The Cabinet of the Turks and Caicos Islands through the Minister of Home Affairs has established a “Business Staffing Review Board”. This Board will come into effect on August 1, 2007.

The Business Staffing Review Board is an Advisory Board. The Board will provide advice to the Minister of Home Affairs & Public Safety as well as the Immigration Board on matters relating to the grant of work permits in the Professions, the Hospitality Industry, the Banking and Financial Services Industry, The Construction Industry and generally as regards the grant of work permits to senior and middle management positions in business establishments throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The purpose of the Board is to lessen the work load of the Immigration Board, ensure greater ease in obtaining work permits, ensure that a true picture of the workforce is always available to the Government, ensure that the Government is aware of the projected growth of the workforce, and to ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders have every opportunity to take up their rightful places in the labour force in top and middle management positions in business establishments.

The Board consists of a Chairman and three members chosen from the Hospitality and Professional Services Industries.

All businesses that employ 10 or more persons on work permits will now be required to submit to the Board at its office located at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Caribbean Place, Providenciales, a Staffing Plan for their business.

This staffing plan must include the number of employees the business has at the date of submission of the plan, the number of Belongers, Spouses of Belongers, Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) holders with the right to work, PRC holders on work permit and straight work permit holders. The Plan must also include the positions held by all immigration status categories, the number of employees by nationality and the length of time that each position has been held by a work permit holder.

In addition, the Plan must also state, the likelihood of posts which are held by work permit holders, being filled by Belongers, Spouses of Belongers or PRC holders and the anticipated length of time in respect of each post before that happens. The Business Staffing Plan has to state it’s commitment to education, training and continuing professional development including any scholarship program, training schemes and/or in house training plans, as well as the recruitment policy of the business.

It is also a requirement for the Plan to disclose the anticipated number of work permits that the business will require in the next four years, the posts for which they will be required and the desired duration of those work permits.

Once businesses submit their Staffing Plan to the Board, the Board may request particular businesses to meet with them on the date their plan is being heard. Once a Plan has been approved by the Business Staffing Review Board, the business will be issued with a Certificate under which work permits may be issued upon application, in relation to positions designated in the Certificate. The Business Staffing Review Board has the authority to waive certain requirements and may recommend any condition to be attached to a work permit granted under the certificate for example, if and by when a position should be filled by a Belonger or scholarship requirements. These conditions will be applicable to the relevant positions should a business seek to fill the position with a work permit holder.

Having an approved Staffing Plan has added benefits for businesses. Businesses with an approved plan will have priority in the consideration and grant of work permits and their work permits will be granted for longer periods of time.

The recommended Staffing Plan submission format will be available to businesses at the Board’s Office starting August 1, 2007.