The Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Skilled Persons) (Amendment) Act, 2020, seeks to bring Belize’s laws into alignment with section 46 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), which speaks to the free movement of labour.

Among the principal amendments found in this act, there is the section 3 amendment which establishes the right for six-months provisional entry into Belize by a CARICOM national or his/her dependents, which includes spouses and children.

Additionally, the amendment modifies section 1 of the First Schedule which originally read: “A degree of the University of the West Indies or the University of Guyana designated as a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctor’s degree.”

Under the present amendment, this section is changed to the following: “A degree designated as an Associate’s, a Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral degree, from a university accredited or recognised by the competent authority.”

This is a notable shift for both Belizeans and other CARICOM nations, as the First Schedule is specifically linked to the definition of a “Caribbean skilled person”, which under the Principal Act was defined as “any national who is recognised by the Minister as being a member or employee of a recognised Organisation or is the holder of a qualification or performs an occupation specified in the First Schedule.”