by Linda Straker
- The Remote Employment Bill 2021 will allow for non-nationals to be employed remotely in the State of Grenada
- Individuals applying to work remotely must be financially independent
- The application fee for individuals will be US$1,500/EC$4,050
Legislation that will provide for non-nationals to work from Grenada with companies that are based outside of the island has received the first parliamentary approval and is now scheduled to be debated in the Upper House in early June.
Called the Remote Employment Bill 2021, “This Bill seeks to establish a remote-work permit regime suited to non-nationals who wish to be employed under contractual obligations originating and relating solely to matters outside of the State of Grenada, while being physically operating in the State of Grenada,” said the explanatory notes in the bill which was approved during last Friday’s sitting of the Lower House of Parliament.
“This Act will establish a framework for non-nationals to be employed remotely in the State of Grenada,” said Tourism Minister Clarice Modeste who presented the Bill in the House. “The base for their employment is in another country but the work can be carried out in Grenada,” she explained.
Remote employment has become a trend in some tourist dependent destinations and is seen as part of a wider strategy aimed at rebuilding the tourism sector as measures are put in place to see the Covid-19 virus as another virus that will soon be described medically as endemic.
“This method of working has become the norm. It has become very common and every time there is a forum on the future of tourism that is one of the things that is talked about – working remotely. We call it commonly here workation because one can work and still have a vacation in the sense that they are in a different place, they can explore, they can come in with their families,” she argued.
“This is a good way for generating business in a country because the person comes in and lives within the country,” said Modeste. She told members that individuals applying to work remotely must be financially independent. “In our case we have put a minimum threshold of EC$100,000 per annum and the source must be from the outside not the inside…Persons must not be coming to Grenada to set up a business,” she said while outlining some of the restrictions.
Such people are expected to use official accommodation such as hotels, apartments and guesthouses or villas. They will be allowed to have dependents including parents and a grandchild accompany them, but children cannot be enrolled in public schools. They must have health insurance and job loss can result in revoking of the work permit.
The application fee for individuals will be US$1,500/EC$4,050. The application fee for an individual and up to 3 dependents will be US$2,000/EC$5,400 and the application fee for every additional dependent will be US$200/EC$540. All individuals allowed to work under the Remote Employment law will be permitted to work for no less than one year in the first instance, and the renewal fee for individuals will be US$1,400/EC$3,780; Renewal fee for an individual and up to 3 dependents US$1,900/EC$5,130 and renewal fee for every additional dependent US$200/EC$540.
