Millions of people across the world were asked to work from home via the internet as governments sought to stem the infection rate of the Covid-19 virus.
External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said that if a higher number of high-net-worth individuals were interested coming to Jersey as 21E immigrants, the increase should be an opportunity to select the very best people, rather than increase the overall number.
‘If there is more interest, that’s good because it means we can be more selective about who receives licences,’ he said.
‘We want those who are going to bring the greatest financial and entrepreneurial benefit to Jersey, rather than just bigger number of licences issued.’
JoJo DiCasa, co-founder of DiCasa property developers, said that she believes events have changed people’s mindsets permanently and created a ‘massive shift’ in working culture, with many more people now comfortable with doing their jobs remotely.
Her views were echoed by estate agents Clifford Wilson and Roger Trower, who both, like Ms DiCasa, said that inquiries had increased from people looking to relocate to Jersey and run their business or do their job from the Island.
Ms DiCasa said: ‘The entire consumer model for buying houses has now changed. Even during lockdown we had huge numbers on our website and lots of inquires.
‘Foremost on the list of wants was home offices. There had been a massive shift in working culture through people working at home and I can’t see things going back to the way they were.’
She added: ‘One of the big attractions of Jersey is the super-fast fibre internet. We also have fabulous beaches, crime is low, we have clean air.
‘Since the pandemic we have had a lot of interest in moving to Jersey, from people in places like London and Monte Carlo. It’s also because of the way Jersey has handled the crisis.
‘There’s been a very low number of cases. It has become more appealing for people to come to a small island and be more self-sufficient, having your office at home and keeping your family safe.’
Mr Wilson, a partner at Wilsons Knight Frank, said that the pandemic had proved overwhelmingly that remote working was viable for many businesses and individuals.
‘We have seen extra interest in people who are considering relocating themselves here and running their businesses from here,’ he said.
‘I think the theory of working from home has been put to the test and substantially proved by the the period of the Covid-19 outbreak.
‘It has been found that home working works exceptionally well and people will be a lot more confident that they can work from home, so I think this is a trend that will continue.’
Mr Trower, of Broadland Estates, said that he had also seen increased interest of this kind, including from successful Islanders who had moved away to develop their careers.
‘A lot of people who are based locally are realising that they don’t have to travel so much for work to London and places like that,’ he said.
‘We have also seen a spike in interest in people asking about moving here. One thing that you are seeing is people who are from Jersey originally and have residency rights but work in London or other cities realising that they could work in Jersey just as easily and would like to do that. This is mainly people in their 30s or 40s, who are likely to be managers or directors.’
A spokeswoman for Locate Jersey, the government department responsible for attracting super-wealthy individuals to the Island under the 21E tax scheme, said that interest in moving to Jersey had remained ‘consistent’ among super-wealthy high-net-worth individuals.
