Efficiency Minister Audrey Marks says Jamaica needs to examine the structured migration programme to drive its economic agenda

Minister for Efficiency and Innovation Ambassador Audrey Marks says the country needs to examine the structured migration programme to drive Jamaica’s economic agenda.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, she explains that she will be engaging stakeholders on a cooperation proposal she developed in March 2025 to be discussed with the United States.

According to Ambassador Marks, the U.S. policy on migration would see millions of undocumented persons being returned to their home countries.

That would create gaps in the U.S labour force, which Jamaica is hoping to capitalize on by sending more seasonal workers to the U.S.

She says Jamaica is sending about 20,000 workers to the U.S., but she believes the country is able to send some 200 thousand workers over time.

The Efficiency Minster States that to create balance, another aspect of the proposal would be a structured migration initiative to address the skills gaps in Jamaica by accepting some 10,000 skilled workers from the United States – who that country would be removing, under its migration policy.

She highlights that over the last 40 years Jamaica has lost more than a million professionals who have left to seek work overseas.

She says the proposal was not being discussed at the moment, as among other things, the ministries to be impacted needed time to put the capacity in place, to respond and Jamaica has been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Ambassador Marks is hoping to hold discussions with U.S. officials in September on this structured migration programme.