China tops list of foreign nationals granted work permits in Jamaica for 2025

Chinese nationals once again dominated the work permits issued to foreign nationals in Jamaica during 2025, according to the 2025 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, an annual publication by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

Chinese citizens were granted 2,441 work permits, significantly more than other nationalities. India followed with 882 permits, and Cuba was third with 307. The PIOJ report noted that Chinese nationals have consistently topped this list every year. Under Jamaica's Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens (Employment) Act, 1964, all foreign nationals seeking to work in the country must obtain a permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS).

In total, the MLSS processed 5,701 work permit applications for the year, a slight increase of 0.9 percent from 2024. While renewals decreased by 3.5 percent to 2,972, new applications saw a rise of 6.1 percent, reaching 2,729. The majority of applications, 96.6 percent or 5,509, were approved. Of these approvals, a substantial 79.3 percent were issued to males.

The sectors receiving the largest share of approved work permits were wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (2,258), construction (1,120), and accommodation and food service activities (607). Geographically, the largest number of permits went to individuals from Asia and Latin America, accounting for 64.9 percent and 13.5 percent of total approvals, respectively, underscoring the continued influx of foreign labor in these key industries.