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Working in Bermuda
The Positives and Negatives
Positives of living and working in Bermuda easily outweighs the negatives.
The lifestyle that you will get in Bermuda is unmatched. Don't believe it? Check out Why Bermuda to know what this island can offer in form of a lifestyle.
And when you get such living with high level of earnings that is tax free, it's a double bonus.
The result? Over 20% of Bermuda population are expatriates.
It is not uncommon in Bermuda to get a salary that ranges from several hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars per year if you have suitable qualifications, particularly in skills that are not easily found in the island. So you want to give it a try? Then check out Jobs in Bermuda to understand all about job scenes in Bermuda and what it takes to get an employment there.
However just like any other country, there are some downsides of working in Bermuda as well. Here they are:
1) You can get a Work Permit to work in Bermuda for 1 to 3 years with a maximum term limit of 6 years. Which means you can work in Bermuda for a maximum period of 6 years in general, and after which you will need to end your dream and go back to your own country. There are exceptions only for certain key staffs (like CEOs and CFOs) and that too in certain privileged organizations. So the exceptions are going to be rare.
Update February 2013: The term limit for work permit has been eliminated.
2) Permanent residence or citizenship is not offered to expatriates in Bermuda, unless one gets married to a Bermudian, lives together for at least 10 years and then applies for a citizenship. There are no exceptions on this for any nationals. This actually makes sense. In such a small place, the government always strives to ensure that there is a precedence and fair opportunities given to Bermudians by keeping the number of non-nationals restricted.
3) When your initial work permit expires, a Bermudian will be first considered for the job. The company will advertise the job again. So if an eligible Bermudian is found, then you will need to find another job or leave Bermuda.
4) As a non-Bermudian, you can get only one job in Bermuda and won't be allowed to pursue any other source of earning. If your spouse wishes to find a job in Bermuda, he or she needs to go through the same immigration formalities and get another work permit. Bermudians by the way do take up two or sometimes even three day jobs to make their ends meet.
5) You can not generally change a job unless you can show that you have been maltreated or made redundant. The Work permit is issued for a specific employer.
6) Living cost in Bermuda is one of the highest in the world. That's because everything including food is imported. One is supposed to be living in a poor condition in Bermuda if one's annual earning is less than $27,000. Fortunately, there are very few who are poor in Bermuda. An expat coming as a professional can easily earn an annual salary above $150,000.
7) You will be required to stay in a rental accommodation in general. House rentals can be quite expensive and you should negotiate this as part of your job offer. Most of the good employers in Bermuda provide accommodation though.
8) Houses can not be purchased by non-Bermudians in general. In exceptional cases, one with a high-end job can buy a home property mostly from other non-Bermudians. Such houses are usually over priced and can cost in millions. Owning a house in Bermuda however does not mean any permanent residence.
9) Bermuda is a small island of about 21 square mile in size. You won't find many of the large city amenities here like a movie multiplex or a mega shopping mall, or McDonalds, thriving club culture and such.
10) If your friends and relatives want to visit you, they can only do so as tourists. And tourists are allowed a maximum stay of only 3 weeks in the island. Only your spouse and children are allowed to stay with you as long as you work in Bermuda.
Related Articles
1) Check out Bermuda Jobs to know all about job scene in Bermuda.
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Visitors' Reviews & Comments
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