Minister of Justice Roland Duncan and Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labor Honorable Cornelius de Weever are requesting that all employers/businesses who employ persons through the Brooks Tower Accord (BTA) to regulate the work permits of those employees.
The application process is already in progress at the Labor Affairs Department but there are many employers/businesses, who have not submitted a subsequent request for work permits for their employees already in possession of BTA residence permits and/or proof payment.
The Labor Affairs Department will handle all BTA-related work permit requests from now until Friday, November 30th 2012.
Please take careful note that ALL payment orders and receipts from the Receivers Office ( proof of payment processing fee) must be submitted on or before Friday, November 30th 2012. We urge all businesses/employers to take keen note of this deadline as absolutely no further handling or processing of BTA documents will take place after Friday, November 30th 2012.
The final payment orders to the Receiver’s Office for the work permit processing fee will be handled on Tuesday, November 27th 2012.
The employers of those employees living on the island before 2005 and who are in possession of an work permit which expired in November 2011, or a payment receipt 2010/2011 and who did not receive their residence permit, are urged to go to the Labor Affairs Department to apply.
Employers who have already paid their processing fee for the year 2012 ( therefore paid in 2011), and have BTA permit holders which are still employed at the company are not required to pay the processing fee again. The employer should visit the Labor Affairs Department with the proof of payment work permit to initiate the processing of the new work permit.
This information is available on the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org
Please note that the Labor Affairs Department only processes work permits on behalf of the employer, and that the following work permit procedure is applicable:
Requirements for work permits are to be submitted by the EMPLOYER:
· Proof Labor Registration ( 2012)
· Vacancy Form completed – ( for statistical data only)- 5 weeks waived
· Application form completed
· Copy Labor Agreement ( with all relevant details)
· Tax income letter
· Copy receipts of tax payments including SZV etc.
· Copy passport of non-national ( valid)
· Recent passport picture
· Census Registration ( if applicable)
· Copy of the BTA Work permit
· Copy of the Residence permit ( if applicable)
· Proof of medical insurance
· Crib # of non-national
· Proof of payment of processing fee
· Authorization form for person submitting application on behalf of employer
All employees who are in possession of a proof of application for work permit 2011/ 2012 or a valid work permit from their employer can go to the Immigration and Naturalization Services to apply for their residence permit.
Requirements for residence permits are:
· proof of application employment permit or valid employment permit
· copy passport
· copy BTA residence permit 2011 if applicable
· Crib number
· copy application police record (can be requested at the IND)
· completed application form
· Proof of registration at the census office. If the applicant was never registered by the census office the following requirements are to be submitted:
– Original birth certificate legalized or with an apostille stamp not older than 1 year (if this document is not in Dutch or English it must be translated in to Dutch or English by a certified translator and all translations must be legalized with a stamp). Also bring along copy of this document.
– Original Police Record not older than 6 months (if not issued in Sint Maarten must be translated in English or Dutch by a certified translator and all translations must be legalized with a stamp.