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Housing

Work permits are processed and issued by the Bermuda Immigration Department.  All non-Bermudian/Expatriate workers, irrespective of their nationality, require a valid work permit to live and work in Bermuda.

All applications for work permits are made by the hiring company/employer in Bermuda.  Typical length of work permit applications are either 2 or 3 year permits, as most employers in Bermuda are looking for a minimum 2 to 3 year commitment to the job.  In many cases the work permit is renewed for another 2 to 3 years if there is mutual consent to do so by both employer and employee.  All renewals of work permits are subject to approval by the Bermuda Immigration Department.

Due to the introduction of work permit term limits in April 2001, most expatriates can normally stay in Bermuda for a 6 year period.  Thereafter, special requests need to be made by the employer to the Immigration Department in order to extend that expatriate's continued stay in Bermuda.

Work permits can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to be processed and issued.  The average wait time for a standard work permit is approximately 8 to 12 weeks.  Temporary 3 month work permits are normally processed and issued within 2 to 4 weeks.

For further details regarding work permits visit the Bermuda Immigration Department's website.