TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (CMC) — Jamaicans and Filipinos top the list of those holding active work permits in the British Virgin Islands.

This is based on figures released by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly.

Wheatley revealed that as of May 30, 2025, a total of 5,913 active work permits were recorded in the Labour Management System. These included 5,217 approved permits and 696 awaiting consideration.

In addition to Jamaica and the Philippines, the other countries making the top 10 list include the Dominican Republic, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Kingdom, the United States, Guyana and South Africa.

However, Opposition Member Marlon Penn questioned the accuracy of the figures, suggesting that they seemed inadequate in capturing the true picture.

“Based on the numbers and historical information that’s come to this House, that number can’t be accurate in terms of the active work permits,” Penn said. “You’re saying to me that only 5,000 work permits we have in the territory?”

Wheatley explained that the Labour Department had transitioned to a Labour Management System since July 2024 and acknowledged the possibility of gaps in the data. “We know that there will be businesses in the territory which have not been regularised, which perhaps are having persons working without a work permit,” Wheatley said.

“We’ll go back and query the information to see where the gaps may be and to see if this figure is not accurate, how do we ascertain the true number,” he stated.

Regarding employment opportunities for Virgin Islanders and Belongers, the Premier reported that 2,342 of them are currently registered in the Labour Management System, seeking employment.

“There’s a skills gap for those Virgin Islanders and Belongers in the workforce who are not working,” Dr Wheatley said while pointing to the government’s plan to boost employment through training initiatives.

The premier also mentioned that the government is aiming to upskill residents through other programmes, which could lead to permanent employment in key trades such as carpentry, plumbing and electrical work.

“These are the persons who we want to become our carpenters, our masons, our electricians, our plumbers,” he explained.