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Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2005 - 2006: Archives - 2005-06-01 to 2005-07-14: Local employment
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kimberly Lucas (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 1:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi all,
My husband and I will be in Bonaire in August to dive and to look for a new home -- part time at first, unless we can't force ourselves back to the US, of course ... We're starting to inquire about jobs and have looked into work permits and all the requirements already. We're trying to find out about job availability. I'm a critical care RN and an EMT. He's a paramedic (and has a private pilot certificate). I sent an email to the hospital but it was returned undeliverable. Does anyone know 1) the hospital's correct email address and 2) what the job situation is like?

Thanks much!
Kimberly

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Baum (GDLW) (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2815) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 3:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi, Kimberly and welcome to BT! Good luck on your job search. If I'm not mistaken, I think it's a requirement that you speak Dutch at the hospital? Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems I've heard that before.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Gould (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #162) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 8:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We had a Dutch R/N working at Dive-Inn in June and she was studying Papiamentu in a class in the evenings because to work in the medical field on Bonaire it is necessary to speak and write Dutch and Papiamentu. Ron

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kimberly Lucas (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 10:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the info, Kelly and Ron. I did hear from some other folks that the language thing is indeed a requirement. We do speak some Dutch (though not fluently) -- and even less Papiamentu. :-( Good to know, though. We can start studying now -- I'm not giving up that easily!
Kimberly

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #766) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 11:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I am a US nurse who lives on Bonaire. Unfortunately if I wanted I could't work at the hospital. You have to be able to speak, read and write Dutch fluently.

If you are creative, there could be other options. Also since your husband is a pilot, he may want to check with the airport to see about the ambulance plane....

Liz

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #767) on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - 11:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I am a US nurse who lives on Bonaire. Unfortunately if I wanted I could't work at the hospital. You have to be able to speak, read and write Dutch fluently.

If you are creative, there could be other options. Also since your husband is a pilot, he may want to check with the airport to see about the ambulance plane....

Liz

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ruth van Tilburg (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #388) on Wednesday, July 6, 2005 - 7:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The air ambulance job is a gov't job, and I don't believe it's ever been held by someone other than an Antillean. There are lots of qualified pilots here--but, for past few years, no plane to rent. Buy & bring down a Cessna 172 or similar, and rent it out, and/or give flight lessons. And, I'm not kidding when in the past, I've said to take a bar-tending course.... although, since the Dutch do not need work permits anymore, even those jobs are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Others have also given the advice of "living" here for a few months, before making the major commitment to relocate permanently--this is good advice. It's very different being a resident (seeing how much your water & electricity bill is, getting something fixed, buying home/health insurance, etc), rather than a tourist. And the pay-scale is certainly much lower than that in the US. If all of these are things you can accept & live with, then you'll be happy here.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2089) on Wednesday, July 6, 2005 - 4:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

One concern with small aircraft based on Bonaire is the constantly blowing salt air. I know of people in the past who essentially lost the plane to corrosion in less than 5 years. Something to be careful about.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Theo (BonaireTalker - Post #82) on Friday, July 8, 2005 - 7:05 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Kimberly,
if you're looking for a job on one of the ABC's (Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao) you could check at:
www.traha.com/
Good luck!
Theo :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Theo (BonaireTalker - Post #83) on Friday, July 8, 2005 - 7:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kimberly,
if you dig deeper in the website I mentioned, it all seems to be in Dutch language, so I'm not sure it's some kind of help for you...........
Theo :-(

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack H. King Jr. (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 6:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Can someone please answer the following question for me? Once I have established my residency papers and moved to Bonaire, am I still required to get a work permit from an employer to have a job? Also, am I restricted from working in any way while I live (not visit) on the island as a bona-fide resident? I have a job lined up for a couple of years but I want to know what I will be facing after that is finished. Thanks in advance, Jack.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6334) on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 6:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Welcome Jack, I'm sure someone hopefully Ruth will pop in to answer that question soon but in the mean time have you looked at this thread???
Click here

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #821) on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 8:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Jack,

Welcome, to add a bit. Yes, you do need a work permit to actually work on the island. As in Freddie's link, Ruth is the best person to describe to you what you need. The only other option if you wanted residency on Bonaire and didn't want to work; you would have to be able to show that you could be self supportive, meaning that you had enough money to live here on your own. Best of luck.

 


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