International business head David Ezekiel was upbeat but reluctant to discuss details after his trip to meet London lawyers to look at revisions to the controversial work permit term limits policy.

Mr. Ezekiel, who is head of the Association of Bermuda International Companies, hopes a loophole can be found to allow workers ousted under term-limits to return quicker.

Under the term-limit policy, which will begin to bite in April, work permit holders who have not been granted key employee status and thus the chance of remaining for another three years will be turfed out.

Currently those workers can return after two years away from Bermuda and begin another six year term but Mr. Ezekiel hopes the two years hiatus can be significantly reduced.

He told "The real purpose of the trip was a meaningful start to the process.

"Certainly we think we have got the right people to look at it. And I will certainly provide more details in due course.

"The meeting was everything I expected it to be in terms of a really good start to the process."

The mission had the blessing Government who want to avoid a brain drain although it has pledged the core principles of the policy will not be changed.

Government is keen not to create more long-term residents who it fears could eventually claim full citizenship under international law ? but it has asked employers to find ways to adapt the policy to avoid losing skilled staff.