Work permit relief for hospitality sector

Exemptions regime in place from tomorrow

Temporary work permit exemptions for the Island's hospitality sector will come in from tomorrow.

The Department of Economic Development has announced the move  to support companies who are unable to recruit locally.

There are conditions attached - Tim Glover reports:-

With low unemployment on the Island and an increase in the number of visitors at peak times, the hospitality industry is welcoming the news.

DED says the use of exemptions for the summer season from 1st March to the 31st October is dependent on employees meeting certain criteria.

That includes only taking on people who have a minimum of 12 months work experience in the sector and exemptions will only cover genuine seasonal vacancies.

It will only cover the summer months and any offer of employment outside this time will need a work permit under the existing scheme.

All recruits must come from the European Economic Area and employers must make sure the workers are EEA nationals.

Companies must pre-register to use the exemption and indicate how many seasonal positions they are likely to need.