CARICOM nationals who qualify under any of the approved categories and wish to work in a participating CSME Member State must obtain a Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills Qualification, commonly referred to as a Skills Certificate. A CARICOM national can apply for the Skills Certificate in any Member State and will be granted indefinite stay in that country, subject to requirements by the Immigration Department. Skills Certificate Holders would be required to verify his/her Skills Certificate with the respective Competent Authority in the Member State in which he/she wishes to work. For example, the holder of a Skills Certificate issued in St. Kitts and Nevis would be required to present the Skills Certificate for verification upon entering Jamaica.

We strongly recommend that applicants conduct the necessary research prior to any movement. For instance, one should confirm the national laws of the country where they wish to work, which Agency or Ministry functions as the competent authority, the required documents for acquiring a skills certificate, and requirements of Immigration.

• Restriction free movement, including the freedom to leave and re-enter his/her host country (applicable to spouse and immediate dependent)
• Unlimited access to employment opportunities
• Freedom to buy or rent property for residential or commercial use

It is strongly recommended that citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis who wish to exercise their right under the Movements of Skills regime apply for the Skills Certificate before leaving the Federation. However, if he/she is unable to do so, the Skills Certificate can be acquired in the Member State where he/she wishes to work. Should the Skills Certificate be available before departing the Federation, it should be presented to the Immigration Officer at the point of entry, and a definite entry of six (6) months should be granted, having satisfied all immigration requirements.

During this six-month period, the St. Kitts and Nevis National is required to either apply for or verify his/her existing Skills Certificate at the Competent Authority in the Member State he/she has moved to. Given the end result of either process the CARICOM National is then obligated to present his/her passport to the relevant Ministry/Agency for endorsement with an indefinite stay stamp.

CARICOM nationals seeking to enter St. Kitts and Nevis would be granted a definite entry of six (6) months having satisfied all immigration requirements. During this six-month period, the CARICOM national is required to either apply for or verify his/her existing Skills Certificate at the Ministry of International Trade. Given the end result of either process the CARICOM national is then obligated to present his/her passport to the Ministry of National Security (Immigration Division) for endorsement with an indefinite stay stamp.

The CARICOM national should first identify which of the ten (10) approved categories would be suitable based on their qualification or skill. The application form along with the required documents should then be submitted to the CSME Desk Officer at the Ministry of International Trade in St. Kitts. The application will then be reviewed by the Free Movement of Skilled Persons Committee and the CARICOM national will be informed of the outcome.

If the application is approved, the CARICOM national will be issued a Skills Certificate and a letter informing of the committee’s decision. The CARICOM national will at this point, present his/her CARICOM passport at the Ministry of National Security to be endorsed with the indefinite stay. This process takes a minimum of six (6) weeks.

A CARICOM National entering the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis with a Skills Certificate should present the document to the Immigration Officer and will be granted six (6) months definite stay. The CARICOM national should then visit the Ministry of International Trade in St. Kitts to have the Certificate verified. Upon completion of the verification process, the CARICOM national will take his/her passport to the Ministry of National Security for endorsement with an indefinite stay stamp.

The time frame for the verification process is reliant on the response time from the issuing Member State.

A CARICOM National arriving in, transiting, or departing a CARICOM Member State, and or seeking to exercise a right under the CSME, may have had negative experiences about which he/she wishes to file a complaint with the relevant authorities. The experience(s) may have been at a port of entry, after entry into a Member State, or both.

The complaints procedure is a mechanism implemented to assist CARICOM Nationals Exercise their rights under the Treaty.

A CARICOM National wishing to make a complaint shall fill out the Complaints Procedure form either in hard copy or online.

The completed form shall be returned (in person/by mail/electronically) to the CSME Focal Point of the receiving country, or the home country of the CARICOM national within five (5) working days of the date of the incident.

The CARICOM national may be contacted in the event that additional information is needed to commence the investigation or during the investigation. The investigation shall be completed no later than eight (8) weeks after the date of the receipt of the complaint, at which time the CSME Focal Point will inform the CARICOM national and the CSME Focal Point of the home country of the outcome of the investigation.

As the CSME Focal Point, The Ministry of International Trade et al, wishes to encourage citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis to take full advantage of the benefits to be derived from the CSME.

Given the increased opportunities resulting from the integrating of the region’s resources, citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis can explore opportunities to work, move goods, and provide services in all participating CARICOM Member States,