Oil and Gas Sector sparks increased applications for work permits - Minister Felix

Oil and Gas Sector sparks increased applications for work permits – Minister Felix

Dec 04, 2019 News

Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, confirmed on Thursday that his Ministry has seen a significant increase in applications for work permits from last year to current date.

Minster Winston Felix and Senior Journalist Leonard Gildarie on the Political Show

Felix in a radio interview, recently, said that this significant increase is because of Guyana’s Oil and Gas and sector.
He said that there are times when his ministry would receive over 100 applications for work permits in a single day.
Almost all of these applications, he said, would be heavily dominated by persons seeking permission to work with the oil companies operating in Guyana.
However, said Felix, these permits are only granted if persons possess the necessary skills required by these companies.
The Minister further explained that not any person “can walk off the street and expect to get a work permit.”
He said that a person desirous of obtaining a work permit must first be sponsored by one of the companies.

Screenshots of NEWREST GUYANA’S website where the Brazilian woman applied.

He continued that the company would have to indicate to the Ministry that it is interested in the individual because of the necessary skills and qualification they possess for the respective job position.
Felix also said that the individual must present police clearances and the necessary certificates for the Ministry to assess their code of conduct before the work permit can be approved and processed.
Guyanese can testify that in recent times that the streets of Guyana are becoming populated with foreigners.
Felix also said that recently Guyana has seen persons migrating from Cuba, Venezuela, Jamaica, India, and Nigeria.
This newspaper was also able to converse with a number of foreigners who said that they came to Guyana in search of work. They also said that they would welcome such an opportunity to work with the oil companies.
One woman from Brazil said that she had seen a recruiting company called Newrest Guyana seeking employees to “cook” and do “laundry” offshore on one of the Oil companies’ vessel.
She has since submitted her application and is now in Guyana awaiting response. Meanwhile she too is seeking a work permit which would allow her to work in Guyana.