A CARICOM National who is seeking to enter another Member State will be granted entry for definite of indefinite duration, depending on the origin of the Certificate of Recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification presented.

When the Certificate is issued by the designated Minister of the home country or by another Member State, CARICOM Nationals will be granted entry for six months, during which they much have their qualifications verified by the designated Minister of the hist country.

CARICOM Nationals will be allowed indefinite entry when the Certified is issued by the designated Minister of the host country or when the designated Minister indicates, after verification of the qualifications, that the person is indeed a Skilled CARICOM National.

Procedures at the Port of Entry

At the port of entry the CARICOM National must present a valid passport to the immigration officer along with the CARICOM Skills Certificate. Immigration Departments would insert a stamp to indicate in the passport the duration of stay and status of the CARICOM National.

If a CARICOM National arrives at a port of entry and does not have a Skills Certificate the Immigration Officer would grant the usual period of stay for visitors.

• In the case of definite entry, the stamp should read –

 “FREE MOVEMENT DEFINITE ENTRY – RIGHT TO WORK – VERFICATION REQUIRED”
 
• In the case of the indefinite entry, the stamp may read –

 “FREE MOVEMENT INDEFINITE ENTRY – RIGHT TO WORK”

Immigration Officials should indicate to a CARICOM National who is entering with Skills Certificate issued by another Member State that verification is required within the period of six months. In addition they should provide the recipient of definite entry status with relevant information to complete the process leading to indefinite entry status.

Social Security

A CARICOM National, who is a wage earner, must be insured in the Member State where he or she is employed and must therefore make contributions to the respective Social Security Organisation. He/She is entitled to the same benefits as nationals of the host country.

The CARICOM Agreement on Social Security came into effect on April 1st, 1997. It protects all entitlements to long term benefits by providing for the totaling of all the contributions which were paid to the respective Social Security Organisations in the Member States, where a national previously worked. Suriname is the exception since it does not have a comparable social security system.

Benefits for Holder of the Certificate

A CARICOM National holding a Certificate of Recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification will not be subjected to:

• any restriction on freedom of movement, including the freedom to leave and re-enter his or her host country;
• any restriction on the right to engage in gainful employment or other occupation;
• discriminatory selection in filling vacancies;
• any restriction on freedom to access property for his/her residence;
• any restriction on spouses and immediate dependent family members to move with the holder.

NON-WAGE EARNERS

Non-wage earners are persons who are self-employed CARICOM Nationals. All CARICOM Nationals have the right to work as self-employed persons in any Member State participating in the CSME.

Non-wage earners may also be companies and other legal forms of business, organizations and have the right to move managerial, technical and supervisory staff from one CSME Member state to another.

This right of non-wage earners can be exercised through:
• the right of establishment and
• the provision of services

RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT

CARICOM Nationals have the right to work as self-employed persons in the CSME and thus can move to another Member State to establish a business on an indefinite basis. This is generally referred to as the Right of Establishment, which includes the following rights:

• to engage in any non-wage earning activities of a commercial, industrial, agricultural, professional or artisanal  nature; and
• to create and manage economic enterprises, which includes any type of organization for the production of, or trade in  goods, or the provision of service owned or controlled by a national of a Member State.

Companies have the right to bring in managerial, supervisory and technical staff in order to further their business.