Cabinet Tightens Work Permit Rules to Prioritize Jobs for Antiguans and Barbudans

The decision came after Cabinet received a comprehensive presentation from the Labour Commissioner and the Manager of the One Stop Employment Centre (OSEC), which outlined the current state of employment, workforce needs, and the administration of work permits.

According to the presentation, the One Stop Employment Centre continues to play a key role in connecting job seekers with employment opportunities across both the public and private sectors. The Centre maintains a database containing thousands of job seekers and works with employers to advertise vacancies and identify qualified Antiguans and Barbudans for available positions.

During the discussions, Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that nationals are given every reasonable opportunity to secure employment before work permits are granted to foreign workers.

While employers are already required to advertise vacancies and demonstrate efforts to recruit locally before applying for work permits, Cabinet expressed concern that some job opportunities may not be reaching a sufficiently broad audience.

To address the issue, Cabinet agreed that stronger measures will be introduced to improve transparency and public access to vacancies linked to work permit applications.

Under the new approach, employers will be required to provide evidence that vacancies have been advertised through recognized media outlets, including print, digital, and other approved platforms, in addition to the recruitment process managed by the One Stop Employment Centre.

Cabinet also encouraged OSEC to strengthen its outreach efforts through social media, digital platforms, WhatsApp channels, and other modern communication tools to ensure that employment opportunities are more easily accessible to job seekers across the country.

The discussions further highlighted the need for closer collaboration between the One Stop Employment Centre and government employment and skills training programmes, with the aim of ensuring participants are made aware of available opportunities within the private sector.

Although Cabinet acknowledged that some industries continue to face shortages of specialized skills, it stressed that employers must demonstrate genuine attempts to recruit qualified Antiguans and Barbudans before seeking approval to hire foreign nationals.

Officials also reported that additional scrutiny is being applied to certain categories of work permit applications, including requests for domestic workers, to ensure that applications are justified and that employers have the financial capacity to meet their obligations.

Cabinet said the work permit system must strike a balance between supporting economic growth and protecting employment opportunities for citizens, while reaffirming its commitment to reducing unemployment, increasing workforce participation, and ensuring a fair, transparent, and equitable labour market.