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Trinidad & Tobago – New Understudy Reporting Requirement

5 Sep

On August 10, 2017, the Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) informed employers of Work Permit holders in Trinidad & Tobago that bi-annual progress reports for each foreign national on their training of local understudies must be filed with the MEEI every six months.

As a condition to approval of Work Permits, the MEEI generally requires that foreign nationals agree to train an assigned local Trinidad & Tobago “understudy” and meet regularly to review progress, with the goal that the local workforce may eventually be able to fill the position held by the foreign national.  Prior to this development, understudy training reports prepared over the course of these regular meetings were previously requested only when filing an extension of the Work Permit to show compliance with this condition and that the understudy is not ready to fill the position held by the Work Permit holder.

As a result of this notice, Trinidad & Tobago companies employing foreign national Work Permit holders will now have to also file Understudy Training Reports with the MEEI for each foreign national every six (6) months, based on recommended formatting and prescribed content requirements promulgated by the MEEI.

Foster is continuing to track developments related to this new understudy reporting requirement and their implication on companies employing foreign nationals on Work Permits in Trinidad & Tobago.  Foster may provide important additional information in future Immigration Updates© and on our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.