Changes To Rules On Permanent Residency Certificates

First Published in The Bermuda Chamber Of Commerce Newsletter (Chamber Insider), August 2021.

The Ministry of Labour has recently issued a policy paper, 'Securing Permanency for Long-Term Residents', setting out various proposed changes to immigration law aimed at providing new routes to a Permanent Residency Certificate ("PRC") for certain long-term residents ("LTRs") and others. The Government has said this initiative supports its priority of achieving a simplified, fair, and modern framework for immigration in Bermuda, and follows changes to the rules on 'Mixed-Status Families' that came into force in September 2020. This article discusses how the proposals will impact the existing position under the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 ("Act").