Cuba’s relaxed immigration law, which went into effect last January, and the elimination of exit visas for its nationals to travel overseas may very well trigger a gradual exodus of surplus labor from the island.

British-educated entrepreneur Frederick Jelliff wants to exploit that possibility.

He’s the brainchild behind Cuba Professionals Inc., a Panamanian-registered firm based in Málaga, Spain. This agency helps prospective European and other employers find skilled Cubans of various backgrounds and professionals for their ventures and projects.

The focus of Jelliff’s firm which has an office in Havana is the performing arts. He helps everyone from jazz musicians to professional dancers and even circus performers.

Jelliff has been finding jobs for such professionals since 2009, but re-launched his service this past February thanks to the more lenient immigration laws now in place.

“We still specialize in entertainers, but we have branched out to offer Cuban candidates in such as finance, hospitality and agriculture, although we are very aware that there are still restrictions for certain professions [such as doctors and scientists],” he told CubaNews.

“We start every project with the vision and needs of the client, and the matching process begins.”

Cuba Professionals Inc. also lands overseas assignments for an unlikely category of skilled Cuban labor: chefs. Jelliff notes that with the tourism-driven Cuban hospitality sector taking off in recent years, a number of Cuban chefs all of whom are trained to prepare various types of cuisines for high-end resorts are seeking more lucrative opportunities in Europe and elsewhere.

His firm collects an undisclosed fee from employers hiring such skilled workers.

“We do not have fixed rates, and this is discussed during negotiations,” said Jelliff.  “Our job is to negotiate contractual terms that work for both the candidate and the potential employer. We offer support to Cubans who are on contract, in terms of helping their families back in Cuba, and available to them should they have questions.”

Jelliff’s support staff in Havana helps these professionals secure needed visas from Spain or whatever their destination country may be before leaving Cuba, and when necessary, work with Cuban government ministries to smooth over the immigration process.

Though Jelliff knows the Cuban labor pool he works with will continue to diversify, he says he will always have performing artists to place overseas.
“Needless to say, I vet the clients as much as I do the Cuban candidates,” he said. “My job is to assure that both sides will be satisfied with the contract. I have found many artists work abroad from the Caribbean to South America, Europe and Asia. My mission is to work with candidates who are not yet famous in Cuba. They still have so much to give.”