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CARICOM Skills Certificate in Montserrat
How to apply for a CARICOM Skills Certificate (also called the CSME Skills Certificate) in Montserrat, with the office to apply to, who qualifies, and what you need.
Where to apply in Montserrat
Office: Labour Department / Office of the Premier
Contact the Government of Montserrat's Labour Department before doing anything else. Montserrat participates in the CSME only partially, so the usual free movement of skills does not fully apply.
Search your government website for “Labour Department / Office of the Premier” to confirm the current requirements.
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 Montserrat
Understand Montserrat's special position
Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory and only a partial participant in the CSME. The free movement of skills regime does not fully apply, and a work permit is generally still required to work there.
Contact the Labour Department
Call or write to the Labour Department in Brades to explain your situation, whether you are a Montserratian seeking a certificate or a CARICOM national wanting to work in Montserrat. They will tell you the current process, documents and any fee.
Gather the standard package
Have the standard CSME documents ready: passport, birth certificate, qualification, police certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, and passport photos, with originals and copies.
- Police Certificates of Character are typically valid for only six months from issue.
Follow the Department's guidance
Submit whatever the Labour Department asks for and confirm the fee at that point, since none is published.
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 you usually need
- Completed application form
- Original birth certificate, plus a copy
- Valid passport, with a copy of the bio-data page and the issue and expiry pages
- Your qualification (degree, diploma, or CVQ certificate). Bring the actual certificate, not a transcript or a letter
- Police Certificate of Character (usually valid for only six months from issue)
- Marriage certificate, divorce decree or deed poll, if your name has changed
- Two passport-sized photographs
Good to know
- Montserrat is only a partial participant in the CSME, so the free movement of skills does not fully apply and a work permit is generally still required.
- No fee or document checklist is published. Confirm everything with the Labour Department directly.
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.