VisaSint Maarten employers must use the 2026 labour form alongside the online residence process
A current follow-up distinguishes the April employment-form requirement from the July residence-portal launch, and identifies evidence needed for first and renewal employee residence files.
Official source date: 2026-07-08
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The new labour form applies to both new and renewal requests
Sint Maarten's Division of Labor Affairs and Social Services requires its Employment Permit Application Form, Version 1.0 of 2026, for applications submitted from 1 April 2026. The 24 March announcement covers businesses and private individuals employing non-national workers, including new and renewal applications, and says older forms will not be accepted after the change. This is a follow-up on that operative requirement, not an announcement of a new November form.
The revised form asks for the petitioner's CRIB number, requested duration, the employee's initial off-island address, job details and qualifications. Its motivation section requires a substantiated business need and recruitment efforts within the local and Dutch Kingdom labour market. A new household-personnel section records the workplace address and authorisation for government inspections. Employers should therefore obtain the current form and prepare evidence for the actual role rather than reuse a previous application with only the employee's name changed. The announcement identifies [email protected] as a way to request the form.
The residence portal serves a different permission
The Ministry of Justice launched the Foreigners Management System online platform on 8 July 2026. Its announcement directs users to the government online-services site, then the Justice section and Residence Permit Application. The live services directory currently provides that link to the Immigration and Border Protection Service portal. Use the official directory to reach the system rather than an unverified third-party application site.
That digital launch concerns residence applications and tracking; it does not say that submitting a residence file replaces the separate employment-permit request. The government Residency Permit service distinguishes first applications, changes of purpose, temporary-permit extensions, admission by law, address changes and duplicates. It says third-party representation requires authorisation through a power of attorney and gives a general six-to-eight-week processing indication. Select the model matching the actual residence situation; a duplicate-card request and a first permission to reside are not interchangeable cases or identical processing tasks.
A first employee residence file must match the labour file
The approved residence checklist asks first employee applicants for a photograph, passport and recent good-conduct certificate, with sworn English or Dutch translation where issued abroad. It accepts proof of an employment-permit application or a valid permit and requires the same employment contract supplied to Labour.
For a sole proprietor's business or personnel residing on the premises, the list additionally identifies tax-inspectorate evidence, the employer's passport and a detailed registration record. The separate First Time Employee Permit service warns that first applicants must await the residence decision abroad. Acceptance of proof that Labour has received an application therefore should not be interpreted as permission to enter, begin work or remain while Immigration decides. Ask the departments to resolve the actual sequence where either permission is outstanding.
Renewal evidence includes income and the existing residence record
The approved requirements list separately addresses employee extensions. It asks for the passport, existing residence permit and a Civil Registry detailed registration issued within six months. A good-conduct certificate issued within six months is specified from age sixteen. It also lists the employment-permit application evidence or valid permit, the contract or job letter, and the last two months of bank statements and payslips.
A job letter must state monthly income, hours, position and start date. Gather current evidence and confirm the filing window before existing permission expires; portal acceptance alone does not establish continued permission.
Confirm the submission and payment instructions with the relevant department
The Employment Permit (New) service asks employers for current labour registration, vacancy-notification evidence, a dated newspaper advertisement and current-month SZV payment records. For workers it identifies passport, photograph and certified qualification evidence, including translations where required. It lists processing charges using NAF wording: 1,600 for non-management, 3,000 for supervisory or management and 800 for household staff. Confirm the current charge and currency instructions before paying. That service describes an appointment-based Labour process, while the July announcement establishes the online Immigration residence route. Use the correct department for each permission rather than assuming one payment or appointment completes both.
For a new Labour request, the service additionally identifies the department's declaration that the employee is off island, issued within six months, and specifies original notarised qualification copies bearing the notary's stamp and seal. It requires a certified translator for qualifications not already in English or Dutch. A representative submitting the employer's documents needs written authorisation and identification. These employer-side requirements should be prepared alongside the worker's residence evidence, rather than discovered only after an intended start date has been agreed.
