Long-term residents who applied for a special certificate under the previous Government will have their petitions considered under the new PLP administration.

Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox confirmed the one-off deal on Working Residents' Permits -- which affected an estimated 800 to 1,200 residents from overseas -- would continue.

But she added the PLP would now be drawing up its own Green Paper on the plight of long-term residents, likely to come before the House in the next session, due to start in February.

Ms Cox said: "Cabinet recommended that this policy continue in the meantime.

"The interim policy was to continue processing applications pending a future Green Paper by Government.

"And anyone who has applications in are currently being processed.'' Some long-term residents who applied -- including married couples -- were worried at an apparent slow-down in processing.

And they feared the new Government was planning a U-turn on the previous administration's commitment.

The Working Residents' Certificates were introduced under the old UBP Government as a stop-gap measure pending a White Paper on the subject.

But the UBP lost power earlier this month -- before their polished policy document was brought to the House for discussion.

Ms Cox said: "There will be a future Green Paper before a White Paper is debated.'' And she said the final result may be "an amalgam'' of work already done and a document reflecting the new Government's priorities.

Ms Cox explained: "Some of the issues, may be in and some may be excluded -- I think the work done already is being revisited.

"It may be an amalgam -- but I don't want to prejudge what that will be.'' Then-Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness tabled the UBP's Green Paper on the subject in June last year.

Later, his successor Maxwell Burgess introduced the special measure designed to alleviate the problems of long-term residents prior to the White Paper.

The Working Residents' Certificates scheme is open to those who have clocked up 20 years or more on the Island and who have worked for 15 of these years.

It allows holders to make an application for indefinite permission to work without having to go through an employer.

Eligible people will also be able to apply for jobs without restrictions.

In addition, holders will be allowed to retire from work and continue to live in Bermuda without special permission from the Department of Immigration.

Successful applicants must show "good character and conduct'' and register each year with Immigration officers, inform the Minister if their employment ends and seek permission before taking up a job with another employer.

Certificate holders -- unlike status holders -- will have no right to vote or to buy property on an equal footing with Bermudians.

Several hundred forms -- with an $812 processing fee attached -- were issued earlier this year. But Immigration officials said there had not been a flood of applications.

IMMIGRATION IMM