Montserrat starts worker-visa program to attract long stays

The latest country to offer a remote work program is Montserrat, an island that has not yet reopened its borders to international visitors but is courting home-based professionals with the announcement of the Montserrat Remote Workers Stamp.

The island is known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean for its resemblance to the coast of Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of many of its inhabitants.

The 12-month, long-distance work visa will give professionals and entrepreneurs an opportunity to trade in a routine at-home workplace for black sand beaches and cultural offerings.

“The remote worker program encourages applicants to come to Montserrat to work and be more than a visitor  a part of the community,” said Samuel Joseph, its deputy premier.

• From the archives: Adaptation in Montserrat (Aug. 2016)

Application fees for the stamp are $500 for individuals and $750 for those accompanied by a maximum of three family visitors.

Details are here. Candidates must show proof of full-time employment, an annual income of minimum $70,000 and up-to-date health insurance coverage.