Summary
The Department of Immigration says any non-Bahamian who wants to work in The Bahamas for 1 to 90 days must apply for a Short-Term Work Permit before the prospective employee arrives in The Bahamas.
The official page says short-term work permits are meant for emergencies only and should be a one-time application.
Typical Cases Mentioned On The Official Page
- An aircraft mechanic coming to repair an airplane or equipment for a short period
- Auditors, inspectors, or corporate officers coming from a company's headquarters outside The Bahamas for a short stay
Requirements For 1 To 30 Days
-
BSD $200.00non-refundable processing fee - Letter of request addressed to the Director of Immigration
- Short-Term Work Permit application form, unless applying online
- Two current passport photographs
- Signed and readable passport bio page copy for the applicant
- Valid business licence, certificate of incumbency, or certificate of incorporation for the employer
- Employee or employer NIB card or certificate
Additional Requirements For 31 To 90 Days
- First Schedule Form 1, legible and notarized, with a
BSD $10.00postage stamp when required - Original police certificate, or in some extension situations a sworn affidavit of good character
- Original medical certificate dated within 30 days before submission
- Profession-specific authorization letters where required
Important Official Notes
- If the employer wants to go beyond 30 days and possibly employ the person longer, the application must move into the 31 to 90 day or long-term work permit requirements.
- In some Board of Directors, disaster preparedness, or Trusted Traveller Programme cases, the company should notify the Director of Immigration in writing at least two days before arrival.
- Persons applying for status in first instance should not be in the country during processing.
When To Escalate To A Human
- The work is not clearly an emergency or one-time case.
- The job may run past 30 days or past 90 days.
- The role needs a profession-specific approval letter and you do not know which regulator applies.
- The worker has already arrived in The Bahamas without the permit being handled first.