Overview

• Effective Wednesday, citizens of the four countries can live and work indefinitely across the participating states without visas or work or residency permits.
• Border authorities will stamp passports or create digital records to confirm the right to remain indefinitely for eligible travelers.
• Arrivals can register for health care and education services, and governments may refuse entry to individuals deemed genuine security threats, officials said.
• The arrangement is enabled by a 2022 Caricom protocol allowing subset cooperation and draws on an OECS model, marking the first such regime for Belize and Barbados.
• Backers say the move could help retain skilled professionals, while some residents and officials caution about potential strains on social services and job competition; Jamaica supports free movement in principle but has not set a timetable to join.