Bahamas: Work Permit Expedited Processing and Higher Government Fees

An expedited optional processing option is now available for short- and long-Term Work Permit applications, for an additional fee of USD 400. Under the expedited process, short- and long-term Work Permit approval decisions are available within 14 calendar days of the filing date, instead of the usual 14-21 calendar days for short-term work permits and 56-84 calendar days for long-term work permits. In practice, the expedited option generally does not impact the processing of short-term work permits issued with a validity of 30 days or less, since processing time for these applications typically is 7-14 days; however, the option is available for more certainty. Additionally, the government has implemented a 5% levy on certain work permit filing fees, applicable to both short- and long-term permits and to both regular and expedited applications.