Minister: New Entertainers Policy For Immigration
A ‘New Entertainers Policy for Immigration’ will be introduced effective 30th July, Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown said in the House of Assembly.
“The Department of Immigration and the Bermuda Entertainment Union [BEU] have worked together to draft the new policy,” the Minister explained. “It should be noted that there is a Musician/Entertainer Policy in the current Work Permit Policies 2015. However, that policy needed to be enhanced.
“Following the joint efforts by the Department of Immigration and the BEU, the new policy, called the Entertainment Policy, was circulated to key stakeholders on June 14, 2018 with an invitation to provide feedback by July 13, 2018.
“Given the outstanding work being done for Bermudians by the Bermuda Festival and based on a review of their profile; including their work of the past and their current and future plans, I have taken the decision to exempt the Bermuda Festival from having to follow the requirements of the new policy.
“The new Entertainment Policy will ensure that Bermudian musicians and entertainers are given fair opportunities for employment. Specifically, the purpose of the policy is ‘to detail the employment process/procedures for non-Bermudian entertainers and support staff, music school teachers and other work permit holders whose aim it is to provide entertainment services in Bermuda.’
“The BEU will be actively involved in the new processes. For example, all entertainers and support staff must be first vetted through the BEU, prior to any processing of a work permit by the Department of Immigration. In addition to this, all non-Bermudian musicians/entertainers will be required to maintain an active membership with the BEU by paying travelers’ dues to the BEU before work permits will be granted.
“I believe this new policy puts us in the right space for meting out fairness and equity for Bermudian musicians and entertainers while welcoming non-Bermudian musicians and entertainers to our shores, as needed.”
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, on September 15, 2017, I gave a Ministerial Statement under title “The Next Wave of Changes to Immigration Policies and Procedures.”
In that Statement, I mentioned that the Board of Immigration would be giving closer scrutiny to statements of employment and to the recruitment process effected by employers.
I also mentioned the Ministry of Home Affairs was/is working to return the full processing of BOTC [Bermuda] passports to Bermuda. And finally, I talked about enhancements to the musicians/entertainers policy.
Mr. Speaker, the scrutiny of the statements of employment by the Board of Immigration began immediately after my Statement in this Honourable House; and, as was discussed in the House a few weeks ago [via Parliamentary Questions], work continues with respect to the processing/printing of BOTC [Bermuda] passports and the return of such processing to Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, I am minded to continue the theme of “The Next Wave of Changes…” as I stand today to announce that “A New Entertainers Policy for Immigration” will be introduced effective 30th July. Bermudian entertainers, musicians, and all those who love a bit of dance, rhythm, fun, and entertainment, should get ready to ride the wave of music with heartfelt meaning.
Mr. Speaker, since the September 2017 Statement, the Department of Immigration and the Bermuda Entertainment Union [BEU] have worked together to draft the new policy.
It should be noted that there is a Musician/Entertainer Policy in the current Work Permit Policies 2015. However, that policy needed to be enhanced. Following the joint efforts by the Department of Immigration and the BEU, the new policy, called the Entertainment Policy, was circulated to key stakeholders on June 14, 2018 with an invitation to provide feedback by July 13, 2018.
The likes of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers [ABIR], the Association of Bermuda International Companies [ABIC], the Bermuda Employers’ Council [BEC], the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce [CoC], the Bermuda Hotel Association [BHA], the Bermuda Trade Union Congress [BTUC], the Bermuda Human Resources Association [BHRA], and the Bermuda Festival, to name a few, were consulted.
All feedback was positive, including comments that assisted with making further improvements to the policy. Given the outstanding work being done for Bermudians by the Bermuda Festival and based on a review of their profile; including their work of the past and their current and future plans, I have taken the decision to exempt the Bermuda Festival from having to follow the requirements of the new policy.
Mr. Speaker, the new Entertainment Policy will ensure that Bermudian musicians and entertainers are given fair opportunities for employment. Specifically, the purpose of the policy is “to detail the employment process/procedures for non-Bermudian entertainers and support staff, music school teachers and other work permit holders whose aim it is to provide entertainment services in Bermuda.”
As was mentioned last year, the policy will:
- address the recruitment process for all forms of possible employment for non-Bermudian and Bermudian musicians/entertainers throughout Bermuda;
- ensure advertisements are not tailor-made;
- judiciously review work permit applications where one genre of music is appropriate for an occasion/event;
- support tourism initiatives aligned with the Hotel Concession Act 2000; and
- mandate that Bermudian musicians/entertainers are included in all promotional campaigns with their non-Bermudian musicians/entertainers.
Mr. Speaker, the BEU will be actively involved in the new processes. For example, all entertainers and support staff must be first vetted through the BEU, prior to any processing of a work permit by the Department of Immigration.
In addition to this, all non-Bermudian musicians/entertainers will be required to maintain an active membership with the BEU by paying travelers’ dues to the BEU before work permits will be granted.
Mr. Speaker, I believe this new policy puts us in the right space for meting out fairness and equity for Bermudian musicians and entertainers while welcoming non-Bermudian musicians and entertainers to our shores, as needed.
By July 30, 2018, the new policy will be uploaded on the Government portal for access by the general public. Please note that any applications that have been submitted prior to 30th July will be processed according to the existing policy.
Where questions or concerns arise, inquiries should be directed to the Department of Immigration.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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Excellent move.
Simply putting BERMUDIANS first!!
LOL, right, so now i have to have some half a$$ed steel drums at my gay wedding in the name of protectionism?
lol
Don’t forget your Temp leader of the obaUBP doesn’t support gay weddings
Not my leader.
Running scared of Tony? So much for the arts.
Why make a policy then make one group exempt from it? Really if the artist is good then they’ll be hired, if they aren’t then they shouldn’t be forced on to people.
I’ll have a cronie.
No glass.
If only we could pass a law that makes Bermudians as talented as anyone in the world.
Oh there, we just did it. Dumbing down.
Musicians only get good at there craft after playing with better musicians .so by making things too bureaucratic you are actually hampering the evolution of Bermudian artists. Creativity and bureaucracy do not mix too well.
“…judiciously review work permit applications where one genre of music is appropriate for an occasion/event..”
WTF does that mean? Some numpty civil servant in the Dept. Immigration gets to determine what entertainment you have at your event?
Yeah, that’s going to work.
As a live music lover I feel your frustration! But politicians know better. Imagine how they would feel if this logic applied to their stock portfolios. That would be interesting!
The Minister failed to address the issue of live entertainment on board cruise ships while they are in port. Surely they should fall under the same rules as everybody ashore.
Also, well done BEU, the BIU could learn a thing or two from you guys when it comes to closed shops.
And gambling while in port too! We should be taxing that activity but OBA gave it away for pennies on the dollar! Bunch of morons!
Remember that scene in Footloose when the preacher who was the head of the PTA only allowed a certain type of music at the school prom?
Lol, I’ve been saying that for twenty years!
He allowed no dancing at prom. He claimed that the gyrations of the body by young people was akin to sin. Music was allowed.
Its About Time. We been Changing the entertainment business for years now!