Expatriate chartered accountants working in Bermuda have been given a blanket exemption from the six-year work permit limit imposed by Government in April.

This is according to the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda Thomas Miller in the organisation's annual report.

The report said chartered accountants are to be considered key positions which will gain exemptions from the the crack down which is intended to ensure firms have a genuine interest in recruiting and training Bermudians.

"One of the most significant points in the new policies for our profession is a recognition that there are key positions and key categories, including chartered accountants, that will not be subject to the term limits that Government insisted upon to tackle the long-term residents issue," he said in the 2001 report.

He added: "In this sensitive arena that has such a profound effect on the business community and social community at large, we believe that a good balance has been achieved in the new policies which became effective this year on April 1. We congratulate the Minister on the consultative manner in which these policies were prepared."

In January 2001, there were 7,300 work permit holders. The Institute of Chartered Accountants has 698 accountants as members, 206 of which are Bermudians, the rest are on work permits. This means that almost seven percent of those on work permits are members of this body and will be exempt automatically from the term limit.

In March this year, Labour and Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox announced that six year limits would be imposed on work permits saying that well-behaved companies would be able to exempt key staff from any restrictions.

No mention was made of blanket waivers for any sector - only stating the system would be kept flexible to ensure Bermuda kept its business edge.

She said: "Term limits will not apply to positions and persons who are proven to to be key to the success of a company."

Ms Cox said companies must make a case to have a worker or boss exempted, but added that they would only be listened to if those companies had been "good corporate citizens".

Criteria for this included a good record in training and employing locals, producing clear and correct job advertisements and submitting properly completed work permit applications.

She did say that she would be "very surprised" if hotel workers were regarded as key workers, despite a world-wide shortage. She said that nurses are a key area where there was a world-wide shortage. She said other key areas were CEOs or similar high level employees.