How to Apply for Work Permits in Jamaica?

Jamaica invites millions of tourists every year. More than ever, foreigners want to live here or at the very least work here, if not petition for dual citizenship. In order to work in Jamaica, non-Jamaicans must get a work permit or work visa. A work permit is a formal document with the emigrant’s picture and a special number that gives them permission to work in Jamaica. The work permit will specify the precise time frame for which the immigrant is permitted to work. On the other hand, only proof of a legitimate job offer is used to grant work visas.

In Jamaica, you need a different collection of documentation in order to get a work permit. You and your staff must fill out the application form and submit the necessary documentation. You, as the employer, must draft a statement describing the applicant’s abilities and credentials, the reasons you require them over those of a Jamaican citizen, and the applicant’s criminal history from their present place of residency. Include the length of the employment period as well. When your potential employees arrive in Jamaica, they must go to the Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship Agency with the letter and their travel documents.

The organization will issue a certificate to the Ministry of Labor and stamp the worker’s passport for the duration of the work permit. In addition to hiring a US Citizen, The employer must demonstrate that they made an effort to hire Jamaican people for the job because Jamaica prioritizes hiring locals.

Work Permits in Jamaica

You must submit your request for a work permit to the Ministry using any of the following channels:

• Your future employer
• For Jampro Investors – Jamaica Promotion Corporation
• Contractors, or
• Legal Representation

Employers must submit all work permit applications to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security’s Work Permit Department (MLSS). A JMD 14,400 non-refundable processing charge must also be included with your application. The applicant must pay a charge based on the length of the permit if the MLSS permits it. A work permit will not be issued with the evidence showing payment of fees. The work permit fees are as follows:

Applying for a Jamaica Work Permit

• Work permit forms can be downloaded online.
• Candidates must include a cover letter that describes the type and scope of the work they will be doing. Also included should be the specifics of the investment proposal(s) (documentary proof of the proposed investment(s) should be submitted).
• Proof of Qualification that must be translated into English. Additionally, The documents should be certified by a Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public with an active commission. Upon presentation of the original documents, authorized Ministry of Labor and Social Security employees may certify copies of the documents. Proof of qualification must include:
  • Letters of accreditation or certified copies of documentation proving one’s academic or professional credentials
  • a letter of recommendation, a written reference, or documentation of the applicant’s international business, commercial, or professional activities from a previous employer.
• A resume outlining the applicant’s professional or business experience.
• A police record
• For new applications, the relevant security authority in the applicant’s country of residence should issue the record.
• For renewals, the competent division of the Jamaican Ministry of National Security should issue the record. Please take note that the police record submission should have an investigation date that is no more than a year prior to the submission date to this Ministry.

Proof of Business Registration

• For unincorporated businesses, a certified copy of the business registration certificate is required.
• For properly registered companies, a certified copy of the Memorandum of Association and the Certificate of Incorporation. No need for articles of association.
• A Tax Compliance Certificate must be provided whenever a candidate is self-employed when a business has been running for at least a year when a work permit is being renewed, or in any other circumstance.
• Certified copies of the applicant’s passport pages displaying their name, their passport number, their date of issuance and expiration, their arrival status in Jamaica, and any necessary visas (where applicable).
• In the case of a work permit, two (2) photos are required, however, just one (1) is required for a work permit exemption. Specifications for Photographs are provided below.
• The applicant’s completed and signed Tax Payer Registration Number (TRN) form, which is attached. Applications for Work Permit Renewals or Exemptions that are longer than thirty (30) days in duration should be accompanied by:
  • (a) Certified copies of updated documents if those documents have expired since the previous application
  • (b) Copies of salary statements for the previous three (3) months
  • (c) Cover letter as stated above

Photograph Specifications

Pictures sent with applications become the property of the Jamaican government. The following requirements must be met in the photographs, which must be professionally made and taken no more than six (6) months before application:

• The picture should be photographed against a plain background in color with a flat finish.
• The head, neck, and top of the shoulders should all be seen from the front, and the ears should be easily discernible.
• There shouldn’t be any backdrop shadows or reflections from eyewear that could skew the image.
• From the chin to the top of the skull, the face should be between 25 and 35 millimeters in size.
• Except if it is essential for religious reasons, the applicant should not be photographed while wearing any type of head covering.
• should be contained in an envelope, without staples.
• A Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public should certify the document.

Requirements for Application Form

• Block letters and ink should be used to write the application form.
• Application questions must be answered honestly.
• Part I of the application forms should be filled out by the applicant, Part II by the prospective employer, and Part 3 should only be used for official purposes.
• You must fill out Parts I and II if you are applying for a work permit on the grounds that you are self-employed.
• The letters N/A should be used to indicate a question on the application that does not apply to the applicant.
• Applications that have been incompletely completed won’t be processed.
• The application processing cost is non-refundable.
• The potential employer will be informed and given a Notice of Approval after it has been approved.
• Before the work permit can be issued the prospective employer must pay the Work Permit Fee.
• Payment vouchers are available at The Work Permit Section of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security located in Kingston and other Parish offices across the island.
• Payments are made to any branch of the National Commercial Bank

A work permit cannot be transferred. Whenever an individual with a work permit wishes to leave one employer and start working for another before the current work permit expires, the applicant must submit a letter from the previous employer with the new application, outlining any concerns the employer may have about the applicant accepting employment elsewhere in Jamaica.