Short term work permits could be extended

Guernsey's government is considering a temporary extension to Short Term Employment Permits (STEPs) as many workers near the end of their three‑year limit.

The Home Affairs Committee said it was processing a "glut" of applications from individuals and employers of people looking to change from STEPs to long-term licences.

It said STEP permits, introduced in 2023, were not intended as a "pathway to longer-term employment and settlement" but the volume of applications had prompted a review.

Deputy Marc Leadbeater said the short-term nature of STEP licences was "fundamental" but the committee would "explore a temporary extension" to not put "undue pressure on our valuable hospitality sector".

STEPs allow a one-year permit to be issued that can be reissued for up to three years.

STEP holders can live in the island, but can not bring any dependents and do not qualify for settlement rights.

Committee President Leadbeater said Home Affairs had received calls, particularly from the hospitality sector, to extend STEP permits to four years.

"This has arisen because three years on from the STEPs introduction, the policy matures this year and some STEP holders will reach their three-year cap," he said.

"At our meeting on Tuesday we agreed to explore a temporary extension policy to the existing three-year STEP while a more comprehensive review of the cap is considered as part of the planned wider works on the population regime,

"While we are going into this work with a genuinely open mind, STEPs are, as the name suggests, short term, and so we'd encourage businesses with staff coming to the end of a STEP to consider starting recruitment processes in good time."

Leadbeater said the Population Management Office had dealt with a large amount of applications from STEP holders wanting to change them to Long Term Employment Permits (LTEPs)

LTEP licenses require more vetting of people before being issued and allow people to bring dependents to the island and eventually qualify for settlement rights.

"A STEP was intended as a temporary solution to a labour shortage, not a pathway to longer-term employment and settlement," he said.

"As a committee we must be very conscious of our commitment to the island's membership of the Common Travel Area, and the requirements that entails, and the precedents a change could set."

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