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Permanent Residents

The laws concerning Bermudian status are stringent and grants of status to non-Bermudians are rare, save for applications that result through marriage. This conservative approach to status grants has resulted in a significant population of long-term non-Bermudian residents, who for many years were accorded no rights or benefits of citizenship under the law.

In 2002, steps were taken to correct this situation when the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment Act introduced the concept of the Permanent Residents’ Certificate (PRC). The PRC is not a means to acquire status. But it does offer certain benefits to qualifying candidates, defined as people who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda prior to July 31, 1989 and who are at least 40 years old on the date of application.

The principal advantage of a PRC is that it offers the holder the right to live and work in Bermuda without the need for a work permit, and thereby provides increased security of employment and residence. People with a Permanent Resident’s Certificate are entitled to reside in Bermuda, but they are not citizens and there is currently no prospect of them being offered citizenship.

The right to reside and work in Bermuda sets a PRC holder apart from other non-Bermudians. There are also other, somewhat limited, benefits in terms of real estate. A Permanent Resident may not purchase property on the same footing as a Bermudian however, as of the summer of 2007, they are able to purchase condominiums from non-Bermudians. At this time there is a moratorium on purchasing condos from Bermudians, or any free-hold home.

In all other respects, they remain on the same footing as other non-Bermudians. Like non-Bermudians, a Permanent Resident:

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