CSME Skilled Certificate

A CARICOM National wishing to live and work in another CARICOM State should obtain a Skilled National Certificate. This must be presented to the immigration in the receiving country along with a valid passport and a police certificate of character.

Holders of Certificates are given a minimum of six months stay in the host country until their status and documents could be verified.

It is recommended that you travel with your qualification certificates and other supporting documents. Additional documents required if traveling with spouse and dependents include a Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificates, verification of relationship to dependents, Police Certificate of Character. The Certificate is valid for an indefinite period.

For further details visit the official CSME CARICOM website: http://csme.caricom.org/

The Treaty

Under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy Member states commit themselves to the free movement of their nationals. This is however to be approached in phases. The following categories of skilled workers are currently free to live and work in any CARICOM Country:

• Graduates of all recognized universities in the world,
• Artists,
• Musicians,
• Media Workers
• Sports Personnel,
• Non-graduate Teachers and Nurses,
• Artisans with a Caribbean Vocational Qualification
• and holders of Associate Degrees or comparable CVQ or comparable qualification/equivalence.

Persons having any of these qualifications may apply for a certificate of recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification.

Why have a Certificate

• Holders of Skilled National Certificates are exempted from work permit requirements.
• Employers are free to employ Skilled Nationals without obtaining special approval.
• Skilled Nationals could live and work in any participating CARICOM Country indefinitely.
• Spouse and dependent relatives of skilled nationals would be entitled to move to the new country with the skilled national.
• Skilled nationals would be entitled to access to land in the host country for residential or business purposes.

Participating Countries

• Antigua & Barbuda
• Barbados
• Belize
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Suriname
• Trinidad & Tobago

How to Apply

Cost

Who can Apply

Where to Apply

Forms

How to Apply

Submit Application Form with the following Original documents and a copy of each:

• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Three Passport sized photographs
• Passport
• Degree/Diploma/Certificate

If all the documents are in order, approval is given for the issuance of the Certificate of Recognition.

Processing time is eight (8) weeks.

Note Non Belizeans are required to present a Police Record from their Country of Origin and any other country in which he or she has resided for a period of 6 months or more, if they wish to obtain an indefinite stay in Belize.

Cost

Fees with effect from 1 May 2020.

All fees are in Belize Dollar.

Who can Apply

Any national of a CARICOM COUNTRY who is a holder of an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral Degree.

Persons certified by the competent authority of a qualifying Caribbean Community state as representing that state in sports.

Musicians, artists and media workers certified as such by the competent authority of the qualifying Caribbean Community state of which such persons are nationals.

Where to Apply

All required documents must be submitted only at the Immigration Office in Belmopan.

Forms

The CSME Skilled Certificate Form

Application Form for Indefinite Stay in Belize

CARICOM Complaints Procedure – Point of Entry / Departure / Inland

A CARICOM national arriving in, transiting or departing a Caribbean Community Member State, and or seeking to exercise a right under the CSME, may have had certain experiences about which he / she wishes to file a complaint with the relevant authorities. The experience(s) may have been at a port of
entry, after entry into a Member State, or both.

The following complaints procedure is proposed to assist CARICOM nationals in the exercise of their rights under the Treaty and secondary legislation of the Community. It is recognized that a CARICOM national should be afforded prompt judicial review of a decision taken under any of the free movement regimes including the right of entry. Prior to making a complaint concerning a decision taken under any of the free movement regimes, the CARICOM national should seek judicial review of the decision if this is available and it is feasible for him/her to so do. Failure to seek judicial review will not preclude a CARICOM national from filing a complaint.

CARICOM Complaint Procedure

1. The Complaints Form shall be available at all airports in the arrival and departure area, the Ministry responsible for Trade, the Ministry responsible for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry responsible for CARICOM Affairs, the Ministry responsible for Labour, the Ministry responsible for National Security, the CSME
   Focal Point and online;
2. A CARICOM national wishing to make a complaint shall fill out such a complaints form in hard copy or online;
3. The completed form shall be returned (in person / mailed / electronically) to the CSME Focal Point of the receiving country or the home country of the CARICOM national within five working days of the date on which the CARICOM national receives the tribunal’s decision into the incident or of the date of the incident, where there is no judicial review process available to the CARICOM national. The form should be copied to the CSME Focal Point of the other country concerned.
4. The CSME Focal Point upon receipt of the complaints form will confirm receipt of the complaint to the CARICOM national copied to the CSME Focal Point of the other country concerned. In the event that the form is sent to the CSME Focal Point in the home country, that Focal Point shall forward the complaint to his/her counterpart in the receiving country;
5. Within two weeks of receipt of a complaint, the CSME Focal Point of the receiving country must start with a review of the form and determine what further information, if any, may be required to facilitate the carrying out of the investigation;
6. The CARICOM national may be contacted in the event that additional information is needed to
   commence the investigation or during the investigation;
7. The CSME Focal Point may contact the Head of the relevant Department to obtain any necessary information in order to commence an investigation with respect to the complaint or during such an investigation;
8. Where the investigation [by the CSME Focal Point] has revealed that there was a problem, the relevant Department shall be informed so that the necessary corrective actions can be undertaken. The relevant Department shall inform the CSME Focal Point of the corrective actions that have or will be taken;
9. The investigation shall be completed not later than eight weeks after the date of receipt of the complaint, and the CSME Focal Point will inform the CARICOM national and the CSME Focal Point of the home country of the outcome of the investigation.

The video below explains the CARICOM Complaints Procedure.