Deportation and how to challenge it, immigration detention, children, refugees, and who may work here. Each question below is answered on its own page, by reference to the law of Trinidad and Tobago.
These questions belong to Immigration Law, the practice page that sets out how such a matter is run.
Last reviewed 19 October 2026
Questions on immigration law
- How does deportation work in Trinidad and Tobago? A deportation order under the Immigration Act requires the person named in it to leave Trinidad and Tobago and stay out. It is made either by the Minister himself, without an inquiry, or by a Special Inquiry Officer after an inquiry. When the Minister makes the order against an unlawful entrant, a permitted entrant who has lost that status, or a person whose Minister’s permit has ended, there is no right of appeal. An order made after an inquiry can usually be appealed to the Minister, but only by serving notice within 24 hours. A deported person needs the Minister’s written permission to return.
- Can a deportation order be challenged or lifted in Trinidad and Tobago? Yes, in limited ways. An order made by a Special Inquiry Officer can usually be appealed to the Minister, but only by serving notice within 24 hours. An order the Minister makes himself against an unlawful entrant, a permitted entrant who has lost that status or a former permit holder carries no appeal at all. The Act bars the courts from interfering with lawful detention and deportation decisions about people who are neither citizens nor residents, but the courts can still act where a decision was not made in accordance with the Act. The Minister can also cancel any order at any time.
- How long can someone be held in immigration detention in Trinidad and Tobago? The Immigration Act sets no maximum period. The courts, following the Privy Council, limit detention pending deportation to the time reasonably necessary to deport the person, judged on all the circumstances. That detention also needs a deportation order against the person, although the Act separately allows detention pending an inquiry, examination or appeal. Once removal clearly cannot happen within a reasonable time, continued detention is unlawful and release can be sought by habeas corpus.
- Can migrant children be detained or deported from Trinidad and Tobago? A migrant child who is not a citizen can be made the subject of a deportation order. But the Privy Council has held that a child cannot be detained pending deportation just because a parent is under a deportation order. There must be an order against the child, and detention must last no longer than is reasonable, judged with the child’s welfare in mind. A child born in Trinidad and Tobago is usually a citizen.
- Is there refugee protection in Trinidad and Tobago? Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 2000, but Parliament has not made them part of the country’s law and there is no Refugee Act. In 2023 the High Court held that the Convention and the principle of non-refoulement do not apply domestically, so a lawful deportation order under the Immigration Act is not overridden by a refugee or asylum claim.
- Can migrants work legally in Trinidad and Tobago? Only with a work permit, unless an exemption applies. A person who is not a citizen or resident of Trinidad and Tobago needs a work permit to work here. One exemption covers “an immigrant who is the holder of a permit” issued by the Minister under section 10 of the Immigration Act: an Order in force from 1 January 2026 exempts them from the work permit requirement, but only until 31 December 2026 unless it is extended.
- How does the CARICOM skills certificate work in Trinidad and Tobago? A national of a qualifying CARICOM state who holds a skills certificate must, subject to limited exceptions, be allowed to enter Trinidad and Tobago and may work without a work permit in the category the certificate covers. A certificate issued by Trinidad and Tobago gives entry for an indefinite period. A certificate issued by another CARICOM state gives 6 months’ entry, and the holder must apply within those 6 months to have it verified.
Important notice. This page is general information about the law of Trinidad and Tobago. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. The law changes, and how it applies depends on the facts, so take advice on your own situation before you act. Court decisions are cited for the principle they state; similar results cannot be guaranteed, and a decision may be subject to appeal or change.
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Commentary / Immigration
Immigration Law in Trinidad and Tobago
By Suraj Sakal, Attorney-at-Law, called to the Bar of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago