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Marshall Islands · Relocation guide

Moving to the Marshall Islands: work approval and atoll planning

An ordinary sponsored employment move combines Labour approval with immigration permission and noncitizen registration. Nationality exemptions must be checked separately. Choose the actual atoll and household support package before comparing jobs or housing.

Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Check both the work and immigration branch

The Immigration Division describes a Work Permit followed by an E-1 employment visa for the ordinary non-exempt worker. Its guidance identifies exemptions for US, FSM and Palau nationals. Have both authorities confirm the branch for your actual citizenship, rather than applying a rule from a different passport.

The employer must establish any local-recruitment requirement and the required contract and clearance evidence. Confirm the current advertising period for the permit class directly with Labour. An exploratory business visit is not permission to begin operating a business or take a local job.

Make repatriation and the worksite part of the offer

Agree the employing entity, approved occupation, location, salary currency and start conditions. Ask who files the permit and visa, supplies accommodation and pays return travel. Government and private contracts can require different supporting evidence.

For a placement outside Majuro, ask about access to the worksite and any separate local or facility permission. Housing or employment connected with a restricted installation needs its own confirmation; national entry alone should not be assumed to provide unrestricted access.

Do not count on dependant employment

The published G-1 dependant category does not authorise employment or business activities. Confirm qualifying relationships, support evidence and the validity tied to the principal applicant. A second household income should not be included in the budget until the adult’s work basis is settled.

Obtain school admission and support-needs confirmation and keep civil and custody records available. Compare accompanying-family and staged-arrival plans if housing or specialist care is uncertain. Retain copies of each person’s immigration and registration documents.

Compare homes by the services you need

Majuro, Ebeye and an outer-atoll assignment need different travel, supply and treatment plans. Check the route between home, work, school and healthcare before a long lease, including the alternative when the usual transport is unavailable.

Verify landlord authority, water storage, power, internet, repairs, deposit and notice terms. Obtain local permission before access to private or restricted land. Keep the actual-address record and avoid treating a rental agreement as proof of immigration status or ownership rights.

Prepare for treatment outside the islands

FCDO describes very limited medical facilities and recommends cover that includes medical evacuation. Confirm the receiving provider, transport and payment process and discuss ongoing prescriptions with a clinician before departure.

Ask the employer what is included for dependants and pre-existing conditions. Keep accessible funds and records in case treatment or evacuation must be arranged before an insurer reimburses costs. The availability of a local clinic does not establish access to specialist care.

Keep payroll and both renewals in view

Confirm the bank’s current identity, immigration, address and source-of-funds requirements. Agree payroll deductions and retain travel and overseas-income records for tax advice. Test payment methods before transferring the main household reserve.

Calendar the work permit, immigration status, passport and family records separately. A new employer requires the applicable new approvals. Before departure, retain salary and tax evidence and settle the lease, sponsor obligations and registration record.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 11 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

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