Cole Bay:--- Workers who are working and living on St. Maarten before the year 2001 and has had gaps in their permits are now able to request a five year residency permit. Those workers who believe that the recipients of the Brooks Tower Accord permits were given preference because they were able to get a three year permit also has the same opportunity to obtain a three year permit as long as they have been working and living on the island since 2001.Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba and the coordinators of the Brooks Tower Accord (BTA) told reporters on Thursday that the law has already been implemented and she met with the incoming government for country St. Maarten requesting that they continue the process after the island has achieved its country status.
Myra Bieglaar said the law states that persons working on St. Maarten can obtain as much as five one year work permits. After that the worker or resident would not need a working permit, instead they would be granted a residency permit which would give them the right to work. Normally after the five one year working permits were granted the law states that the applicant can obtain a two year, three year and five year resident permit before obtaining their indefinite residency.
The BTA permits have two criteria that must be kept at all times, that the recipients must have a valid medical insurance at all times, while they also have to be financially stable to remain on St. Maarten. Persons falling under category 2 also have to make sure they are working for the same company each time they are asking for an extension of the permit.
Minister Jacoba said the BTA process that was executed on St. Maarten beginning early June was very successful since 95.7% of the persons who obtained a BTA permit earlier this year has applied for their extensions. Jacoba said that 4,310 permits were issued during the first phase of the project while 4,126 of those persons have requested their extensions. So far 184 persons did not apply for the extension mostly because they are encountering problems with their passports. The Minister said while the make shift office at the Salvation Army has closed the federal government and country St. Maarten would resume the process at a smaller location on October 11th , one day after the island achieved its new status.
The Minister also made clear that those persons have until November 2 to apply and it is imperative that the process be continued. Already some 959 of the BTA extensions were issued while there are over 3000 permits that were recently signed to be delivered. Persons who did not pick up their permits as yet must check with at the window at the police station to see if their permits are ready. Persons uplifting their permits must have a valid passport, two photographs, a valid medical insurance and a proof of payment for the federal receiver's office.
The BTA team processed 2,206 BTA permits under category 1(a) those are persons residing and working in the island before 2001, 148 permits for persons under category 1(b) sole proprietorship while 828 permits under category 2 were processed.
Some ten persons studying on the island applied for the BTA and 810 permits for single parents with children or single husband working and providing for his wife/companion and children. Eight persons who went to apply with fraudulent documents were arrested and faced deportation those persons would not be able to get another permit. Hasselhoef explained.
Jacoba said it is clear that the immigrants working and residing on St. Maarten wanted to follow the law and to obtain their permits and the BTA was the opportunity for them to do that.
Project coordinator Tiara Hasselhoef said they hired 42 locals who worked with them to execute the project and they did a fantastic job because so far there have been no flaws. Hasselhoef said St. Maarten is leading with the entire project which was done on all the islands of the Netherlands Antilles.
