General Caribbean Yachting work permits

[The Other Side]

With the participation of fellow posters on my prior Tread I have been able to gain a greater understanding and broader knowledge of my topic and how it relates to my nationality, competencies and my strategic planning.

With the info gathered to date I have gained more tools to make strategic pivots and incrementally adjust direction as I move forward.

Pardon my high level of ignorance, I'm determined to sort this out, and will push through any obstacles no matter how humbling, so to some I'm asking a lot of stupid questions but they are legitimate questions none the less so all I ask from posters is information and to respect my chosen goal. Easy-Peeezy right.......good.

If you will indulge me I'll explain where I'm at and where I'm going.

I am a Canadian Citizen living in Canada. I'm 50 years young and I am currently semi retired, I've been sailing for the past 41 years. I am currently earning the pre requisite certification to become a Private or Charter yacht Captain in the Caribbean or other. I recently earned my RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competencies and all associated requirements. I will sort out commercial Cert if required.

Presently I am Studying Culinary Arts Management (Chef/Kitchen Manager). I figured since Covid-19 has shut down most of the world wide Charter industry I will use the time to add a Professional Culinary Certification to my Resume, it can only make my skills more attractive to potential employers. What I have recently realized is that this Certification might be the thing that opens more doors for me to get started as a Yachtie.

My primary goal is to Captain a Private or Charter sailing Catamaran or Mono-hull up to 200GT with a preference for Catamarans serving as Captain/Chef/Host or whatever is required. I have no ambitions for super yachts or leading big crews.

I'll use the BVI's to start, My 1st question is the following:

As a foreigner How does one find a crew position in the BVI's ? How does one sort out the work permits or other details ? What is the proper sequence of steps ?

[Shrew]

Goodness gracious!!!! This one is almost as bad as the last one. Cut through all the nonsense. More words doesn't mean more information. You're still attempting to structure your questions around your assumptions. That is how the last thread got off the tracks.

Simple question:

"I'm a Canadian Citizen and want to work in the Charter industry in the Caribbean. How can I go about doing that legally?"

[denverd0n]

There are something like 30 separate countries represented by the islands of the eastern Caribbean. The answer is going to be different for each of them. Each of them has a website that outlines their requirements for work visas. Google "british virgin islands work visa" and the very first listing that comes up (at least for me) is the official BVI government site with the information you need.


Now you're just going to have to spend many, many hours working through all of the information for all of the different countries you are interested in. Good luck.

[grantmc]

The OP does indeed raise to the light that the variety of choices and options and the potential scenarios are many and varied. As crew or passenger there are indeed certain reassurances in knowing and understanding that our dear Captain is both qualified as commander, but might also provide tasty and attractive nourishment when called upon. The double competency and qualifications represent well considered logic and prognostication. Notwithstanding, and those considerations put aside for a moment, we need to pontificate on the reality that the Caribbean is in fact made up by a number of independent and/or self governing countries, territories and colonies. All of which set their own standards, qualifications, and requirements for immigrant workers. This of course contrasts most curiously with the West Indies Cricket team currently on a tour of New Zealand. In that case, as with other selected sporting activities, the Caribbean countries and self governing colonies come together, through multi state agencies, and select players from across the region. Perhaps some of those commonwealths might have a shortage of accomplished seamen and women, holding the appropriate and legitimate certificated documentation. And so assuming, it would then be wise, congruous and appropriate, with respect to an expedited progression, to seek such self governing authorities out, and with same, divulge one's aspirations for the hope of engagement in, and eventually meeting to the betterment of both parties, final implementation of legitimate and notarised employment as charter ship captain and/or cook. That state will of necessity require a working permit issued by a self governing authority. And so I would counsel and encourage the OP to network with as many of such countries Embassies or High Commissions (as the case may be, given there's no divulgence, in the post, of the OP's country of citizenship).

As an aside, I have, for a prolonged period of my life regarded the West Indies Cricket team to displaying considerable unfairness in their standard of player selection. Unionising almost the entire Caribbean (with the notable exception of Cuba where cricket has not enjoyed support proximate to the Castro Revolution when cricket became an unwitting and unintended casualty) facilitates a potential player base in the order of 45 million. And yet, since 1952, they've been competing with New Zealand's national cricket team, (my nation of nativity) where the team is based on our single self governing and independent island nation's potential player pool of only 5 million.
That unfairness set aside, the reader may well be interested to know that New Zealand's male gender specific teams have enjoyed 15 test wins and the West Indies only 12 (figures take account the 20/21 tour where the two tests have been completed with NZ winning both). And as is the nature of cricket there have also been 19 drawn or no results. This is contrasted in one day internationals where the West Indies team has been ascendant, and with NZ dominating Twenty20 games (the current tour, still underway may change this, although the 2 tests of the tour are now historical pegs). But needless to state, for the cricket purest, there is no alternative but that the test game reigns supreme.


OP please I do hope you'll read this with the same jest and humour, along with some Xmas spirit as it is intended. I think it is great that you post, but this morning's post was quite funny to read, I enjoyed it. Merry Christmas my friend.

[grantmc]

Oh goodness I now note my error, the OP is in fact Canadian. Apologies.
Perhaps you could work under the table as cook and captain (pun intended)?
Many do work under the table.

[contrail]

Since the OP asked specifically about the BVI, my advice ito him is to get all your qualifications, remembering that any position will require an STCW, even those at the bottom of the totem pole. Next, call the BVI based "clearing houses", who manage crew positions for the majority of the yachts. They are Regency Vacations, and CharterPort BVI. Many (most?) of the crew will be chosen by these organizations. The best "in" you could have would be knowing a crewmember who works in the BVI and who can recommend you. Follow the suggestions that the clearing houses give you, to the letter. If you land a spot, they will guide you through all the regulatory hoops, but landing a spot comes first. If nothing else, you might offer yourself as a freelance chef, and get in the industry that way. Your problem, though, is that you won't be able to get the permits, in the BVI, without a job. The process is similar in the USVI, except an American can live there without having gotten a job. No idea about Canadians.



Jobs open year round, but your best bet would be to start making contacts in the Spring, with the hope of replacing someone at the end of the season. And, it is much, much easier to do all of this as a couple. If you are single, you are pretty much limited to the bigger boats with more than two crew.


Good luck.

[GordMay]

To legally work within the BVI, an employment permit is required, which is only granted in cases where the identified BVI job role vacancy cannot be filled locally.

Obtaining a (British) Virgin Islands work permit, which allows a Non-Belonger the privilege to work in the Territory.
Step 1: The Employer/Agent completes the application form and submits it to the Labour Department, along with supporting documents.
Step 2: The Employer/Agent awaits a response to their application.
➥ https://bvi.gov.vg/services/new-work-permit

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS BY INDUSTRY:
Charter Yacht: STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping) Certificate, Captain License/Virgin Islands Boat Masters License

[contrail]

Originally Posted by GordMay

To legally work within the BVI, an employment permit is required, which is only granted in cases where the identified BVI job role vacancy cannot be filled locally.

Obtaining a (British) Virgin Islands work permit, which allows a Non-Belonger the privilege to work in the Territory.
Step 1: The Employer/Agent completes the application form and submits it to the Labour Department, along with supporting documents.
Step 2: The Employer/Agent awaits a response to their application.
➥ https://bvi.gov.vg/services/new-work-permit

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS BY INDUSTRY:
Charter Yacht: STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping) Certificate, Captain License/Virgin Islands Boat Masters License

Correct, but as I said, the first thing to do is to secure the commitment for a job. This cannot be done whilst IN the BVI (at least officially) but from outside. Contact those Clearing Houses. If you get the commitment, you will usually get the permits, which they will guide you through.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by contrail

Correct, but as I said, the first thing to do is to secure the commitment for a job. This cannot be done whilst IN the BVI (at least officially) but from outside. Contact those Clearing Houses. If you get the commitment, you will usually get the permits, which they will guide you through.

Indeed. Why else would a prospective employer complete (& submit) the application, and supporting documents?

[The Other Side]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Goodness gracious!!!! This one is almost as bad as the last one. Cut through all the nonsense. More words doesn't mean more information. You're still attempting to structure your questions around your assumptions. That is how the last thread got off the tracks.

Simple question:

"I'm a Canadian Citizen and want to work in the Charter industry in the Caribbean. How can I go about doing that legally?"

Thank you for cutting to the chase, I feel as if 5000 words comprised of a lot of vowels and consonants has been lifted of my shoulders.

[The Other Side]

Originally Posted by grantmc

The OP does indeed raise to the light that the variety of choices and options and the potential scenarios are many and varied. As crew or passenger there are indeed certain reassurances in knowing and understanding that our dear Captain is both qualified as commander, but might also provide tasty and attractive nourishment when called upon. The double competency and qualifications represent well considered logic and prognostication. Notwithstanding, and those considerations put aside for a moment, we need to pontificate on the reality that the Caribbean is in fact made up by a number of independent and/or self governing countries, territories and colonies. All of which set their own standards, qualifications, and requirements for immigrant workers. This of course contrasts most curiously with the West Indies Cricket team currently on a tour of New Zealand. In that case, as with other selected sporting activities, the Caribbean countries and self governing colonies come together, through multi state agencies, and select players from across the region. Perhaps some of those commonwealths might have a shortage of accomplished seamen and women, holding the appropriate and legitimate certificated documentation. And so assuming, it would then be wise, congruous and appropriate, with respect to an expedited progression, to seek such self governing authorities out, and with same, divulge one's aspirations for the hope of engagement in, and eventually meeting to the betterment of both parties, final implementation of legitimate and notarised employment as charter ship captain and/or cook. That state will of necessity require a working permit issued by a self governing authority. And so I would counsel and encourage the OP to network with as many of such countries Embassies or High Commissions (as the case may be, given there's no divulgence, in the post, of the OP's country of citizenship).

As an aside, I have, for a prolonged period of my life regarded the West Indies Cricket team to displaying considerable unfairness in their standard of player selection. Unionising almost the entire Caribbean (with the notable exception of Cuba where cricket has not enjoyed support proximate to the Castro Revolution when cricket became an unwitting and unintended casualty) facilitates a potential player base in the order of 45 million. And yet, since 1952, they've been competing with New Zealand's national cricket team, (my nation of nativity) where the team is based on our single self governing and independent island nation's potential player pool of only 5 million.
That unfairness set aside, the reader may well be interested to know that New Zealand's male gender specific teams have enjoyed 15 test wins and the West Indies only 12 (figures take account the 20/21 tour where the two tests have been completed with NZ winning both). And as is the nature of cricket there have also been 19 drawn or no results. This is contrasted in one day internationals where the West Indies team has been ascendant, and with NZ dominating Twenty20 games (the current tour, still underway may change this, although the 2 tests of the tour are now historical pegs). But needless to state, for the cricket purest, there is no alternative but that the test game reigns supreme.


OP please I do hope you'll read this with the same jest and humour, along with some Xmas spirit as it is intended. I think it is great that you post, but this morning's post was quite funny to read, I enjoyed it. Merry Christmas my friend.

Witty humor can take many forms, your attempt gets you an A for effort.

Merry Christmas.

[The Other Side]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Oh goodness I now note my error, the OP is in fact Canadian. Apologies.
Perhaps you could work under the table as cook and captain (pun intended)?
Many do work under the table.

I want to do this legally and correctly so flying under the radar is not something I even want to consider.

[Cpt Mark]

200 GT is a superyacht. If you want to be a chef, be a chef. Nothing wrong with that and good ones are hard to find. Being able to cook in a commercial kitchen in Canada with a ton of food stuffs available is not the same thing as cooking on a yacht with whatever local foods are available.

If your goat is to be a Captain then get a job as deckhand and work your way up learning as you go.

[caffel]

If you have a yearning to get warm, I suggest an in person tour of the professional crew agencies in Southern Florida.
I was amazed at how many there are in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The demand is there.
Meet a few in person and your credentials will work for you.

[Montanan]

As a Canadian desiring to work in the BVI, you will be a Non-Belonger, which is an official status, which words pretty much clarifies the islanders perception of foreigners that wish to reside or work on their isles.

There are no Canadian Virgin Islands, I guess Canada arrived to late to find virgins, or Canada could not provide any virgins from their home country; but then oddly there still is a British Columbia which name is seemingly long overdue to be changed / Brexited to be say Canadian Columbia, or perhaps just The Best Coast.

Recommend that you start here, copied from the BVI government website:

New Work Permit
This service allows a Non-Belonger the privilege to work in the Territory.

https://bvi.gov.vg/services/new-work-permit


Process

Step 1: The Employer/Agent completes the application form and submits it to the Labour Department, along with supporting documents.

Step 2: The Employer/Agent awaits a response to their application.

Therefore, you will need to obtain an employer / agent to get started with the process. Chicken before the egg.

Good luck and happy holy days.

As to Belonging, or perhaps just Longing To Be.

Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British Overseas Territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry. The requirements for belonger status, and the rights that it confers, vary from territory to territory.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belonger_status


In the British Virgin Islands

In the British Virgin Islands there are two forms of status: Belongership and BVIslander status. The two forms of status overlap to some degree, although it is possible to be a Belonger without being a BVIslander. BVIslander status is the 'senior' form of status and that is only conferred on those who have at least one grandparent born in the territory. Belonger status can be acquired in several ways, but generally it is granted as an honour (very rare), by naturalisation or it can be acquired after a qualifying period (three years at the present time) after marriage to a BVIslander. All BVIslanders and Belongers can vote, but only BVIslanders can hold a British Virgin Islands passport. It is possible to have BOTC status and be a Belonger but not a BVIslander if the person with BOTC status comes from another British Overseas Territory and has married a BVIslander.

The definition of qualifications for Belonger status in the British Virgin Islands is contained in section 2(2) of the Constitution:

A person belongs to the Virgin Islands if that person:

(a) is born in the Virgin Islands and at the time of the birth his or her father or mother is or was

(i) a British overseas territories citizen (or a British Dependent Territories citizen) by virtue of birth, registration or naturalisation in the Virgin Islands or by virtue of descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands; or
(ii) settled in the Virgin Islands; and for this purpose “settled” means ordinarily resident in the Virgin Islands without being subject under the law in force in the Virgin Islands to any restriction on the period for which he or she may remain, but does not include persons on contract with the Government of the Virgin Islands or any statutory body or Crown corporation;
(b) is born in the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who belongs to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent or who, if deceased, would, if alive, so belong to the Virgin Islands;

(c) is a child adopted in the Virgin Islands by a person who belongs to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent;

(d) is born outside the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who is a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of birth in the Virgin Islands or descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands or who belongs to the Virgin Islands by virtue of birth in the Virgin Islands or descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands;

(e) is a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of registration in the Virgin Islands;

(f) is a person to whom a certificate has been granted under section 16 of the Immigration and Passport Act 1977 of the Virgin Islands (in this subsection referred to as "the Act", and references to the Act or to any section thereof include references to any enactment amending, replacing or re-enacting the same) and has not been revoked under section 17 of the Act; and (without prejudice to the right of any person to apply for the grant of such a certificate under the Act) a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of naturalisation in the Virgin Islands has a right by virtue of this Constitution to apply for the grant of such a certificate;

(g) is the spouse of a person who belongs to the Virgin Islands and has been granted a certificate under section 16 of the Act; or

(h) was immediately before the commencement of this Constitution deemed to belong to the Virgin Islands by virtue of the Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order 1976(3).[5]

The British Virgin Islands is extremely restrictive about conferring Belongership status on immigrants to the Territory. Under the leadership of Orlando Smith the Government formally committed itself to naturalising no more than 25 persons a year. This was maintained when Smith's NDP party was no longer in office.

Basically the BVI is a non-welcoming territory.