Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy has issued a warning that penalties with respect to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act are in effect.

Speaking in the Senate this morning, he said penalties under the legislation came into effect on April 1 last year.

Mr Fahy pointed out that if a work permit application for a resident work permit holder is submitted, “no less than one month and no more than three months prior to the expiration of the current work permit,” then an employee can continue to work beyond the expiration of the work permit. However if an application is incomplete, the employee must stop working when it expires.

Mr Fahy also described the violations against the act, which include employing a person without a work permit, employing a person outside the scope of their work permit, working without a work permit and working outside the scope of a work permit.

He said: “An employer and an employee can each be levied civil penalties — and multiple penalties can be levied to either the employer or employee in the same case for different offences in accordance with the role each plays.”

• For the full ministerial statement, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”.