Work permit backlogs have been slashed since Government opted to return incomplete applications, Immigration Minister David Burch said yesterday.

He said since March, when he announced there were 4,000 applications on hold because of missing information, the arrears have been reduced by 37 percent.

It has given staff more time to process complete paperwork meaning the permits in the Finance and Business Support team have seen turnaround time reduced from up to ten weeks to four weeks — even for those forwarded to the Immigration Board for further scrutiny.

And Sen. Burch said it meant applications for key employee status exemptions could also be tackled sooner.

He said: "When I became the Minister responsible for Immigration there were a significant number of applications that were awaiting a decision."

He said the backlog of applications seeking exemptions from or extensions to term limits had also contributed to the delay in work permits as, in most cases, the application for a work permit could not be processed until the term limit application had been decided.

"I am happy to report that the backlog has been cleared and we are processing new applications as soon as we receive them."

As Minister, Sen. Burch decides on applications seeking exemptions from or extensions to term limits, in addition to appeals on work permit applications and applications for Bermuda status, Permanent Resident Certificates and land licences.

He said he met with staff sometimes twice a week to review applications and make decisions — applicants are told the same day of how the decision went.

Consultants who had recently helped Butterfield Bank streamline operations have been hired to conduct a review of Immigration in the coming weeks, added Sen. Burch.

He also said he was going to review the definition of Good Corporate Citizenship in order to set a higher standard that ensures that a company which is labelled as such is doing everything that it can to improve the aspirations of Bermudians.

He told the Senate: "I have been most impressed by many firms; the majority of which I believe are committed to being Good Corporate Citizens.

"A Good Corporate Citizen does not need a label from the Minister of Immigration to be considered as such. They should be an employer of choice for many Bermudians.

"I would welcome more companies joining the ranks of the Ace Group of Companies who were recently re-certified as Investors-in-People.

"I would welcome more companies following the example of Max Re who provide the same benefits for their Bermudian staff including housing allowances as they do for their non-Bermudian staff.

"I would love to see companies provide more entry level positions for young Bermudians whether or not they have post-graduate education or mentoring high school students to prepare them for the workplace.

"These are some of the criteria that will guarantee the success of any application for Good Corporate citizen status."

Chamber of Commerce president Philip Barnett said: "Credit where credit is due, Immigration has made significant improvements in the short term.

"Work permits which have been massively outstanding have been turned around."