Work permit-online work
 

Hello All,
I'm planning to move to Saint Lucia. I teach college classes online for an American university so I would have a steady income coming in but as I do my research I see that wouldn't need to acquire a work permit (as my income comes from the US) but would need to come in on the 42 day visa and then re-apply every 30 days while showing that I have a return ticket within those 30 days. I plan to stay in St. Lucia for at least a year and would be enrolling my daughter at one of the local private schools. Is there any way around the "every 30 days" re-application process? If there is no way around it, what are the chances that the renewal of my visa would be denied and I would be required to leave the country?

Re: Work permit-online work
 

You will need to find a way around paying income tax too.

If you are resident but not ordinarily resident in St Lucia, strictly speaking, you will be obliged to pay income tax on any funds remitted to St Lucia in respect of what would be described as taxable income - i.e. employment income or self-employed income.

That being the case, the fact that you could be slung off the island at any time at the whim of immigration would seem to act in your favour regarding your status as being resident or non-resident.

Re: Work permit-online work
 

Thank you for responding Pistolpete...Income tax is another topic to put on my list as I explore the possibility of "expatifying" myself. I want to make sure I understand what you're saying. Basically it sounds like having to renew my visa every 30 days is ideal because it might exempt me from having to pay income tax? Any idea of what circumstances might mean a non-renewal of visa?

Re: Work permit-online work
 

I would say that you can safely interpret things such that having to renew your permit every 30 days makes you non resident for tax purposes. Just don't set things up with any degree of permanency and blab about your status as this would not be in the spirit of the law - you never know. Most expats keep their work permit and tax "arrangements" close to their chests.

But then some folks in the islands seem to merrily fiddle their taxes (income and otherwise) one way or another and get under the radar of the tax authorities such that those who do actually pay their legitimate taxes (particularly under PAYE systems) very unfairly in my view get an inordinately hard time. There are endless tax amnesties to get the delinquents out of the woodwork. :rolleyes: As a result, the poor pay an unfair share of taxes.

The good people at the Ministry of Home Affairs will be happy to give you guidance ref the issue of non-renewal if you let them know your plans - they are human. However, your year could be IT. You can of course go off-island from time to time and this gets you back to the 42 days from date of arrival but this in itself can prove very expensive these days due to high departure taxes as well as airfares. Cheapest option is by ferry or boat to Martinique.

I'm married to a St Lucian (for many years) with a St Lucian dependent and do not choose to (pay etc. etc. to) be a St Lucian because I've been roughed-up in another jurisdiction and simply don't want to go through it all again in spite of St Lucia being much more broad-minded regarding migration, so I have to get my passport stamped in order to stay on island.

Re: Work permit-online work
 

I'm married to a St Lucian (for many years) with a St Lucian dependent and do not choose to (pay etc. etc. to) be a St Lucian because I've been roughed-up in another jurisdiction and simply don't want to go through it all again in spite of St Lucia being much more broad-minded regarding migration, so I have to get my passport stamped in order to stay on island.[/QUOTE]

Hi Peter I am due to get my passport stamped again, ( once every 6 months) I have never been questioned again same as you married to a St Lucian and with a St Lucian dependent, have they ever given you any problems? Sorry I am a born worrier!!!!

Re: Work permit-online work
 

Hi Peter I am due to get my passport stamped again, ( once every 6 months) I have never been questioned again same as you married to a St Lucian and with a St Lucian dependent, have they ever given you any problems? Sorry I am a born worrier!!!![/QUOTE]

In the past I was half expecting that one day they would say "Ok, when are you going to apply for citizenship, we are sick of stamping this damn thing" but in any interaction at the department there has been no hostility or eye-rolling.

In fact I was due to be away when my six months came up this time around and they said not to worry and just have it stamped (for 42 days) upon my return at Hewanorra which is what happened.

The only hassle is the need to go in the actual week of expiry. If you go in too early, after sitting there for almost an hour sometimes they then tell you to come back next week. :frown: A lesson learned.

Re: Work permit-online work
 

Thanks PistolPete,
I always end up going in a week late and they never seem to say anything to me, so no worries about going in early.

Sarah