Term limits for non-Caymanian civil servants: The bill introduces term limits for non-Caymanian civil servants, aligning with limits for private-sector work-permit holders.
Revised residency periods for Caymanian status: Increases the required period of ordinary residence from 15 to 20 years for certain categories to qualify for Caymanian status.
Longer marriage/civil partnership duration: Extends the required marriage or partnership period (for Caymanian status eligibility) up to 15 years.
Stronger action on marriages/civil partnerships of convenience: Expands powers to investigate and revoke permissions where there is reasonable suspicion of sham relationships.
Discretion to maintain residency after divorce: The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board and the director of WORC may allow a Residency and Employment Rights Certificate (RERC) to remain valid even if a marriage or civil partnership ends.
Work permit job mobility: Work-permit holders cannot switch employers within their first two years, except for domestic helpers or in special circumstances approved by WORC. If they do want to change jobs within the first two years, they must first leave Cayman for one year.
Employer advertising and registration requirements: Before applying for a work permit, employers must pay a fee to WORC to register a vacancy, which must be advertised on the WORC jobs portal and in local media for 21 days.
Mandatory annual declarations: Holders of Caymanian status, permanent residency and RERC, among others, must submit yearly declarations confirming personal and dependent details. Failure to comply is an offence and can lead to revocation.
Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means: Applicants must show the prescribed investment in developed real estate; certificates last 10 years but can be renewed indefinitely.
Grandfather clause: For those who have been granted or have applied for permanent residency, lodged an appeal, or married a Caymanian before the new legislation comes into effect, their cases will be handled under the existing law. This means the timelines for their eligibility to apply for Caymanian status will be the current shorter periods.
The bill is a poor attempt at what could be done. Too big a focus is on increasing time limits to ungodly amounts when the focus should be better wages.
No Caymanaians want to be career nannys. Caymanaians don’t want to work for $7 ,$8 an hour. We need the big bucks. The bill does nothing to pay us Caymanains the big bucks. Meanwhile it continues to allow rich people to buy up the land so the government cronies can profit. The bill is incomplete yet sent to the public to comment, simply put, it’s a rush job. They are trying to say “look at what we have got done” but the product is like delivering a school paper when writing the first draft. I guess that’s the education in our schools showing but this immigration bill would get a D- or an F by me. It needs a serious long look before even going to comment. ChatGPT could have done a better bill.
I say it now and I say it always – without considering when people got to island and the laws they were under, it seems like a clear directive to violate families and human rights of people who landed on island 6 years ago and were getting ready for PR but the goverment is like “ Got ya with this rule change!” They are laughing to the bank with the work permit fees so it doesn’t matter if they screw over families and hard working people.
The bill is a poor attempt at what could be done. Too big a focus is on increasing time limits to ungodly amounts when the focus should be better wages.
No Caymanaians want to be career nannys. Caymanaians don’t want to work for $7 ,$8 an hour. We need the big bucks. The bill does nothing to pay us Caymanains the big bucks. Meanwhile it continues to allow rich people to buy up the land so the government cronies can profit. The bill is incomplete yet sent to the public to comment, simply put, it’s a rush job. They are trying to say “look at what we have got done” but the product is like delivering a school paper when writing the first draft. I guess that’s the education in our schools showing but this immigration bill would get a D- or an F by me. It needs a serious long look before even going to comment. ChatGPT could have done a better bill.
I say it now and I say it always – without considering when people got to island and the laws they were under, it seems like a clear directive to violate families and human rights of people who landed on island 6 years ago and were getting ready for PR but the goverment is like “ Got ya with this rule change!” They are laughing to the bank with the work permit fees so it doesn’t matter if they screw over families and hard working people.