People who have either bought a house or signed a tenancy will be able to finalise moving to the Isle of Man.

A change in regulations to entry restrictions is for people who were unable to complete their move to the island before the borders closed in March.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle confirmed the change in last week’s Tynwald sitting following an emergency question from Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew).

Mr Quayle confirmed the new exemption was for people wishing to make the island their main place of residence and ’who has entered into a legally-binding contract’ either for a permanent office or employed position or the purchase or lease of premises in the island.

Mr Moorhouse asked Mr Quayle if it was possible for people to move to the Isle of Man even if they don’t have a job or a tenancy agreement in place.

The Chief Minister said it was ’unusual’ he was being asked to comment on this when there was a motion on the order paper which outlined the changes in place.

He added: ’If they have a purchase or lease on premises in the island, that will entitle them, so really if the honourable member wants to ask any more detailed questions, I’m sure the Minister for Policy and Reform... will be able to give a far more detailed answer. But it is under constant review, all these type of details.’

Mr Quayle confirmed a family can move as a whole rather than just the person who has a job or tenancy agreed.

Border

In the later motion on the issue of exemptions to the border closures, exemptions were granted to members of the merchant navy, members of the armed forces, the judiciary, licensed advocates, and residents ’returning from elsewhere but who are vital to the critical national infrastructure of the island or are essential to the medical infrastructure of the island and the health of its community’.

Other exemptions included removing the requirement for a person to have been on the island in the past six months, providing they can prove this is their main residence, an air accident inspector with the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch and compassionate grounds for when a person is not a resident of the island.

A further exemption was added following an amendment by Kate Lord-Brennan MLC to allow planning inspectors to visit the island.