Bahamas questions

[fillip1215]

I am thinking of moving to the bahamas next year. I'm an instructor & a captain and was wondering what kind of work visa fees/red tape etc. I need to go through to get there. This is a new idea I'm having and am just beginning my research, any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Also I was wondering about my captains license transfer and if theres any additional credentials I would have to get. Thanks.

 

[Quarrior]

Check out this site, it might have some links that would be useful to you.

www.caribeanjobs.com/

 

[del_mo]

I just returned from Bahamas and spoke with a dive capt./instructor/dive shop owner and he told me he is scaling back his operation because the Bahamian government is making it more and more difficult for non-nationals to conduct business. He didn't get specific other than to say the government is very pro-Bahamian and they don't see the other side of the coin. In fact, he is going back to his home country and was looking to sell his operation.

I guess I'd just recommend to you that you don't get lured by the beautiful weather and diving and do some intense research.

 

[rexman24]

I would have to say my experience in the Bahamas supports what del mo said.
I was in Harbour island trying to dive with Valentines and all our dives got cancelled, because according to them "the port authority told us not to take our boats out or they will confiscate them because they are not owned by a Bahamian" this was on a Friday. she said they had been in business for 6 years. I was able to dive one day with another dive op(Ocean Fox) on the island.

The Bahamas is a beautiful place but do to this and the feeling of no love for the visitor, only someone to make money from, I doubt I will ever return there. Far to many places Ive been, like Costa Rica, where I am made to feel very welcome.

Sad for the ppl of the Bahamas, I can see their tourism going further down the toilet...

 

[ScubaMike14]

I'm in the Bahamas right now (Grand Bahama Island) finishing an Instructor Class. Price of a work permit for an instructor is right around $3000-$4000. As for the captains license, I know there is a special class put on by the Port Authority that you must attend, they will no longer accept US Class B Licenses.

I also do beleive that the boat must be owned by a Bahamian, as well as the business itself. You would need to find a Bahamian partner willing to make a significant financial investment.

Never has there been a time when anyone told us we could not take our boat out, sounds like Valentines had something fishy going there. We are a very busy shop and the boat is full almost every day (10-15 divers).

Hope this helps.

Mike Rushton

 

[fillip1215]

Thanks ofr the feedback.

I live in Hawaii so it's not really the weather, I'm just kind of looking for something new.

Does anyone have any suggestions besides the bahamas? Turks & Caicos perhaps. Any good islands/ ones I should stay away from.

 

[paddler3d]

Just got back from spending a week on Eleuthra...amazing.

In reference to your question I got the scoop on why one of the two local dive operators on Harbour Island have been shut down by the local port authority.

1st off the business needs to be owned partly by a Bahamian. What percentage of the business seems to be irrelevant. The operators that are shut down my be 60% owned by a Bahamian out of Nassau...the operators that are open are 25% owned Bahamian but all their captains are Bahamian.

2nd off comply with what the port authority wants you to do and don't challenge them on it...

3rd off don't fire a Bahamian captain...

Now the whole story...apparently a new Port Authority came to Harbour Island who was more experienced with small craft than their predacessor. He ispected the local dive operators and asked them to carry a handheld radio, have a radio on the tower as well as below, and have a depth sonar. The group that is not currently operating challenged the Porth Authority and then fired one of their Bahamian captains after that...that was apparently the staw that broke the camels back.

Don't know if this is what you were looking for but it sort displays the challenges that may be involved in working as a captain down there...as an instructor there seem to be no problems!

Regardless we were able to get some great dives with Andy at Ocean Fox and it was amazing.

 

[moneysavr]

As said before you need a Bahamians partner in a % , but missed in this is that all jobs must first be offered to a Bahamian and if no one fills it you may apply for a work permit and wait and wait unless you connections.
Bahamas like some small countries are run by corrupt politicians-gee sounds like home!
Folks go every day with pipe dreams to live the life on some tropical island and well it just don't work that way!Been going to the Islands for 25 years and have had the same crazy ideas,Know locals and have friends on the island some great folks,the sad thing the islands are mostly in poverty, crime is high,drugs,corruption ect,,health care is mostly non existent so plan to fly to main land USA for health care,food cost are nut's and plan to live on fish,conch and chicken and its not bad!
Housing yes you can get some shack to rent as housing is high in good areas and other areas are just unsafe,
Most folks doing business are repatriates and give up all there rights, and taking money out of the country is a tricky thing to as the government dose not like this.
I hear there are some country's developing that welcome a skilled workforce-but for how long?
BTW the Bahamas has a book you can buy that tells all about the rules and regs, taxes,fees import and exports,partnerships,buying property's and so on.
Dive safe

 

[rexman24]

Thats good info to know, its to bad the owners and the local authority allow things like this to in part ruin someones vacation(mine!) and make me feel like I would rather go spend my dollars somewhere else and tell others they should too

That said Andy and Ocean Fox were great and Harbour has the most amazingly beautiful beach I have ever seen( and likely ever will).