On 31 December 2020 at 11pm, freedom of movement between the United Kingdom and the European Union will end and as such free movement to Jersey will also cease. All persons who are non-British or Irish, will require immigration permission to visit, work, study or settle in Jersey.
Work permits are a requirement under the Immigration (Work Permits) (Jersey) Rules 1995 and as such employers are required to apply for a work permit for those individuals who require immigration permission to enter or remain in Jersey for work.
You don't need a permit to work in Jersey if you're:
- a British or Irish citizen or a British subject with the right of abode
- an EU / EEA passport holder who holds settled or pre-settled status
- a family member of an EU / EEA passport holder who holds settled or pre-settled status
- a Commonwealth citizen admitted on the grounds of UK ancestry
- a Commonwealth citizen with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode
- a participant in the Youth Mobility Scheme
- a minister of religion
- a business visitor
- a non-EU / EEA passport holder who has no restrictions attached to your stay
The maintenance of a strict work permit policy will maintain and strengthen Jersey's position within the Common Travel Area (CTA), allowing the continued free movement of persons within the CTA, whilst retaining a robust external border.
The employer is also required to meet the requirements of the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 and hold the requisite registered or licensed permission if the person does not hold Entitled or Entitled for work status.
Which roles and sectors are eligible
There are two types of work permit, skilled work permits and temporary permits:
skilled work permits: These are granted for an initial period of up to 3 years, which can be extended further. More details on the criteria and jobs that are eligible for a work permit in this category are detailed in the work permit policy. There are some roles which are eligible for this work permit type but exempt from the skilled worker salary threshold. These roles are listed in Appendix 3 of the work permit policy
temporary work permits: These are granted for up to nine months in the hospitality, agricultural and fishing industries. Temporary permits may also be granted to the construction industry for an initial period of 1 year and are renewable up to a maximum period of 4 years. More details on the criteria and jobs that are eligible for a work permit in this category are detailed in the work permit policy
Before making an application, you need read the work permit policy to ensure your role would meet the criteria.
Where a role is not covered in the work permit policy, The Minister for Home affairs will consider applications from any sector where they are unable to recruit from within the Common Travel Area. A business case will be required and should be submitted in the first instance by email to The Head of Service, Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.
For work permits issued for 12 months or more, your prospective employee must meet the English language requirement.
When to apply for a work permit for a prospective employee
You should apply for your work permit before your prospective employee comes to Jersey.
We may consider work permit applications for employees who are in authorised employment in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man. The same criteria for work permit applications apply.
Processing time
The processing time is three weeks. You must allow enough time for the work permit to be issued and your prospective employee to apply for a visa before your employee travels to Jersey.
Costs
On completion of the application form you will be connected to an online payment platform operated used by the Government of Jersey. Once payment has been completed your application will automatically be submitted to the Jersey Customs & Immigration Service. Payments are non-refundable.
To find out how much work permits cost, see
immigration and nationality fees.
Employee visas for working in Jersey
If your prospective employee is living abroad and is granted a Jersey work permit your employee is likely to need a visa before travelling to Jersey. The Jersey visa requirements are aligned to the UK visa requirements.
Find out if you need a UK visa on the gov.uk website.
Your
employee
may be refused entry to Jersey if they don't have the necessary visa. If you are granted a work permit, you will be sent instructions to help your prospective employee complete the visa application. The links below take you directly to the visa application forms.
Visa application for Skilled Workers
Visa Application for Temporary Workers
The visa application is a separate process to applying for a work permit and the work permit holder will need to meet the criteria for the issue of the visa. If the applicant is unable to do this and / or has an adverse immigration history then the visa maybe refused.
Find out how much a
visa will cost your prospective employee on the gov.uk website. The cost will be shown in the currency of your employee’s current location
The visa application is administered by the UK Home Office. Find out the
visa processing times on the gov.uk website.
If your prospective employee is in authorised employment in the United Kingdom, Guernsey or Isle of Man s/he will not need to travel abroad to obtain a separate visa if s/he is granted a work permit to work in Jersey.
In these circumstances the prospective employee will need to apply for further Leave to Remain.
Make an application for Further Leave to Remain (FLR)
How to apply
This application must be completed by someone who is authorised to do so on behalf of the employer and can make payment for the work permit.
In order to complete and submit this application you will need the following information:
- copies of personal details page of applicant passport (and their dependents) and if applicable the page showing their current UK immigration permissions
- knowledge of English language (if applying for more than 12 months)
- copy of your business license
- certificate of qualifications
You will need to add this information into your application before you can submit it.
Some sectors may be required to provide additional information in support of the application.
You will also require a debit or credit card to make payment.
If we require additional documentary evidence in support of the application, an Officer will contact you directly using the information you have provided in this application.
Work permit application form
gov.je