Premier says two-year break possible
Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush said Wednesday that he would ask Cabinet to temporarily suspend Cayman’s term limit on foreign workers’ residency.
The proposal, which Mr. Bush said would be presented to Cabinet members next week, would be to suspend the term-limit requirements contained within the country’s Immigration Law for up to two years to allow for a comprehensive review of the policy.
The review, to be done by a committee consisting of members from Cayman’s Chamber of Commerce, the financial services industry, the government’s Immigration Review Team and other local stakeholders who represent “a range of small businesses”, should be completed with findings reported to Cabinet within 180 days, Mr. Bush said.
The Premier also noted that appropriate amendments would be made to Immigration Law in due course.
“This amendment should give clear directions to Immigration that if a person is being rolled over, they would be given an opportunity to re-apply for a work permit,” Mr. Bush said. “It would be reasonable to expect that persons rolled over in the 30 days immediately prior to the effective date of the amendment should also be allowed to re-apply for a permit.”
Mr. Bush said the Work Permit Board would still have the authority to refuse work permit applications given the usual considerations, such as the availability of suitable Caymanians who apply for a position and the character of the work permit applicant.
Cayman Islands Immigration Law requires all foreign-born workers to obtain permits to take up employment in the country. Typically, a seven-year limit on their residency – often referred to as the rollover policy – is placed on those workers unless they are granted what is known as key employee status. Key employee designations allow a foreign worker to obtain work permits for nine years in Cayman, long enough to apply for permanent residence – the right to reside in the country for the rest of their lives – after eight years.
Premier Bush told members of the assembly that he had urged reform of the present “rollover system” since the May 2009 general elections.
“Many thought rolling over qualified and trained persons would create opportunities for Caymanians,” Mr. Bush said. “This has not happened. In fact, many of the persons that were rolled over took up positions in other competing jurisdictions. We need the right people to remain on Islands to ensure that our people have the ability to benefit from our own economy.”
In addition, Mr. Bush said an “undesirable scenario” government sought to prevent was the departure of senior company managers to other jurisdictions.
“The Caymanian secretaries and administrators working in the business become immediately unemployed,” Mr. Bush said.
Over the past few years, Cayman’s rental market has plummeted and Mr. Bush said the effect of expatriate workers departing has also hit service industries such as supermarkets, construction companies and other trade jobs.
“My information is that there are over 2,200 rental apartments currently empty,” the premier told the House.
Even with the temporary suspension of the term-limit policy on foreign workers’ residency, Mr. Bush noted that local companies will still have to adhere to statutory requirements to put Caymanians first in any and all hiring efforts.
“Any business which does not put policies in place for the employment and promotion of able and willing Caymanians are not the sort of partners we need for our sustained development,” Mr. Bush said. “[They] will not be permitted to benefit from this temporary suspension of the rollover policy.”
Mr. Bush may find some support for his proposal from an unlikely source: Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin.
In June, Mr. McLaughlin said the People’s Progressive Movement executive wanted to see significant changes in the term-limit policy.
In particular, he suggested doing away with the provisions in the Immigration Law dealing with key employees and allowing all expatriates the chance to remain in the Cayman Islands for eight years, long enough to apply for permanent residency. The applications for permanent residence would considered and determined on a points-system basis and not all applications would be granted.
“But we should not set the bar for permanent residence so high that only professional and managerial persons can ever hope to achieve it,” he said at the time. “Nor should we set it so low that just about anyone will qualify.”
Hurricane Ivan in 2011
One of the major factors influencing government with regard to the term-limit or rollover policy is the anticipated influx of key employee applications from workers who have been on Island since the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
“Persons arriving since [Hurricane] Ivan are now nearing their seven year [term limit],” said Work Permit Board Chair Sherri Bodden-Cowan in an interview from July.
It is not possible to determine from available immigration statistics how many people who arrived after Hurricane Ivan actually stayed in Cayman the full seven years, but the seven-year anniversary of the storm occurred last weekend and now the permits granted in late 2004 and early 2005 will begin to come to full term.
Cayman’s labour force statistics clearly show a massive influx of people arrived in Cayman during 2005, compared to a sharp drop in the population around the time Ivan occurred. By the fall of 2004, Cayman’s total workforce was just 23,453 people, with less than 11,000 non-Caymanians in that group, according to the government Economics and Statistics Office.
A year later, the workforce had swelled to 36,767 people with 17,439 non-Caymanians in the work force – an increase of about 6,500 non-Caymanians in the labour force in just 12 months. Moreover, in 2006 and 2007, work permit figures continued to increase the influx of foreign workers.
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Twenty-two hundred empty condos on the island. At an average of 2 or 3 people per condo, that’s 5 to 6 thousand people who have left the island, which strangely enough is pretty close to the decline in work permits issued.
Striker is probably down at Hurley’s or Kirk’s, counting eggs.
This is certainly good news for the many decent, law-abiding work permit holders who have made a home here.
However it does re-open the old argument between local people who claim they are being passed over for jobs and employers who claim they cannot find suitable Caymanians.
Here is an easy and cheap solution.
An on-line register where Caymanians, Status Holders and Permanent Residents ONLY can post their employment interests and qualifications.
There would of course be different fields, including maids, attorneys, dive-masters, cooks, secretaries, plumbers, computer techs, accountants etc.
Thus, at a glance, an employer would be able to see if there were indeed suitably qualified local people.
Consulting this register should be made a legal requirement. And, the work permit board would have the right to say, Why are you asking for a work permit for ,say, a chef, when there is a qualified chef available for work right here?
The onus would be on the employer then to demonstrate why this particular person would not be suitable.
I realize the government is short of funds. If this is an issue, I would be happy to create and maintain such a web site at my personal expense, free of charge to everyone. No advertising allowed.
As usual, a day late and a dollar short. Does anyone in this government think long term?
@ longtermresident – That is a great idea. And may I add that they could still have a rollover policy in place that will use the type registry you are talking about. For instance, if there is a position in the registry that is not needed by a Caymanian, Status Holder, or Permanent Resident, the work permit holder would have to leave the island for the rollover time period. But if the registry’s position is open, then they can remain on island beyond the seven years and apply for it. Other than that, get rid of the whole rollover policy altogether, and stick with the registry you suggested. But I think a rollover policy would make the registry more effective.
People of the Cayman Islands. Do not allow Mr. McKeeva Bush to remove the rollover.It helps to protect your borders. The guns and the drugs on the street is the result of Mr. Bush for two years now not providing jobs for the young people. therefore they have no choice but to resort to crime. There are already way too many people on the island granted status they should not have, and without jobs and committing crimes. The rollover being removed will only MAKE MORE ROOM FOR MORE CRIMINALS to hide in the Cayman Islands and add to the criminal activity. You should stop him from doing this to you.
For a Premier that has not provided and created jobs which is fundamental to getting elected and working for the people. Mr.Bush is full of promises to his people but certainly DELIVERS to X-pats whatever they ask him for. It is a disgrace and you can not allow him to do this to you.
THE ROLLOVER IS ALL THAT CAYMANIANS HAVE LEFT.
Why not till the government land and use some of it for farming, putting ex-convicts to work in farming in factories making artifacts, bringing a pay check every week so they do not have to get involved with crime. Government has contributed to this crime wave.Yes Mr. Bush make Mr. Ryan ‘PAY UP and use that money to create jobs for your people. This is no time to talk about ‘A ROLLOVER POLICY or giving away our land to someone that owes government millions of dollars. Are You insane? Crown land and the ROLLOVER POLICY is the only thing that Caymanians have left the rollover MUST NOT BE REMOVED EVER.
ROLLOVER ‘MUST STAY.
Why do so many people believe that the rollover was intended to have anything to do with Caymanian unemployment?
The rollover was introduced to stop Jamaicans obtaining the right to status as a result of time spent on the island.
In a great example of the law of unintended consequences, it has of course been a disaster for the Caymanian economy, with businesses downsizing or closing, the property and rental markets collapsing, and an increase in unemployment as expat capital and businesses have fled.
I am frankly amazed that McKeeva has dared to stir up the racist hysteria that will inevitably follow this announcement from the Island’s loud, economically illiterate and bigoted minority, but best of luck to him.
It is nice to know that local business owners may not have to come out of their retirement to train new people every 7 years.
Liverpool, are you insane?
Do you really beileve that the gun carrying gangs from West Bay would be the accountants and bankers of this island if the rollover policy was not continued?
How can removing the roll over ‘make more room for criminals’?? It affect people who have been WORKING on the island for 7 years. Yes, working, putting money into the economy, creating jobs for Caymanian people and contributing to the community.
I think that maybe should go work in the fields, some contenplative time may help to clear your head of bigotry.
The rollover should remain in affect as it is. From reading this story in particular this part: Many thought rolling over qualified and trained persons would create opportunities for Caymanians, Mr. Bush said. This has not happened. Wonder why this has not happened? The reason why is business owners are looking for the cheapest labor. Let’s say its a Jamaican national or a Philipino national in an accounting position. They are not only making enough money to sustain the cost of living in the Cayman Islands, but still have enough disposable income left over to send back home to build their lives after their term is done. Which Caymanian can do that?
I have seen it too many times before. The foreigners that are working for the caymanian businesses with the ability to hire are looking to fill the positions with other foreigners, simple as that.
I hear too often that Caymanians are lazy and we don’t want to work. Its not that we don’t want to work we just dont want to work for caymanian owners who hire mainly foreigners to keep their labor cost down, and only hire enough caymanians to satisfy the requirements of their Trade and Business License staffing plan.
I am saddened to see how Cayman is turning out, at the rate the government is going, my children won’t be able to find a decent job in this place I once called paradise.
Confused – now you are confusing me.
At whay point did you miss the fact that Lawyers and Accountants are always were and now exprelly are effectively exempted from rollover by regulations passed a year ago. If they, or anyone else in a management position in financial services wants to stay – they just pretty much have to apply.
Suggestions that the policy is having an adverse effect on financial services professionals seems to me to be largely made up.
Hey Striker,
You all seem to think Caymanians were born behindd a cow Behind!
We are the smartest people on earth, we may be small in numbers but we seem to have it together as everyone in the world is fighting and almost want to kill to stay here after they get here!
By the way, How in the hell is it possible for a work permit holder providing jobs for Caymanians while they are sitting in the jobs? Do you realise you made that statement and it contadicts itself?
Seems like you were born behind the cow behind.
No way is the rollover policy removal going to help Caymanians it will increase the number of jobless Caymanians and increase the number of work permits being granted for people who want to stay here and fill positions with their foreign selves or their foreign friends or families.PUSHING CAYMANIANS OUT OF MAKING AN HONEST LIVING so they have to take up the guns and drugs to rob, sell or steal to support their families. So you that have no vision can not see this because all you are interested in is working for the Cayman dollar.
McKeeva is going to get a big fight with this one, We will not have it.
THE ROLLOVER Policy MUST STAY!
Alden McLaughlin is deceiving his supporters as well pitching them on the idea for he is only PHISHING FOR MORE VOTES TO BEAT MCKEEVA IN 2013 nothing else! everyone knows Alden is anti-X-pat.
Governor Duncan you need to get involved with this, Caymanianians do not want to lose the rollover policy,
McKeeva is giving away:-
Cayman Status to get re-elected in 2013
Giving away our crown land to developers who owe the government millions of dollars while we struggle to pay for a measly house lot.
McKeeva is Giving away our jobs.
Now he wants to STOP all chances of Caymanians ever being hired or considered for a position by making IT EASIER FOR THE X-PAT TO FILL A POSITION THAT CAN BE FILLED BY QUALIFIED CAYMANIANS.
MCKEEVA MUST NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS.
As a matter of fact it is the last NAIL to be driven into the coffins of Caymanians ever working in their own country.
He is WRONG!
Alden and Ezard and Arden,we expect you to put up a fight or we will sweep you all out at the poles in 2013. I’m sure Northsiders will not put others in front of their job opportunity. So Ezzard need not be so comfortable because some Northsiders I know of already are waiting to see just how he will handle this to make a decision for 2013.
Hey Dubai
We are mis-understanding each other. I’m on your side. I believe rollover should stay – unless and until someone comes up with a workable alternative, and I have not heard one suggested yet. (Workable means workable for Caymanians – the ones born in hospital, as I do not think there are any born behind a cow behind ..except maybe one)
It was only ever going to be a matter of time before Dubai joined this thread, but his comment below is impressively incoherent, xenophobic, illogical, and full of non-sequiturs even by his high standards.
Dubai
I am not sure what being born behind a cow means but your amazingly misinformed, biggoted, idiotic comments would lead me to believe that you must have been eating the mad variety.
Ex=pats brought with them the jobs and if they leave you can guarantee they will take them with them. Are you seriously telling people that the local population is capable of filing the vast amount of very technical and professional positions needed to run some of the companies here?? Why then did people from more than 100 different countries come here in the first place
Are you claiming that Caymanian people resort to guns and drugs instead of job searching because that is a rather dim view of the people here and not one I accept. I very much hope that your views are not shared for the sake of Cayman
Hey Dubai,
You do know your post makes very little sense?
We are the smartest people on earth, well I hope these ‘Caymanianians’ you refer to, don’t have you as their spokesperson.
Sweeping out at the poles?? What, should the polar bears and penguins be concerned?