Short Term Work Permit

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.

Short Term Work Permits will only be granted to individuals where the purpose of the application is to: a) utilize the services of someone employed by a Bermuda company’s overseas subsidiary, affiliate organization, or parent company for the execution of a project, b) deploy a service provider or consultant in a specialized field, c) hire a specialized technician for the purpose of maintaining equipment under contract; providing repairs to pipe organs; installing an upgrade of the business’ computer software; or servicing inter-company communications networks, d) 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, e) 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), f) provide short-term training offered by a Bermuda Registered company which exceeds 14 days, or g) 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, <<< BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 21 ▶ 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, affiliates 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.

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.

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.