Cabinet Tightens Work Permit Rules, Demands Wider Advertising of Job Vacancies

Employers seeking to hire foreign workers in Antigua and Barbuda will soon face significantly tougher requirements, after Cabinet approved new measures designed to ensure that job opportunities are first made available to Antiguans and Barbudans before work permits are granted.

Speaking at Thursday's post-Cabinet media briefing, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Cabinet reviewed the administration of work permit applications following a presentation from the Labour Commissioner and officials from the One Stop Employment Centre (OSEC).

Merchant said Cabinet expressed concern that job vacancies may not always be reaching the widest possible audience and agreed that stronger measures were needed to improve transparency and public access to available positions.

Multi-Platform Advertising Now Required

Under the new approach, employers seeking work permits will be required to demonstrate that vacancies were advertised across multiple platforms — including traditional media, online news outlets, digital channels and the One Stop Employment Centre — before applications are considered.

Cabinet also instructed labour officials to make greater use of state media and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to publicise available jobs and reach more job seekers.

"Something Drastically Wrong with That Process"

The Cabinet's intervention was driven by frustration at the pattern of work permit requests crossing its desk.

According to Merchant, the move comes amid concerns from Cabinet members about repeated requests to import workers for positions they believe could be filled by local residents. "Cabinet feels that there is something drastically wrong with that process because they believe that locals can assume those positions," Merchant said, specifically questioning why applications were being made to import workers for jobs such as nannies, cooks and other categories of labour.

Apply from Abroad, Not from Within

In one of the most significant procedural changes, the government is moving to close what has effectively been a back-door route into the labour market.

Merchant said Cabinet noted that some applications are being made by individuals already in Antigua and Barbuda and indicated that future policy will require applicants to apply from their country of residence before travelling to Antigua and Barbuda for employment. "Once the position cannot be filled here in Antigua and Barbuda, then the work permits will be granted," Merchant said.

Extra Scrutiny for Domestic Worker Permits

Cabinet was also advised that additional scrutiny is being applied to certain categories of work permit applications, including requests for domestic workers, to ensure employers can justify the need and demonstrate the financial capacity to meet their obligations.

Officials say the changes are intended to strengthen labour market protections while ensuring qualified Antiguans and Barbudans have the first opportunity to fill available jobs.

The reforms touch one of the most sensitive intersections of immigration, labour, and economic policy in the twin-island nation, where the balance between welcoming needed foreign skills and protecting opportunities for citizens has long been a matter of public debate. The new advertising requirements mean that, going forward, no employer should be able to claim a position cannot be filled locally without first proving the vacancy was genuinely and widely put before the Antiguan and Barbudan public.