doberdog

Hi all

I have been with my partner for 15yrs and lived with her for 10. Hr parents are Bajan and though she was born here sh lived there for 8 yrs and still has bajan citizenship - I believe this means she can walk straight back into the country whenever she likes? how about me - would it help if we married?

The thing is we are both very disillusioned with the uk at present and can't see it getting any better so would love to move to the island as soon as possible - I have holidayed there several times and fell in love with the place.

As far as skills are concerned I was an IT manager for a good few years and currently run my own car repair business, I also spent many years working on the land so know a little about agriculture. I would take any job going but believe there are rules about relocating there if the job you are looking for can be done by a bajan - is this the case if I am married to a citizen? My father inlaw is also looking at repatriating there and starting a new business which he would like me to help him run - surely he can employ who he wishes?


I am also considering starting my own business which I believe doesn't exist out there yet -least not in the format I would do it.

We wouldn't need to find a home as my inlaws will let us use their house until we get on our feet and they are offering us a very large plot of land to build on when were ready.
Also I have a little bit of debt here in the UK which I would minimise by selling the house but would this have a derogatory effect on being granted access?

Any advice would be great

Thanks

Cuchullain

Hi doberdog.

If you marry your partner you will then be able to apply for citizenship. At the moment that takes about 3 years to process (as far as I know). In the meantime you will not be allowed to work in Barbados. You would be permitted to set up a business, but would not be able to work in it yourself (I know.... weird eh!!), but that is the case even if you are not married.

Basically, as of today, it makes no difference to your employment rights to be married. However, lately the immigration department have started to issue letters to people who have their "citizenship by marriage" application underway. These letters give the applicant the right to work and to operate their own businesses, pay national insurance etc..... I have been informed by immigration, that they are currently working their way up the line of applicants (i.e. starting with 2007 applicants and working up to present). I made my citizenship application in January 2010 and I've been informed that it may be next year, by the time I get my notification of permission to work (my citizenship may not be approved until 2013!!).

Bottom line is, immediately it will have no bearing on your status if you are to get married, although it will certainly set a process in motion that could have you living and working/doing business here with the next 18 months (estimate!!)..... If you've been with your partner for 15 years, then I'd assume it's pretty safe to say it is a genuine relationship..... So go ahead and tie the knot, it will just make things alot easier!!...... Anyway man, 15 years!!, it's about time you popped the question.....lolol

doberdog

Thanks for the info - very informative. The work permit you mentioned, can I apply for it here on the Uk with a view to moving when it comes through or do I already ha e to move there before applying?

I don't know if it will help but my inlaws have friends in high places - they are certainly still good friends with owen Arthur and although he is not in power now maybe they know people who could speed things up a little? I'll have to ask next rime I see them!

As far as marriage is concerned, we were engaged within 6 months of getting together and I would have married her on any day since then but she insists on a big wedding whereas I would rather spend the money on improving our home etc.

Again, thanks for the advice

Cuchullain

It's not actually a work permit that you get, it is just a letter of "permission to work" which they will issue to you once your "citizenship by marriage" application is underway.
This proceedure seems to be just being used at the moment, because, as I said, to be married does not automatically allow you to work, under the current laws. I think that the goverment have realised that it is unrealistic to expect people to reside here as spouses and not allow them to work. (When I say "reside", I actually mean stay here indefinitely as a "tourist", as that is technically what you have to do currently as a spouse of a citizen) So this is their interim solution. There is a new green paper regarding all
aspects of immigration, including this issue, and it has already been through the public consultation stage. Under the new laws, I believe that a spouse will automatically be allowed to work while their application for citizenship is being processed. But no-one seems to know when this will actually become law.
I'm not sure if you will have to be here to be issued the "permission to work", but I would imagine that that is the case. The idea is to stop the situation where spouse has to sit at home idle while the application is being processed. Therefore if you are still living abroad this would not be an issue, as presumably you will be able to work at your current location!! (So no need to have permission to work in Barbados)
If you do plan to live and work here without getting married, then you would need to apply for a "work permit". This has to be applied for by a company offering you a job. They have to demonstrate that no bajan can do that job. It is quite a lenghty and expensive process and as far as I can see, lately, you need to have some very special skills (or maybe some pretty impressive political influence) to be considered for one of these visas. Apparently, the process was easier under the former government (of which Mr. Arthur was Prime Minister), but this government has taken a much stronger stand on the issue (rightly so I suppose).
I do see a constant stream of applications for work permits for places like Sandy lane etc, but I'm guessing that the kind of financal influence which an employer like Sandy Lane brings to the table, has a major bearing on their ability to be able to get work permits for groundsmen, green keepers and all sorts of relatively unskilled jobs..... Anyway, I'll leave it at that, for fear of opening to many cans of worms!!

shines

I have heard recently that the easiest type of work permit to obtain is that in agriculture. Unsure why this is as I am sure there are many Bajans who can work the land...

Get married already, you can apply for your citizenship then whilst in the UK and carry on living there, then maybe move here once it is approved. At least you then have a plan and a few more years won't seem such a long time when you know you will be moving on?

If your FIL sets up a business then he can employ who he likes but can only employ you if he wrote the job descrition such that no bajan could fulfill the criteria and then he could apply for a work permit for you, but work permits are not cheap nor quick to come by.

Whichever route you take you need to set the wheels in motion ASAP I would say.

HTH

bajannow

I must have been lucky, I got my citizenship in a year, but it was a few years back. Applied in 2003 and was a Bajan citizen by 2004. Same situation, married to a Bajan citizen. All I needed was his birth certificate and our marriage certificate and the application. I submitted it through a consulate in Canada which some say is faster then applying in Barbados, however, once it was submitted all the info was mailed from the consulate in Barbados. I phoned a few times to check on the status so that may have helped speed things up, don't know. Anyways, hope that helps!

Sunniebgi

17 1/2 years ago, I got my citizenship in about 2 mths.. sooo times they do change. things are harder everywhere for this .. I'm glad that even with the extra time, govt has seen fit to allow a spouse to work while awaiting their status. I certainly couldn't have lived here for 3 years with out working (maybe 3 months but not 3 years).

anuny

The Islands have gotten smarter. The influx of tourists buying prime property during the tourism boom uset a lot of natives in most former colonies. In Grand Cayman, nearly 1/3 of the population is expat of some sort.

Sunniebgi

let me qualify something (I had to read your post a few times to decide what your meaning was in that first line.

I am not just a tourist who visited the island, decided to buy property and move here. I met and married a Barbadian (didn't meet him in Barbados, met him in the US and never even visited here until about 6 mths after we met).

According to the laws of the island, a person who is married to a citizen is entitled to citizenship (by law) .. it used to be only women (with men obtaining residency - I believe that has now changed).

I agree that the islands have gotten smarter. Notice I say.. 17 1/2 year.. still married, so no possible thought of fraud, just to get the citizenship. The US requires a 2 year waiting period for Green Cards and then 5 years for citizenship. Barbados SHOULD adopt some sort of "green card" position and then citizenship to stop the Marriage of convenience issues. Now I'm not saying that trouble can't happen in paradise, or that any of the people writing on this board who are thinking of Marrying their partner just to be able to get citizenship just so they could live here. but there should be an easier way to get this done.. and faster, as far as I'm concerned..

Cuchullain

I think the government are making the upcoming changes in order to deal with the practice of "marriages of convenience"..... That is why the citizenship will only be granted after a period of 3 years..... I doubt too many will commit that lenght of time in order to gain citizenship..... After all this is still a developing country. If one needed to gain citizenship in order to better their life, surely they would target a more prosperous country!!..... I actually think the phenomenon of "marriages of convenience" is greatly over stated in this country. I think it mainly stems from the prejudice against Guyanese nationals which exists here. If people see a Guyanese marrying a Bajan they automatically assume it's done for citizenship. I'm not saying that these marriages don't happen, I just don't believe it is as big a problem as people would suggest.

Serendipidy

I so agree with your points Cuchullain

Ikon

Well said!

Cheese 2010

Good Morning

I need clarification of work status if married to a Bajan Citizen - are you saying that a non Bajan Citizen CANNOT work without citizenship?

Sunniebgi

Like most countries (I'm assuming) one cannot work in a country without the proper documentation that says so. Not the US, Not Australia, Not the UK.. Sure you can work here as a non bajan citizen but only if you have a work permit . This includes Caricom which comes under a different set of rules (maybe not needing a work permit, but have to have authorization to do so.

unless of course you want to work "under the table" and have the possibility of being caught and deported.

anuny

Sorry my bad, in not explaining it clearly. I did not mean people who have been married for a long time. I implied the convenience issue. It reminds me of Grand Cayman which is still a BOT, and the political noise being made about "outsiders" and jobs.

Adapting a GC type solution is the step in the right direction.

When the times are good, no one cares. In the last five years the economic climate has made a tad difficult for folks from the CARICOM. As to the undertone of discrimination of Guyanese citizens - It was always simmering below the surface.