EU nationals to require visa for Jersey from 2021
EU nationals who plan to work, study, or settle in Jersey will have to apply for a visa from 1 January 2021.
The change has been announced by the Government of Jersey as part of its immigration policy in response to Brexit. A separate migration policy proposed by ministers has set out how they plan to control the island's population growth. Chief Minister John Le Fondre said the two policies would "interlock" as "key measures of control". Under Jersey's Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS), both EU and non-EU nationals will be able to apply for a three-year permit as a "skilled worker", or a temporary nine-month visa. The short-term visa will only be available to workers in the hospitality or agricultural industry, who must leave the island for at least three months before returning. Such workers will not be allowed to bring dependants to the island, and cannot apply for settlement. What is a skilled worker? Assistant Chief Minister Rowland Huelin said Jersey's growing population had led to "understandable tensions" in the community. Numbers increased by 20% between 2001 and the end of 2019, he said. He added current measures had left the government without an "adequate picture" of arrivals, preventing it from dealing with migration in a "holistic, strategic way". In response, the new migration policy sets out five key changes including: The proposals are due to be debated by the States Assembly on 1 December.