The Barbados Welcome Stamp visa which allows visitors to work for up to 12 months is seeing success, according to Tourism Minister Lisa Cummins.
Cummins said that the website set up for the application is “seeing thousands of people visiting each day to consider whether they want to take it up.”
The Welcome Stamp Visa costs US $2,000 per individual or there is a family bundle fee of US$3,000 available. The visa is valid for one year but may be re-applied for.
Cummins said that “We monitor the figures daily and release figures monthly, and as of last month, 2,500 people have begun the application process.”
The Minister said that although visitor numbers are down to Barbados as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, research undertaken by the tourism bureau showed that a person living and working in the country under the scheme “translates into 12 short stay visitors” as a result of their spend in the country when compared with a tourist.
“So if we multiply it out, 2,500 multiplied by 12, you start to see some traction where the absence of short stay visitors being negated by the long term visitors.”
Business Traveller‘s next issue has a feature on the new push by countries to attract people to relocate for work.
