Remote work programs sprang up during the pandemic in the Caribbean, with many islands attempting to lure in remote workers with long-stay programs which usually allow visitors to reside as visitors for a year or even longer.
CNN compiled a list of some of the Caribbean destinations that invited remote workers in an effort to boost plummeting tourism.
Anguilla offered extended visas for successful applicants to spend between three months to a year within the country.
In Aruba, the nation promoted its "One Happy Workation" aimed at US travellers. Workers with a valid US passport could live in Aruba for up to 90 days with special rates at hotels and resorts, as well as access additional benefits such as free Wi-Fi, all-inclusive meals, and more.
Barbados, which was one of the first Caribbean destinations to launch a remote work program, announced its "12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp” in JUL 2020, which offered travellers the chance to work from the island for up to a year.
Bermuda had a similar promotion, with the "One Year Residential Certification" program aimed at "remote executives, self employed entrepreneurs and university students engaged in remote learning,” according to the nation’s Premier David Burt.
The British island territory of Montserrat has a program that stands out from the rest.
As the New York Times reports, instead of having a maximum time for visitors to stay, it requires a minimum visitation period of two months. Instead of making it easy for remote workers to come, Montserrat's bubble is difficult to be a part of. To join, one must undergo a rigorous background check and remote workers must make at least USD $70,000 a year.
Program parameters require vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors to quarantine for two weeks, then take a COVID-19 test to fully explore the island. At this time, 21 travellers from seven families have participated in the remote worker program.
“They’re very selective in who they let in,” said David Cort, a sociology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who spent three months working from Montserrat with his wife and daughter. “I was told that they actually turned people down.”
On 01OCT, Montserrat’s experiment will change. On that date, all vaccinated tourists will be welcome to the island. While the remote worker program will continue without a vaccination requirement, it also recently dropped its two-month minimum stay.
Many of the other remote work /live programs may also outlive the pandemic with conditions that change as the pandemic evolves.
The COVID-era, emergency ‘pivot’ may become a permanent option to lead a nomadic lifestyle for many travellers who can continue to work remotely.
