From 3 April 2026, Guernsey will allow holders of Short Term Employment Permits (STEPs) to stay on the island until 31 January 2027 once their three-year limit is reached, the island's Home Affairs Committee has confirmed.

The committee approved the temporary extension on 31 March 2026. Workers qualify if their STEP expires on or after 3 April 2026 and they file an application with the States of Guernsey.

What does the rule change?

A standard STEP ends after three years. Under the temporary measure, qualifying workers can continue working in Guernsey for up to ten additional months while the committee reviews the overall length of the permit.

Key terms of the extension:

• Run ends on 31 January 2027
• Eligible STEPs expire on or after 3 April 2026
• Workers must submit an application
• The committee will use the period to revisit the policy

Why now?

The STEP scheme was launched three years ago. The policy matures this year, and the first cohort of permit holders now reaches the three-year cap. Hospitality sector employers pressed the committee to act, including a wider push to lift the limit to four years.

Committee president Marc Leadbeater said: "This has arisen because, three years on from the STEP's introduction, the policy matures this year and some STEP holders will reach their three-year cap."

Leadbeater had previously said Home Affairs received calls, particularly from hospitality, to extend STEPs to four years.

Does this mean a four-year STEP is coming?

No, not yet. Leadbeater said the temporary extension "should not be viewed as a definitive precursor" to a permanent change. The committee wants time to weigh competing pressures first.

"There are many demands to balance, not least the requirements we must follow to remain members of the Common Travel Area, and the pressure on local housing stock," he said.

Leadbeater added: "A Short-Term Employment Permit, by its very nature, is intended to be short term."

Who is affected?

The change covers third-country nationals — workers who are neither British nationals nor entitled to Common Travel Area (CTA) rights — holding a STEP that expires on or after 3 April 2026.

Local hiring rules still apply. The employer-side requirements attached to the original permit, including skills tests and salary thresholds set by the States of Guernsey, continue to govern each role.

What happens next?

The Home Affairs Committee will review the total duration of a STEP during the extension window. Any move to a permanent four-year limit would require a further policy decision and likely fresh legislation from the States.

Workers and employers should check the States of Guernsey website for application procedures, fees, and deadlines once the scheme opens. Permit holders who fail to apply before their STEP expires lose the right to work under this temporary protection.