Information about Work Permit

Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment. It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some jurisdictions require a permit in order to work.

National work permits

On the national level, work permits are usually given for a single post at a single company. It is designed to control labor coming to job markets against from outside a country or given legal jurisdiction. Most every country in the world has work permits of some form or other.

In the European Union, for a specific employee to receive a work permit a prospective employer must usually provide at the following, if not more:

• have advertised the post and not been able to find anyone in the local labor market suitable for the position,
• show that the applicant for the permit has the necessary qualifications for the job,
• meet any quota or regulatory restrictions,
• meet any locally applicable salary, contract or labor standards requirements.

European countries may also have political or economic targets in controlling the number of work permits given out. For example, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium have relatively strict criteria. Italy and Spain, on the other hand, may show more flexibility in certain areas deemed important for the local economy.

Employment permits for minors

In states of the US, a work permit must be obtained by a teenager wishing to procure employment. Similar to national work permits, the idea is that someone has a limited right to work.

In some states, for example New Jersey, permits are only required for minors 14 and 15 years old, while others such as Massachusetts require (at least in theory) work permits for all minors up until they turn 18 years of age. In states that require permits for 16 and 17 year olds, enforcement is not always strict, although sometimes it is. Permits are usually issued through the school system the minor attends, and typically at a minimum, enrollment in high school with regular attendance (no chronic absenteeism, tardiness, or truancy) is required as a condition for obtaining the permit. Some states such as New York and Indiana require high school students with part time jobs to maintain a certain grade point average. Minors who are working are usually restricted in the number of hours each day or week they are permitted to work as well as the types of jobs they may hold.

References

External links

• Indiana Teenworker Requirements
• Massachusetts Child Labor Laws