NASSAU, Bahamas – Minister of State for Immigration in the Bahamas, the Hon. Branville McCartney assured the business community that the aim of the Department of Immigration is to expedite applications for foreign work permits.
He made the statement during a meeting with members of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Immigration falls under the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon Brent Symonette, who was also present at the meeting.
Mr. McCartney said it was important for the Government and private sector to engage in “very open dialogue”, especially when it comes to conducting business in the country.
He was responding to the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s call for a policy to be established regarding the process surrounding the issuance of work permits for foreign workers.
A special unit has been established in the Department of Immigration to accommodate requests for work permits and renewal applications.
“What we have tried to put in place over the last few months is expediency and openness in that Department,” Mr. McCartney said. “We are very cognizant of your concerns and the timing of the process.”
Dionisio D’Aguilar, president of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce proposed that different standards be applied for different categories of work permits, to “add certainty to the process and a method by which you can measure productivity in the department.”
