The number of non-Caymanians working for the Cayman Islands Government dropped by more than a third between 2008 and 2011.
According to statistics released Monday as part of the Department of Immigration’s Quarterly Statistical Report, the number of non-Caymanian government workers dropped from 1,464 in 2008 to 971 on 31 December, 2011, a decrease of more 33.67 per cent.
The rate of decline of foreigners working for government fell more steeply than foreign workers in the private sector, although the number of work permits also fell significantly. Between 2008 and 2011, the number of work permits dropped from 19,257 to 15,753, a decline of 3,504 or 18.2 per cent. However, the number of foreigners on work permits increased slightly last year – 524 permits or 3.4 per cent – while the number of non-Caymanian government workers continued to drop between 2010 and 2011. There were 58 fewer foreigners – 5.6 per cent – working for government in 2011 compared to 2010.
The decreases in both sectors do not necessarily mean that those workers left the Cayman Islands. In the case of government workers, they could have received a grant of Caymanian Status. In the case of foreign work permit holders, a person being granted Caymanian Status or permanent residence would take them off the list of work permit holders. In addition, foreigners who had reached their term limits but had earned the right to apply for permanent residence are able to work by operation of law – rather than a work permit – until their application is determined.
With regard to working by operation of law, that figure dropped by more than two-thirds in the period between 2008 and 2011. There were 3,270 people working by operation of law in 2008 and three years later that number had dropped to 1,043. In addition to those with applications for permanent residence pending, others who can work by operation of law include those with work permit renewal applications pending and those who are awaiting decisions on appeals of refused work permit or permanent residence applications. The decline in the number of foreigners working by operation of law between 2008 and 2011 corresponds with the increase in permanent residence applications dealt with.
Overall, the number of foreign workers in the Cayman Islands, not including permanent residents with the right to work, increased from 19,106 in 2010 to 19,927 in 2011, an increase of 4.3 per cent.
Permanent residency
Although the statistics released this week do not specifically detail the number of permanent residency applications approved, an idea of that number can be deduced by other statistics given in the report.
During 2011, the report states that 2,392 applications to the Caymanian Status & Permanent Residency Board were processed and only 372 of them refused. Although the word “processed” might not necessarily mean determined, it would appear that only 15.6 per cent of applications to permanent residency board were refused in 2011.
Those applications were for a variety of designations including 729 (30.5 per cent) for residency and employment right certificates submitted by spouses of Caymanians; 503 (21 per cent) for residency and employment right certificates submitted by people who had earned the right to apply on the basis of being resident in the Cayman Islands for eight years or more; and 172 (7.2 per cent) for residency with the right to work submitted by spouses of permanent residents.
Term Limit Exemption Permit
The report also highlights the number of foreigners who have applied for the term limit exemption permit since October 2010 upon reaching their term limit. Only 191 applications for term limited exemption permits were received with 16 being refused, 41 either being deferred or pending and 134 being approved.
Further statistics in the report indicated that 511 foreigners reached their term limit between October and December. Of the 320 people who reached their term limit and did not apply for a term limit exemption permit, an unknown number have applied for permanent residency and are now working by operation of law and others have left the Cayman Islands.
The report indicates that another 2,350 people will reach the end of their term limit during the course of 2012.
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