Foreign Personnel

Work permits

Persons visiting Jamaica to work are required to have a work permit (and a visa if from a non-Commonwealth country). If an exemption for a work permit is granted, then only a visa is required. A work permit is required if the visit is to exceed two weeks; if for a lesser period, an exemption is usually granted. Exemptions may also be granted for persons coming in on short-term working assignments with the government, the University of the West Indies or other similar organizations. Applications are made to the Ministry of Labour, and charges processing time is normally four to six weeks, with no charge. Foreign nationals married to Jamaican citizens or born in Jamaica do not require work permits.

Taxation

There is no distinction between nationals and foreigners for the payment of income tax and the other payroll taxes. However, the official emoluments of diplomats are exempt from the payment of these taxes.

Where the income tax payable in Jamaica on the Jamaican emoluments of expatriate employees exceeds the tax that the individual would pay in the home country on the equivalent income, the employer may pay the individual free of income tax a sum equal to the excess Jamaican tax.

Foreigners are free to remit their gross earnings out of Jamaica. On the expiration of their contracts, their National Housing Trust contributions are refunded on application after obtaining income tax clearance.

Restrictions on employment

There are no legal restrictions on the employment of foreigners in any specific field, but the issuance of a work permit will depend on the underlying skills not being available locally at the time.

Living conditions

Housing of a high standard is available, and rentals are usually lower but may in some instances be comparable to those in metropolitan areas in the United States. The cost of food and household appliances is somewhat higher than in North America and Europe, but services - including domestic help - are inexpensive.

Education of a high standard is available, especially in private, fee-paying schools. There are three universities in Jamaica and several other tertiary institutions.

Communication services are efficient and reliable. There are numerous daily flights to the United States and direct flights to Europe and the southern Caribbean. The telephone system is modern, with digital exchanges and fiber optic linkages as well as direct dialing to and from most of the world. Household telephones are readily available and there is a cellular telephone system covering the entire island. Internet access is readily available through several Internet service providers.

The electricity service is reasonable in quality, but maintenance problems can cause interruptions. In prolonged droughts, there can be water restrictions, but in normal times the supply of water is adequate. The quality of water through organized systems is excellent.