When the Job Ends: Resigning, Dismissal and Your Grenada Work Permit

A Grenadian work permit is attached to a job, not to a person. That single fact explains most of what happens when employment ends. The permit does not travel with the worker to a new employer, it does not turn into a general right to stay, and once the job behind it is gone, the authority to work in Grenada goes with it. Many foreign employees discover this only when they resign to take a better offer across town and are told the new employer must start a fresh application.

This page sets out what happens in the common scenarios: resigning to join another employer, being dismissed or made redundant, and the end of a fixed-term contract. It covers the worker's immigration position, final pay and National Insurance, and what employers should do when a permit holder leaves. Employment rights come from the Employment Act and the individual contract; for any dispute, take advice from the Labour Department or a Grenadian attorney.

The permit belongs to the post

When the Labour Department approves a permit, it approves a named person for a named role with a named employer. The employer's covering letter, the job description and the local recruitment evidence were all about that post. When the person stops doing that job, the basis for the permit falls away, even if the printed expiry date is months in the future.

This has practical consequences. A worker cannot simply move to another company and keep working under the old permit, even in the same industry and even if the new job is similar. A worker cannot start freelancing for local clients after leaving, because self-employment is a different activity that needs its own permission. And an employer cannot lend a permit holder to a sister company without checking whether the permit covers that arrangement.

For the employer, the corollary is that permits are not assets to be held in reserve. A permit for a role that no longer exists should not be renewed, and the Labour Department should be told when a permit holder leaves.

Resigning to join another employer

Moving between employers is entirely possible; it simply needs to be done in the right order. The sequence that keeps a worker on the right side of the rules is:

1. Before resigning, confirm that the new employer is willing to apply for a work permit and understands the local recruitment evidence it will need to show.
2. Agree a realistic start date that allows for the application to be prepared, filed and approved. Several weeks is common, and longer if documents are missing.
3. Give notice to the current employer in line with the contract and the Employment Act, and ask for a letter confirming the dates of employment and the role held.
4. Let the new employer file the application with your passport copies, qualifications, police certificate and the new contract.
5. Do not start work, including informal training days, for the new employer until the new permit is granted.
6. Check with the Immigration Department how any gap between the two jobs affects your permission to remain, and keep your immigration endorsement valid throughout.

Dismissal, redundancy and the end of a contract

Dismissal for cause. Grenada's employment legislation sets out when an employer may dismiss for misconduct and the procedure to follow. A foreign worker has the same employment rights as a national, including the right to complain to the Labour Department if the dismissal seems unfair. The permit, however, ends with the job.

Redundancy. Where a post is abolished, severance entitlements under the Employment Act depend largely on length of service. Foreign workers on permits are entitled to the same statutory payments as anyone else, and an employer cannot avoid them simply because the permit is ending.

Fixed-term contracts. Many permit holders are on one- or two-year contracts. If the contract is not renewed, the permit should not be renewed either, and the employer should give clear notice so the worker can plan. Check the contract for any repatriation or travel provisions.

Business closure. If an employer closes, every permit tied to it effectively lapses. Workers should collect written confirmation of their employment and outstanding pay before the business is wound up, because chasing a closed company later is difficult.

Resignation during probation. Short probation periods do not change the permit position. Leaving after six weeks has the same effect on the permit as leaving after six years.

Immigration status after the job ends

A work permit and an immigration endorsement are related but separate. The Labour Department deals with permission to work, while the Immigration Department deals with permission to be in Grenada. Many permit holders have their stay endorsed in line with the permit period. When the job ends early, the basis for that stay can also fall away, even if the stamp in the passport shows a later date.

The safe course is to visit the Immigration Department in St George's soon after employment ends and ask directly how long you may remain and on what basis. Someone who needs time to pack up a household, sell a car or wait for a new permit may be able to obtain a visitor extension, but visitor status does not allow work. Spouses and children whose status depended on the permit holder are affected in the same way.

OECS Economic Union nationals and CARICOM skills certificate holders are in a different position, because their right to work does not depend on a particular employer. If you fall into one of those groups, the end of a job does not end your right to look for another one.

Final pay, NIS and departure checklist

Whether the move is voluntary or not, a few practical matters should be settled before the last day, because they are far harder to resolve from abroad:

• Final pay statement showing salary to the last day, accrued but unused annual leave, any notice pay and any severance, with the deductions made.
• PAYE position: a statement of earnings and tax deducted for the year, which you may need for a final return to the Inland Revenue Division or to claim credit in another country.
• NIS record: confirmation from the National Insurance Scheme that contributions were paid for the period you worked. Contributions may count towards benefits under regional or other social security arrangements.
• Reference and employment letter stating dates, title and duties, useful for the next permit application in Grenada or elsewhere. Ask for it before your last day, while the people who supervised you are still easy to reach.
• Return of employer property, such as housing, vehicles and equipment, with written confirmation that it was handed back in good order.
• Bank and utility accounts closed or transferred, and a forwarding address for any documents that arrive later.

What employers should do when a permit holder leaves

Notify the Labour Department. Tell the department in writing that the person has left and from what date. It keeps the official record accurate and protects the employer if the worker later takes other work without permission.

Settle statutory payments promptly. Pay final wages, leave pay and any severance on time and keep the calculations. Disputes with departing foreign staff can follow the employer into its next permit application.

Remit the last PAYE and NIS. The final month's deductions must be paid over like any other month. Arrears are a common reason for delays on later permits.

Review the role before replacing. A departure is the natural moment to ask whether the job can now go to a Grenadian, perhaps the understudy trained during the permit. If not, start the new local recruitment exercise properly.

Honour repatriation terms. If the contract promised a return flight or shipping allowance, provide it. It is a contractual obligation, and officers reviewing future applications notice employers who strand former staff.

Frequently asked questions