Moving your international business operations to
Grand Bahama is about to be easier.
The BH1-B visa is a temporary or non-immigrant “specialty occupation” Bahamian visa, which is held by an individual employed in a qualifying industry under the Commercial Enterprises Bill, and who possesses specialized skills or knowledge.
How it Will Work
Jobs that qualify under the BH1-B visa typically require a University degree. The position should be one that would normally require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.
The Visa is valid for three (3) years, with one possible additional three-year extension, making six (6) years’ maximum stay in total.
Any application must be sponsored by a Commercial Enterprise Certified Company. The individual must have an offer of work, education, or internship prior to submitting the application.
Subject to the approval and grant of a BH-1B work visa, the holder of this visa can apply for a BH-4S permit for his/her spouse and any dependent children. The holder of a BH-4S permit is allowed to reside in the Bahamas and enrol in educational institutions in the Bahamas.
Commercial Enterprises Bill
The Commercial Enterprises Bill liberalizes the granting of work permits for a company investing $250,000 or more and needing work permits for its management team and key personnel. The qualifying industries are as follows:
Captive Insurance
- Reinsurance
- Mutual Fund Administration
- Arbitration
- Wealth Management
- International Trade
- International Arbitrage
- Computer Programming
- Software Design & Writing
- Bioinformatics & Analytics
- Maritime Trade
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Industries
- Boutique Health Facilities
- Data Storage or Warehousing
- Aviation Approved Maintenance Operations
- Aviation Registration
- Call Centres
- Manufacturing or Assembly of Manufactures
Have more questions?
If you have a question about the new BH1-B Visa, we encourage you to reach out to us directly and speak to a member of our customer relations team.