Dominica Launches ‘Work In Nature’ Visa Program For Digital Nomadic Families
The island of Dominica has a reputation for being the ‘nature island of the Caribbean’ and very soon, it will be open to digital nomads who want to live and work in a place where migrating sperm whales are a major visual feature of day-to-day life.
The government has launched a way to lure working tourists into its mountainous terrain, to share some of its wonderful spoils. It’s also a win-win situation, as it will help local stakeholders and feed into the country’s sustainability campaign.
The Work in Nature (WIN) visa will operate under the following criteria:
Tourists will be able to relocate for up to 18 months to work and live remotely on the island.
Families are also encouraged to apply–children will be allowed access to local schools, under a ‘family bundle’.
The price of the application is $100, and the visa costs $800 for single people and $1,200 for a family.
Applicants have to be at least 18 years old, without any criminal convictions.
The key requirement–and most difficult for most people to achieve–would be the expectation of earning at least $50,000 in income during the year to come, for themselves and to support their families.
Once applying, a response should be issued within seven days.
One of the key aspects of the visa scheme is that it will support tourism stakeholders that have been impacted by the pandemic. The island has strong environmental credentials–since the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria in 2017, it pledged to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation. Each resort must source food locally. The island implemented a plastic ban that was described as the world’s most “comprehensive” by National Geographic, mostly to save the tons of plastic threatening the precious local sperm whales. And in 2022, its first geothermal plant will supply cheaper energy not just to residents but also to the neighboring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
The Minister of Tourism, Denise Charles, said, “this is one of the initiatives which will help boost our tourism industry in our phased tourism recovery approach, while providing a safe environment for persons to work remotely in a tropical environment. Stakeholders and island partners have all collaborated to provide an attractive program which also helps to create the opportunity for economic recovery.”
Dominica has a history of welcoming foreign investors to become citizens under its Citizenship by Investment Programme, where people can become citizens with full rights after making an economic contribution to either a government fund or selected real estate options–this citizenship can also be passed down to future generations.
Source: forbes.com
Published: 13 April 2021