Bahamas Forum

lemonlimbo
Joined 2016
Posts: 2

8 years ago

where to even begin...

8 years ago

So I feel like my head is about to explode. My boyfriend recently mentioned moving to Freeport Bahamas, maybe at the end of the year because of the tax incentives for his business. For me, I have a lot more strings than just packing my stuff and working out visa requirements.

I am currently living in Canada, and attending a Canadian University, in my second year. I do not want to derail my studies, and it looks like there are no comparable universities in Freeport that would be recognized by the CPA (designation I'm pursuing after my undergrad). So I'm thinking of transferring to an online school, but I feel like I still need some by-passes through the whole visa thing.

I can’t get a student visa because I won’t be going to a school there, and I don’t think I can even technically live there while in school here, even if it is online. I read online that going to Bahamas you get an automatic 8 month tourist visa, so should I just spend 8 months there then come back home for a couple months and keep going back and forth while I'm in school?

Also the money situation, how can I work there without a work visa? All the jobs I’ve seen posted are more senior level, which makes sense because you need to prove you’re not filling a job a local could do, and since I'm currently in school, and do not have a degree yet, I have nothing substantial to market myself. I have 5 years of experience working in administration and junior level accounting and customer service. I’m considering getting my scuba instructors certification, but until I do I need a plan for the 6 months until I get it.

I just feel so confused and like there are a million things I need to work out and consider, and that I haven’t even thought of half of them yet. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions or experiences that would be useful to me I would love to hear it, even just finding someone to talk to help me think of all the details I haven’t yet considered would be a huge help.

Basically to recap my convoluted situation, I’m a Canadian student who is looking for a way to move to Freeport while still technically being a resident in Canada for school purposes, and finding a way to be able to work while in Bahamas.

-B

William Russell

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