Need job advice

[newstart]

Hi all,

I am a Canadian citizen. My boyfriend just got a job in Bermuda in the I.T field and we are trying to find a way that I can go with him. Does anyone have any advice? I am a Manager in the automotive industry in Toronto. In fact, the car business is the only thing I have ever done. I am 30, been a manager for 10 years, and before that worked part time through school at a dealership. How can I go about getting a job in Bermuda? From looking online it seems this is not a huge industry there.

The other option is we have some money saved, are there any business opportunities down there that I could look into?

I appreciate your advice.

[Foxy]

Hi there,

I'm afraid I won't have all your answers, but can give you some general information. Perhaps if there is someone else actually in Bermuda, they'll chime in.

I recently moved to Barbados with my boyfriend. Unfortunately, unless you are married, your boyfriend's work permit does not give you any rights (whereas if you're married, you get an easier time of staying in the country, provided the employed spouse shows they can support the other).

Our deal was lucky in that it included jobs for both of us, so I got my own work permit. You'll need a work permit to avoid having to leave the country all the time. Here is Barbados, visitors are granted an initial 30-day stay, and extensions may be granted upon visiting immigration and filling out the proper paperwork, having an interview, and paying a fee. You'll want to check on the rules for Bermuda, to see if you will be able to extend your stay as a visitor if you end up arriving without a job.

Getting a work permit can be challenging because there first has to be proof that a local isn't qualified to do the job you're after. The most successful way to get the permit is to have a job lined up before you arrive, as usually it's the employer who processes the work permit for you. It's much more difficult on your own.

There is another website that gets a lot more action on the Caribbean front that may be helpful to you. It is Britishexpats.com. There are lots of non-brits on there. If you don't find answers on this forum, try there. Also, there may be people who have suggestions for your business idea. There might be something to do with foreign investors that gives you a different set of rules in terms of being in the country. I don't know much about that, so you'll need to look into it.

Best of luck to you. Moving to another country is a great experience (this is my second time doing it).

Foxy

[BermudaBum]

Foxy is right on the mark. Everything that was written is exactly what to expect, except for the 30 day stay for visitors - it's three weeks in BDA.
And to rain on your parade, there is no auto industry there - everything is imported.
The good thing is T.O. flights run every day (it's only a 2.5 hour flight) . . . closer than you think.

Good luck,
W.

[Foxy]

Well would you look at me, all knowledgeable and stuff. ha!

Bermudabum, glad you were able to give Newstart the correct information

[BermudaBum]

@Foxy

(high - five) Slap.

[sideshowbob]

I have recently returned from French Polynesia and was thinking of relocating to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am in hotel management and was wondering how the economy has affected hiring in the Caribbean. Are there still jobs for qualified people out there?
I have lived in the Caymans previously and was wondering which islands are nice to live on that i may not have considered.

[Foxy]

Well, I can speak for Barbados. We've noticed fewer tourists during this season than usual. Of course, being an island heavily dependent on tourism, this decline is felt in many areas. However I don't think it's made its "dent" yet in the economy. For the most part, things are trucking along almost as usual.

For example: cab drivers are taking on a few more shifs to make up the lost business, but nobody is selling their house to get by. So the effect is certainly not nearly as dramatic as in the US, Canada and parts of Europe.

My theory is that people had already booked their trips for this year so they followed through on them. I'm curious to see if next year will show more of a decline as people save their pennies.

Perhaps others can comment on other islands.

[Steven]

I have recently returned from French Polynesia and was thinking of relocating to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am in hotel management and was wondering how the economy has affected hiring in the Caribbean. Are there still jobs for qualified people out there?
I have lived in the Caymans previously and was wondering which islands are nice to live on that i may not have considered.

I know for a fact it's gone through the floor in The Bahamas, loads of layoffs in the hotel business. The Turks and Caicos neighbours The Bahamas so I would have thought it's a similar story.

Those islands are more dependent on US tourists than some of the others.