Bahamas

Annual work permit. A Bahamas employer may sponsor a non-Bahamian for employment longer than 90 days through an annual work permit.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Annual work permit

Employment for the approved employer and period after issue; dependents are not included automatically.

Who qualifies

The prospective employer submits a labour certificate, job advertisement and employer records with the applicant’s passport, photo, police and medical documents; the page specifies advertising and occupation exceptions.
Bahamas Department of Immigration: New Work Permit
Permission is needed for employment longer than 90 days; dependents use a separate Permit to Reside application.
Bahamas Department of Immigration: New Work Permit

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

Do you have a binding job offer in that country?

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Time: Processing starts after the authority accepts a complete application; work or study begins only after the required permission issues.
Cost: The authority assesses its filing charge under the fee schedule in force on submission, plus document costs.
The hard part: Employer sponsorship, local recruitment evidence and the complete police/medical file.

Citizens by 2035.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
First residence permit
1 year, renewable for 1 year at a time.
2028
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2029
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2030
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2031
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2032
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2033
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2034
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 1 year.
2034
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2035
Citizenship

Language: Adequate knowledge of English.
Civics: Knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of a citizen of The Bahamas.
Time away: The final 12 months must be continuous residence, preceded by at least six years of residence or government service in aggregate during the previous nine years.
Two passports: It depends on the rules at the time and on your home country.

Annual sponsored work permits count as lawful residence; the published rules recognise a permanent-residence application after at least ten years, while naturalisation has its own seven-year presence pattern.
How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.
Whether you can keep your current citizenship depends on the rules at the time and your home country.

The law behind these dates

Living there.

Time you must spend there: The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax: Where you become tax resident follows the days you spend there and where your home is. We map it for your family before you move.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Have the employer follow Immigration’s new work-permit checklist.Open immigration.gov.bs ↗
Gather these documents.
- The signed job offer, salary, and recognized qualifications
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health cover for the move

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The official application forms, submission and recovery specification are not complete. Postern cannot run this application yet.

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