Good afternoon,

Today I will be addressing two topics regarding the Department of Immigration: The English Speaking Work Permit Policy and the referral of work permit applications for tennis personnel to the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA).

In order to provide greater assurance that Bermudians who work in the sport of tennis are given fair opportunities for gainful employment in Bermuda, the Department of Immigration has introduced a new process of referring work permit applications for tennis personnel to the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA).

In looking at ways to improve customer service and application processing times at the Department of Immigration, The Minister of Home Affairs the Hon. Walton Brown JP MP has been working with department staff to create both short-term and medium-term plans.

Ministerial Statement by the Minister of Home Affairs, The Hon. C. Walton D. Brown, Jr., JP, MP: 

 The Department of Immigration today issued the following reminder to all British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) Bermuda passport holders.

The Minister of Home Affairs the Hon. Walton Brown JP MP is seeking the public's feedback regarding a current draft bill on the topic of Domestic Partnerships.

This week Minister Brown received a report from The Consultative Immigration Reform Working Group. The group were tasked with recommending the principles by which new immigration policies will effect legislation in relation to: mixed status families, permanent resident certificates and Bermudian status.

The Consultative Immigration Reform Working Group is pleased to invite interested parties to roundtable discussions based upon the principles that will form new immigration policies. 

The Roundtable discussions focus on the following:

Thursday September 21^st Permanent Resident Certificates (PRC)

Thursday September 28^th Bermuda Status

All meetings will take place at Elliott Primary School from 6:30 pm to 9:00pm.

Ministerial Brief by Minister of Home Affairs the Hon. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, JP, MP 

The Bermuda Passport Office, Department of Immigration is aware of the current issue with the new BOTC (Bermuda) passport and has had discussions with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO), the Deputy Governor, the US Consul General, and United States Custom and Border Protection, (USCBP, Bermuda), with the aim of resolving the problem.

The Ministry of Economy and Labour reminds the public of the specific circumstances under which individuals may apply for Permission to Reside and Seek Employment in Bermuda. This clarification ensures transparency, consistency, and proper application of Bermuda’s immigration framework.

These applications are not stand-alone but only considered in the following context:

1. Continuation of Residency Rights