WORK PERMITS

Temporary Employment Permits (T.E.P.)
Belize labour laws, Labour Act, are based on ILO's Convention Act, which too are binding laws in Belize.

All application for Temporary Employment Permits must be submitted for processing at the Labour Department, one of which is located in each district or town. Application may be obtained from local book stores. After a period of approximately six weeks the Labour Commissioner recommends the approval of the said permit to the Director Immigration.

Applicants must present a valid passport, three passport size pictures, US$10.00 worth of postage stamps and substantive proof of an ability to sustain oneself without becoming a charge on the country?s limited economic resources. Bank statements or other proof of financial independence are also required.

The following is dependent on the type of work the applicant intends to do. Applicant must submit three job advertisement clippings from the newspaper, bank statement (self employed), trades license (self employed), recommendation letter from village council, letter from the church (missionary work), and any other supporting documents, example birth certificate, diplomas etcetera. After all documents are submitted, both the employee and employer are required to do an interview with a labour officer. Thereafter, the application is turned over to the Immigration and Naturalisation Department for further processing.

Although the Ministry of Labour processes applications for work permits, the permit is issued by the Immigration Department with a fee ranging from US$25.00 to US$750.00 depending on the level of skill of the applicant. By right, the fee should be paid by the employer.

There are three types of work permits: Standard, Agriculture, Special-EPZ. Workers requesting work permits that are tourism related, must obtain a recommendation from Belize Tourism Board prior to approval.

Foreigners who have or will have a business in Belize are required to apply for a work permit. The time line is the same as the Standard permit, The length of a work permit ranges from three months to one year and is subject to renewal.