RE: Living in Bermuda Posted: Mon December 18, 2006 12:11 AM UTC
The main thing that will make or break your time in Bermuda is your job. Your work permit is tied to that and it is a very risky proposition to change jobs while staying on the island. It's possible, but rarely within the first two years. You must give notice at your old job before you can apply for your new job work permit, and each permit is reviewed on a case-by-case basis; there is no such thing as an automatic approval. If the new one is denied, you need to crawl back to your old employer or leave the island. Therefore, you must be very sure of your new job, 100%.
The only way you can truly attempt to find this out is for them to fly you down beforehand for a site visit, a common procedure. If they will not do this, they either have something to hide or are too cheap to do so. In either case, a good reason against working for them.
Another thing to do is to research the salaries thoroughly. Although your new almost-tax-free $US salary may seem attractive compared to your existing heavily-taxed $CDN salary, compare it with what others are offering for similar work on the island. It's hard to remain satisfied after a year or so when you know that others are making double to triple what you are, all other things being equal. It happens.
You can make and save a lot of money in Bermuda, but you must have the right employer to do so. Rent, utilities, food, and almost everything else is outrageously expensive compared to Canada.
Don't let the name put you off; check out the forum at www.bermudasucks.com. It is not all negative and has a mix of locals and ex-pats posting there, though mostly ex-pats. Search through the archives for this information, for example:
http://bermudasucks.com/forum/index.php/topic,152.0.html
or you may ask this question afresh for answers by residents.
Another good site for a local feeling, albeit more concerned with Bermudian politics, is www.limeyinbermuda.com
See the Local Customs tip on my Bermuda page for a lesson on how to wear Bermuda shorts.
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