Home Affairs Minister Walton Brown has put forward an enhanced immigration policy to boost business for Bermuda’s for local entertainers.
The new policy is set to get into effect at the end of August.
In a Ministerial Statement delivered on Friday, Mr Brown put local employers on notice that they will come under closer scrutiny moving forward.
The changes pending will also entail checking that advertisements are not “tailor-made” by employers.
Under the new policy, local entertainers must be included in promotional campaigns featuring non-Bermudian entertainers.
And non-Bermudian entertainers will also be required to maintain membership with the Bermudian Entertainment Union before work permits will be granted.
But the Bermuda Festival will get a special exemption, based on its past work and current plans.
Applicants will also have the right to appeal decisions to the Minister.
Referring back to another Ministerial Statement delivered on September 15, 2017, entitled ‘The Next Wave of Changes to Immigration Policies and Procedure’, the Minister recalled that he mentioned that the Board of Immigration “would be giving closer scrutiny to statements of employment and to the recruitment process effected by employers”.
“I also mentioned the Ministry of Home Affairs was/is working to return the full processing of BOTC (Bermuda) passports to Bermuda. And finally, I talked about enhancements to the musicians/entertainers policy,” he added.
He also noted that “work continues with respect to the processing/printing of BOTC (Bermuda) passports and the return of such processing to Bermuda”.