Purpose and Specifications

The Short Term Work Permit is used by all employers, including not-for-profit organizations, registered charities and religious institutions (unless sections 2.3 or 2.4 apply), to employ an individual to work for periods of up to six (6) months.

Applications will be accepted for terms of up to three (3), four (4), five (5) or six (6) months. At the conclusion of the Short Term Work Permit term, the holder will be expected to leave Bermuda, unless an extension has been sought within the proper processing period. An extension can only be sought if the first Short Term Work Permit was valid for less than 180 days. Short Term Work Permit holders will not normally be granted permission to reside and seek employment.

Eligibility

Short Term Work Permits will only be granted to individuals where the purpose of the application is to:

1. utilize the services of someone employed by a Bermuda company’s overseas sub- sidiary, affiliate organization, or parent company for the execution of a project,
2. deploy a service provider or consultant in a specialized field,
3. hire a specialized technician for the purpose of maintaining equipment under con- tract; providing repairs to pipe organs; installing an upgrade of the business’ com- puter software; or servicing inter-company communications networks,
4. utilize someone for a non-profit organization, a registered charity or a religious institution, such as a coach or teacher of sports, clergy, a speaker or a musician or entertainer for a period not exceeding 60 days,
5. employ a locum tenens minister of religion or physician, or pharmacist (pharmacist must be already resident in Bermuda and a letter from the current employer must be submitted with the application)
6. provide short-term training offered by a Bermuda Registered company which ex- ceeds 14 days, or
7. employ a person based on a bona fide emergency arising from:

• loss of key staff,
• mass exodus of staff, other than that arising from an industrial dispute,
• breakdown of equipment, including computer hardware and software, which is integral to the operation of the business,
• secondment of an employee of any of its overseas branches, subsidiaries, affil- iates or parent company required to troubleshoot a problem,
• retaining an outside consultant to troubleshoot a problem,
• temporarily filling a vacancy where there is potential risk to life or economic survival, e.g. locum tenens in the emergency room of the hospital or a pharmacist,
• a potential disaster situation, including but not limited to a cybersecurity or other disaster recovery related event, and
• business recovery after a disaster.

Where the purpose of the Short Term Work Permit fits into categories (a) to (g) above, employers do not need to advertise.

Short Term Work Permit applications for those persons for whom a Standard Work Permit application will be submitted within forty-five (45) days but whom the employer wishes to have employed immediately must include the advertisement which was published for the Standard Work Permit application together with an explanation of how the Bermudian, Spouse of Bermudian, Belonger, Spouse of a Belonger or PRC holder applications, if any, were not qualified and suitable for the role. The application must also include the reason that the Standard Work Permit application could not have been submitted earlier.

Application Process

To apply for a Short Term Work Permit employers must complete the Short Term Application Form.

In cases of a bona fide emergency, employers should contact their respective Department representative by email with the particulars of the situation justifying the request for emergency service. If the department is satisfied with the justification, further instructions will be given for the submission of the application. A Short Term emergency application must be submitted within 48 hours from the date the Department confirms that there is a bona fide emergency.

If an application requires a referral to a Statutory Board, a decision within 4 business days is not likely to be achieved.

A Short Term Work Permit may be issued to person(s) for a six (6) month period to work and reside in Bermuda in respect of an exempted company or section 114B start-ups.