International companies have forged a fresh business alliance with the Country's new leaders -- and agreed to a new time-saving plan for firms relocating to Bermuda.

The Chamber of Commerce has won Government guarantees there will be no radical changes to immigration laws unless overseas business groups are consulted first.

David Ezekiel, chairman of the Chamber's International Companies Division, had his first official meeting with Immigration Minister Paula Cox on Monday.

And he revealed last night that new international companies would soon be asked to draw up their plans for expatriate workers before officially relocating here.

He added: "The Minister followed through on some of her earlier proposals about speeding up the process for new companies that are forming here.

"That will be done by basically addressing the immigration issues right at the time of application.

"So when a company applies, it would set out the people it would be expecting to employ and those who would be coming here to run the company.

"Approvals will be given or denied right at that early stage.

"Every day saved helps in business and I think it's a great idea. After all, people thinking of uprooting from other countries are often thinking of schooling and all that stuff.'' Mr. Ezekiel appealed for the meeting with Ms Cox in a Royal Gazette interview last November, when he called for close ties with the new Government. He also urged the new administration to steer clear of a squeeze on work permits.

And he said he was reassured on Monday that no radical changes were about to affect immigration laws.

The ICD will be briefed on any new plans for immigration in regular meetings with the Minister, said Mr. Ezekiel.

He added: "It's clear that there were no promises because Ms Cox is going to take a very good look to ensure that opportunities do exist for Bermudians.

"It's also clear that Ms Cox is going to do a lot of work in a diligent fashion.

"The broad agreements are very positive and Government is going to progress some of its immigration ideas only when it is comfortable that what's being done will hold up for the long-term.

"But there will be more of these meetings. And it really helps everyone if you can run in parallel together, in terms of what's going to happen. We reached a broad agreement that that was going to happen.'' Mr. Ezekiel met the Minister with her Chief Immigration Officer, Dr. Martin Brewer.

Ms Cox was off the Island last night. But she has said: "All I want is to make sure there's a commitment from employers that wherever possible, they will hire a suitably qualified Bermudian.

"Often, some businesses believe there is some kind of plot against them when they come to apply for work permits.

"But that's not the case at all. They usually encounter problems simply because all the important documentation has not been submitted or supplied correctly.

"If firms made every effort to get the paperwork right first time, the perceived hiccups or delays would be removed.

"I don't think there will be any drastic change in the current policy and there will be no marked clampdown on accepting work permits where there is a clear or genuine need.''