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Obtaining a Saint Lucia Work Permit

The following guidelines are to enable you to become familiar with the procedures for the granting of a work permit in St. Lucia. This is based on the Government Statutory Rules and Orders No. 16 of 1975, including amendments. Please note that the approval or non approval of your application is determined by the Minister of Labour.

Please follow these guidelines:

Before you are issued an application form for a St. Lucia Work Permit, you are required to pay a nonrefundable fee of one hundred Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC$100.00) to the Accountant General at the Government Treasury in Castries. This payment is acceptable upon presentation of the necessary ‘A’ Form duly completed by the Work Permit Officer which is available at the Department of Labour Relations in Castries.

You will then take the completed ‘A’ Form and your payment of $100.00 to the Government Treasury. The Treasury Receipt which you will receive is required to obtain the Work Permit Application form. Take the Treasury Receipt back to the Work Permit Officer at the Department of Labour Relations who will then provide you with the Application form.

Once you are issued the Work Permit Application form, complete fully, and ensure that you have the following documents attached before it is submitted to the Work Permit Officer. These documents are:

• A Police record from the country where you last resided;
• Certified documentary proof of qualifications;
• Trade Licence (where applicable);
• Copies of advertisements for the post that you will be applying for;
• Evidence that income tax has been paid.

Once your application has been approved, you are required to pay a fee for the Work Permit which is based on your nationality at present. The fee is guided according to the Government Statutory Instrument 2004, No. 38 dated June 1, 2004:

• Citizens or persons belonging to any Caribbean Community or CARICOM member state, for every period of 12 months or part of if it for which the permit is valid - EC$2,000.00.

• Citizens of persons belonging to any country other than a CARICOM member state (including Commonwealth Nationals and Foreign Nationals) for every period of 12 months or part of it for which the permit is valid - EC$7,500.00.

• Citizens or persons belonging to any country (including CARICOM, Commonwealth Nationals, and Foreign Nationals) for a period not exceeding one (1) month for which the permit is valid - EC$400.00.

Once you have been made aware of the status of your application and the necessary fee, you will then make your payment to the Government Treasury. Once you are issued the Treasury Receipt, take it to the Work Permit Officer who will then present you with your approved work permit.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE:

If you are overseas, and would like to begin the process of obtaining a work permit, you will need to have someone in St. Lucia complete the ‘A’ Form and make the EC$100.00 payment on your behalf. The ‘A’ Form can not be mailed to you.

In order to maintain validity of your work permit, you will be required to repeat the same procedure for the following successive years until you decide to become a citizen of St. Lucia.

Anyone who has obtained residential status is NOT EXEMPTED from a work permit and is still required to apply as usual, in the same manner.

While your application is being processed, you should NOT be engaged in any kind of gainful or profitable employment.

All applications should be submitted to the Work Permit Officer at least two (2) months prior to the date which you propose or plan to be employed or engaged.