KRALENDIJK – The recent pilot project on Bonaire for an accelerated procedure of employment permits, which started on July 1, 2023, is being positively received by the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) and participating companies in the tourism sector. This initiative, aimed at significantly reducing the processing time for permit applications, has so far resulted in greater satisfaction among employers, employees, and the government.

Given the tight job market on Bonaire, it is often necessary to attract workers from outside. For these workers, an employment permit is required. The long processing time for these permits previously caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Therefore, a pilot project was launched on July 1, 2023, with BONHATA nominating employers to participate. Twelve companies from various sectors, including education, healthcare, and tourism, are participating.

The objectives of the pilot include shortening the processing time for permits, checking the accuracy of applications through sampling, and developing criteria for a more broadly applicable permit process. After three months, the project was evaluated in October, with positive results emerging. A decision on the continuation of this initiative will be made in the spring of 2024.

Before the pilot, various organizations, including the Bonaire Business Federation (BFB) and the Chamber of Commerce, collaborated with government agencies to improve the procedure. Attention was also given to distinguishing between well-intentioned and potentially malicious applicants to shorten the processing time.

Participating companies are responsible for submitting permit applications fully and correctly. The IND and SZW provide support and are trained to recognize forgeries. The successful evaluation of the pilot underscores the shared efforts of all involved parties to make the employment permit procedure on Bonaire more efficient and effective.