structure has been held constant since 1981.

Further, government stated that it is anticipated that by the time the amended fees take effect next April, the public would have started experiencing some of the process improvements at the Departments of Labour and Immigration. These improvements, according to government, are part of the BVI Forward initiative to reform Immigration and Labour.

Over the past year, the Financial Services Implementation Unit has been working closely with both departments to streamline the work permit process to achieve greater efficiency and eliminate duplication.

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