The most significant changes to Cayman Islands immigration law in years have been passed by Parliament.
After a marathon three-day debate and an intense committee stage during which multiple amendments were made to the legislation, MPs voted unanimously in support of the Immigration (Transition) (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2025, which will be renamed the Caymanian Protection Act.
The debate result, which occurred late afternoon on Friday 12 Dec, was 15 votes in favour and no votes against. Four MPs, Joey Hew, Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden, who announced a business conflict, Roy Tatum, who was off island for a family matter, and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly were absent for the final vote.
Key changes in the Bill include:
- work permit holders who leave their job within the first two years are required to leave the Cayman Islands for at least one year before applying for another job on island
- increasing the residency requirement for Caymanian Status to 20 years (or 15 years for spouses of Caymanians)
- increasing the minimum income threshold for non-Caymanians with dependents from $3,500 to $5,000 per month and an additional $1,000 for each dependent, up from $500
- Expanding WORC’s investigative and data-sharing powers and strengthening its authority over Caymanian Status and PR decisions
A further 17 amendments were tabled on the eve of the debate, including provisions allowing the Director of WORC to revoke Caymanian status grants in certain circumstances.
However some policies which had been included in the government’s White Paper published earlier this year, such as making work permit holders leave the islands for two years between jobs, were dropped from the final bill.
Grandfather clauses are expected to be in the updated legislation which will allow existing permanent residents and foreign spouses of Caymanians to be dealt with under the previous legislation.
The bill drew criticism from some Opposition MPs, who raised concerns about social division and cost-of-living impacts as well as what they said was lack of time to scrutinise the amendments. They also raised concerns about the lack of detail around proposed fees, which is to come in regulations yet to be approved by Cabinet.
Deputy opposition leader Kenneth Bryan acknowledged widespread community support for reform saying it would be “political suicide” to oppose the bill, but he added concerns that some elements may face legal challenges. However after hours of passionate debate, MPs on both sides of the house ultimately supported the changes.
Immigration Minister Michael Myles, who tabled the bill, said the aim was to put Caymanians first in their homeland.
He drew applause from government benches during the conclusion of the Second Reading of the Bill, saying, “We’re unifiers for bringing Caymanians together. We’re modernizers and innovators determined to work together, maintaining a stable government and working with the community to prepare our people and the country for a brighter future.”
After the bill received its second reading, it then continued its progress through Parliament with MPs voting to move it into the committee stage where the details were scrutinised line by line.
All the amendments tabled by government were passed, while an amendment tabled by Deputy Opposition Leader Kenneth Bryan regarding how quickly partners of Caymanians were able to apply for status was rejected by MPs by 10 votes to 5.
The Bill, which will introduce changes to immigration laws aimed at protecting Caymanian workers and making it harder for foreigners to acquire residency and status, was debated in a lengthy Parliamentary session starting on Wednesday and continuing through Thursday into Friday.
It fell to premier André Ebanks to restart the debate on Friday morning before Immigration Minister Michael Myles, who tabled the Bill, gave his closing remarks.
Plea to pass Bill
Ebanks, who had gone from the previous night’s debate straight to his West Bay West constituency Christmas event, said that feedback from attendees was to, “go in there and finish it.”
He said, “I think this is a body of work that the country can be proud of, holistically among Caymanians and non-Caymanians … [and] I just commend, from my part, on behalf of the government, that this bill should be passed by all of us today …”.
Myles then rose to say that he had tabled the Bill, not just as long-overdue amendments, but “a vision grounded in data, shaped by consultation [and] driven by an unwavering commitment to the people of our country.”
He added, “I outlined in my last speech the harsh realities we face today: unsustainable population growth, a citizenship pathway that has been exploited, systems strained to breaking point and Caymanians increasingly marginalized in our own country … this bill isn’t going to change anything that happened 35 years ago, but we can make significant improvements on where we’re going today.”
He said that he was grateful for the support of his coalition colleagues and that of independent MPs who said they would be supporting the Bill, and said, “I want to make that clear, reform starts with us in this House, it starts with us changing our attitudes towards it and it’s painful. A lot of what has been said in this House has been painful for a lot of people to hear … but I want to be part of an engine that learns from the past.”
Divisive politics
He added, “If we stand united today to resolve all of the inaction that has happened over the last 15 years, we’re going to actually be better off, but if we fight, based on Parliamentary procedure and indignation or ‘like’ or ‘not like’, we’re going to be stuck in the next 25 to 30 years fighting because politics is quite often divisive.”
All 16 MPs present voted in favour of the Bill’s Second Reading except for former premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly who chose to abstain. She explained later that she had abstained as she had some questions for the committee stage, and would have voted in favour of the Bill in its Third Reading, but had to leave Parliament mid-afternoon before the final vote to catch the flight to Cayman Brac.
The bill received its third and final reading just before 5:45pm on Friday afternoon but there was still time for more drama after the vote. Deputy opposition leader Kenneth Bryan tabled a motion asking for a list and definitions of prescribed particulars in the bill, but later withdrew it after assurances from Premier Ebanks that those details would be provided later on. During the debate, the MP for George Town Central repeatedly questioned why there weren’t more details available for MPs regarding permit fees and other regulations.
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Myles a real modernizer alright. Killing financial services, work permits and anyone’s desire to go to Cayman. Unethical how they fast track a bill with almost no review. Guy doesn’t even know the bill.
Makes no sense why anyone would take a job in Cayman now…
Ben:
People will continue to come to work here. But they will be people who are only interested in making some tax free money and with no desire to make Cayman their home, support local charities or integrate with local people.
Why should they care about Meals on Wheels, the Red Cross, Jasmine (Cayman Hospice), LIFE (Literacy is For Everyone) etc. when they themselves are treated as unwanted but necessary foreign workers?
They likely won’t want buy a home or put down roots.
The government has also created ill will among those foreigners who came here to retire. Yes they can afford to pay the much higher cost of a driving license compared to their Caymanian neighbours, but they rankle at the unfairness.
There are better ways to prevent marriages of convenience than this heavy-handed approach.
“work permit holders who leave their job within the first two years are required to leave the Cayman Islands for at least one year before applying for another job on island”
Hilariously dumb. What is the purpose of this? Who is job swapping like that without a reason to do so?
Good lucky to all the filipinos and Jamaicans who will now have their permit held over them even more. Basically turning into qatar/saudi with their work permit slavery.
I think this new legislation is effectively shutting down the complaints from those that feel their is no protection. Now that this is in place let’s see what we hear about unfair and no protection. I think the intent behind this legislation is to take away excuses.
I am old enough to remember a time when foreigners did have to wait 20+ years to obtain status, and many of them are still here. They were foreigners who grew to love Cayman and consider it their home, and who invested in our islands’ growth and progress. Getting involved in the community: Meals on Wheels, establishing Cayman Hospice (Jasmine), the Cayman Island Cancer Society, the Humane Society, NCVO, and many other NPOs that now exist. They integrated into the community and showed true love for Cayman and Caymanians, unlike many new expats who stay within their own communities and show little or no interest in giving back or integrating themselves into the Caymanian community. I have watched a parade of foreigners come to Cayman in the past 30+ years with the “what’s in it for me” mentality, and I am sick of it. This legislation will not fix all of the problems in our community, but it’s a step in the right direction. Being a Caymanian should be a privilege, not a right to be doled out to expats without setting a high threshold.
I assume there is not one Caymanian that is unemployed since there are about 40,000 work permits How could there be when they are first in line for a job
Cayman will pivot and adapt to this the same way we have since the 70s.
To fellow Caymanians: Do your best to shine in any job. Turn up early every day, be willing to contribute, learn the good and gather evidence of the bad. Let’s build the Cayman we want.
To guest workers: If you have been verbally, psychologically, physically or sexually abused by an employer, you have the right to report them to WORC, immigration or the police. That you are here on a work permit does not take away your human rights. You are probably saving others from going through the same horrible experience you did.