People have an additional week to give their opinions on the Cayman Islands’ immigration policy. The government’s Term Limit Review Committee has extended the deadline to respond to its survey until Monday, 16 January, according to a news release.
More than 600 people and 80 businesses have responded to the committee’s survey and public education initiative launched in December.
According to preliminary results of the anonymous survey, half of individuals feel the ‘rollover’ policy should be discarded, while 20 per cent feel it should remain as is, 16 per cent feel the employment period should be extended beyond the current seven years, and 14 per cent feel the period should be shortened.
The survey is divided into two sections: the Social and Economic Impacts of Rollover on Individuals, and the Social and Economic Impacts of Rollover on Businesses.
Preliminary results
Most of the individual respondents (55 per cent) were Caymanians or status holders, with 38 per cent being native Caymanians. Most respondents reported no professional or economic impacts of the rollover policy, but more than half had friends or acquaintances who had been rolled over.
Individuals working for government and statutory authorities comprised the largest number of survey respondents so far, followed by people in accounting/financial and education sectors.
Of the individual respondents, 83 per cent earned between $3,500 and $6,000 per month (or $42,000 to $72,000 per year), and the next-largest group earned $2,000 to $3,500 per month ($24,000 to $42,000 per year).
Of businesses responding, nearly half were in the tourism/hospitality sector, with the next-largest group in the accounting/financial sector. Other sectors represented include retail, employment, construction/landscaping, legal, education, real estate and healthcare.
A plurality of businesses (46 per cent) selected the ‘cost of doing business’ (utilities/accommodations/salaries, etc.) as a factor affecting their companies, followed by global economic conditions (39 per cent); the Islands’ reputation’ (38 per cent); and the cost of annual government fees (31 per cent).
More than half of businesses (54 per cent) reported seeing increases in their human resources and operating costs, while just more than half have seen decreases in profit margin and productivity.
Committee
“We appreciate the public involvement so far, and look forward to gaining even more input over coming days,” said committee Chairman Sherri Bodden-Cowan.
This committee was appointed by Cabinet to review the term limit provision of the Immigration Law (2010 Revision). It seeks public input to guide the development of independent recommendations to government on this immigration policy.
More specifically, its terms of reference are to address the effectiveness of the current term limit provisions, its effects on the social/economic interests of these Islands, and the fee structure associated with the grant of work permits. An associated topic is the ‘key employee’ provision.
To complete the survey, or for more information, visit www.immigration.gov.ky.
Private individuals, companies and nongovernmental organisations may also send written submissions by 15 January to Cayman Term Limit Review Committee, PO Box 391 Grand Cayman KY1-1106.
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Today is January 12th, 2012.
The immigration survey was due to end on December 31, 2011 which was proven to be an absolute inconvenience to out people and does not provide adequate time for input from Caymanians because of the christmas and New Year Holidays.
Taking into consideration that government has had the audacity to wait until a whopping 12 days past the due date to announce on today that the Immigration survey period is now extended to January 16, 2012, is a very disrespectful, and an injustice to our people.
This act is nothing short of contempt of government having any regard for the common sense, intellect, and overall recommendation for change and overall input and regard for our people.
This notoriously tardy release of the survey extension is a direct attempt by this UDP government to proceed with their own prepackaged agenda and continue to mercilessly disenfranchise and depriving the Caymanian people of their God given rights to make decisions for themselves and their country.
It is disgusting.
Florence Goring-Nozza
And since the common voter, knows EXACTLY what is going on. And why the island is in the situation. The time line needed to be extended.
Or maybe, it’s going to be people, expressing their own beliefs with no solid facts, just opinions.
Sounds like one heck of a accurate, fact finding survey.
This is just an exercise anyway, politicians and Government ultimately make the decision they think is best for the country as a whole anyway. There is no way the Government can please everyone they all have their own agenda anyway. It’s like this all over the world..