The consensus is that this collection of questions might be the most obscure, least relevant and purposely vindictive collection of miscellany ever put forward by a Cayman government which historically has promoted harmony between its native people and its invited foreign residents.
It’s standard practice in countries the world over to administer “history and culture tests” to people seeking residency or citizenship. The purpose, of course, is to ensure that those joining a culture and enjoying its benefits should, at the very least, have a knowledge of its history, its culture and its customs.
The multiple-choice test administered by immigration officials has no such lofty aims. It is a test designed to assure that almost anyone who takes it will fail it. Especially troubling is that it carries the same weight as the applicants’ “integration into the Caymanian Community,” as determined by the applicants’ “contributions directly impacting Caymanians” or “the Community,” according to information from the Department of Immigration.
Can anyone deny the unjustness in assessing the worthiness of these hopeful immigrants by their awareness of the National Museum’s “animatronic doll” (whatever that is) or that a “cross-piece” is the correct term for a house beam that can be used as a shelf? Or the islands’ unspectacular failure at exporting turtle soup 99 years ago? Is it important, necessary, or even desirable that an applicant knows that a “kraal” (a term for turtle pens) is the Afrikaans equivalent to the word “corral”? Of course not.
However, the list of questions does raise some serious questions from us:
To Governor Helen Kilpatrick: Did you know, and do you approve of, the fact that applicants, including U.K. nationals, could be denied residency based on such whimsical standards?
To Premier Alden McLaughlin and former government leaders Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, McKeeva Bush and Kurt Tibbetts: Have you endorsed this test, and do you endorse it now?
To Deputy Governor Franz Manderson: Considering your tenure at the Immigration Department since 1981, how can you justify allowing this travesty to be a part of the immigration process?
How can politicians invite foreigners to invest here, live here or even travel here if this test is indicative of their real feelings toward non-Caymanians?
Cayman’s permanent residency questions may appear to be jejune trivia, but the issue at hand is hardly trivial. The test appears designed to stymie people who are qualified candidates who have devoted resources, many years and good-faith effort to attain residency in a new adopted homeland.
We cannot imagine why any government would purposely support an immigration policy that does not unite but divides its population into two separate and unequal classes — us and them.
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I have done the test a bit over 4 years ago and have to say a lot has changed. Of my 20 questions, at least 3/4 of them were based on important events in history or culture and most importantly I was able to study from sources provided by the government and other online sites.
One question was for example at what time the Cayman flag is being raised every morning at the Goverment building. After the test I wanted to verify this with the Government Bldg direclty. I was transferred from desk to desk at least 4 times as no one had the answer readily available until I ended up at the desk of the security guard (non-Caymanian) whose task evidently it is every morning to raise the flag. It came down to this individual to confirm that the time is 6am.
Honestly, I am not saying all Caymanians need to know all the answers, but shouldn’t the test also be an opportunity for people to learn about their desired residential country? So if you think, questions such as the cross piece, etc are essential, how about making this information available to being studied ahead of time to provide a learning factor (not only) for expats to better understand culture and people.
I couldn’t even find the correct answers online. I am a seasonal expat of 20 plus years. What is Kraal !!!! I cyan imagine man. What B.S. I was going to retire in C.I.