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CARICOM Skills Certificate in Barbados
How to apply for a CARICOM Skills Certificate (also called the CSME Skills Certificate) in Barbados, with the office to apply to, who qualifies, and what you need.
Where to apply in Barbados
Office: Barbados Accreditation Council
Applications are addressed to the Executive Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council, which verifies your qualification and issues the certificate.
Who can apply
You can apply if you are a CARICOM national in one of the 12 approved categories of skilled workers:
- University graduates (now includes associate degrees, two A-levels or CAPE)
- Artistes
- Musicians
- Media workers
- Sportspersons
- Nurses
- Teachers
- Artisans (with a CARICOM Vocational Qualification, CVQ Level 2)
- Holders of associate degrees
- Domestic workers (with a CVQ Level 2)
- Agricultural workers
- Private security officers
How to apply in Barbados
Confirm you qualify
You must be a CARICOM national in one of the approved skill categories, engaged in a legitimate economic activity. Free movement does not cover moving for residency or citizenship alone.
Complete the form and have it signed by a Justice of the Peace
Fill in the application form and have it signed and stamped by a Justice of the Peace. The Council will not accept the form without the JP's official stamp.
Gather your documents
Collect everything on the list below. Two professional reference letters must be addressed to the Executive Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council.
- Write your name in block letters on the back of both passport photos.
- Nurses need a letter from the General Nursing Council. Artistes, media workers, musicians and sportspersons need a letter from their national federation or ministry plus previous employer letters.
- Incomplete documentation is not accepted, so check the list twice before you go.
Submit in person and pay Bds$100
Hand in your application at the Phoenix Centre on George Street, St. Michael. An authorised agent can submit for you if they bring your written consent and valid ID.
Wait about 7 working days
The Council issues certificates in a minimum of 7 working days, and verifies certificates from other countries in about 10 working days. That makes Barbados one of the fastest issuers in the region.
Collect in person
The certificate or Letter of Verification must be collected in person by the applicant, even if an employer submitted the application for you.
Use it abroad
When you arrive in another member state, present the certificate to immigration for an initial six-month entry stamp. You can begin work immediately, then receive an indefinite stay stamp once that country's competent authority verifies the certificate. Spouses and dependants enjoy the same rights to live and work with you.
- Travel with your original qualification documents and a fresh Police Certificate of Character. The receiving country will want them for verification.
Documents required in Barbados
- Completed application form, signed and stamped by a Justice of the Peace
- Birth certificate
- Proof of CARICOM national status
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Your qualification (undergraduate, postgraduate or professional)
- Two professional reference letters addressed to the Executive Director, BAC
- Copy of your passport (bio-data page and date of issue)
- Two passport-sized photos with your name in block letters on the back
- Nurses: a letter from the General Nursing Council; artistes, media, musicians and sportspersons: a letter from the relevant national federation or ministry and previous employer letters
Good to know
- If you lose your certificate, file a police report in the country where it was lost, then apply for a replacement (Bds$100).
- Online submission is not available yet; the Council has said e-commerce facilities are coming.
CARICOM Skills Certificate in other countries
Travelling for your application?
If you need to travel to another CARICOM country for your application or to start work, we can sort your flights, a place to stay and your transfers in one booking.