Government is moving to clear a large backlog of delayed and deferred work-permit applications.
A total of 1,433 applications have been processed in the past three weeks, including some that had been pending since May 2025, officials told the Compass.
New staff have also been hired in an effort to improve the efficiency of the system over the long term.
Recent work has put a heavy focus on key sectors, including tourism and financial services, Immigration Minister Michael Myles and Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman director Jeremy Scott said in written responses to questions from the Compass and in an in-depth interview on Radio Cayman’s ‘For the Record’ show.
Both men acknowledged staffing challenges in the WORC department have hampered processing times amid a deluge of permit requests that now runs to 4,000 applications per week.
They urged employers and Caymanian job seekers to do their part to meet new expectations on hiring and help make the process run smoothly.
Scott acknowledged on Radio Cayman that work permits have been taking between eight and 12 months to process. But he insisted that is changing.
“We have looked at it and accepted that the processing times are a bit delayed …. Obviously, that impacts the business community, especially where businesses are actually abiding by the processes in law … and they need the resources to be able to carry off their business.”
To tackle the backlog, WORC launched a focused effort last month targeting large employers, primarily in tourism, the legal and financial professions, and the retail sector. Officials said waiting times for applications in those industries have already been reduced significantly, from about nine months to roughly two months in many cases.
The Business Staffing Plan board has added two extra meetings per week to help make inroads into the waiting list.
In an emailed response to questions from the Compass, WORC said businesses were still able to access temporary permits, which are typically processed within 14 days.
“With the current plan in place and actively addressing the backlog, we are confident that we will be caught up by the end of May, and businesses should begin to see noticeable improvements in processing times soon,” it stated.
In his radio interview, Scott said the goal is not just a temporary fix, and new staff, including four more administrators and three new processing clerks, are being hired to maintain that momentum.
He said WORC processed more than 63,000 work permit applications in 2025, including 26,706 temporary permits.
“We have a monumental task of being efficient and being qualitative,” he added.
‘Caymanians must come first’
Myles and Scott said the drive for greater efficiency will not come at the expense of efforts to ensure Caymanians have access to employment opportunities.
New guidelines mean employers must demonstrate they have properly considered local applicants for every role, and a right of reply is now incorporated for applicants who lose out.
Describing WORC’s role, Scott said, “One pillar is to ensure that Caymanians are given a fair shake, first chance at employment and opportunities. The second pillar is to make sure that the employers are given the resources … to do business.”
Employers who fail to properly document the hiring process risk having their permit applications rejected. Incomplete applications may also be refused.
Crocs, T-shirts and unprofessional email addresses
With the exception of some rogue employers, Myles said he believed most businesses wanted to hire Caymanians, as it saves them thousands of dollars in work-permit fees.
“I met with a lot of employers. They truly want to hire Caymanians,” the minister said.
He acknowledged that some applicants face challenges in the job market, particularly around preparation and professionalism, including basics such as including a relevant phone number or a professional email address.
“We have folks who have email addresses that are off the chain … I’ve seen email addresses like ‘Superman123’ or ‘MissHotness at gmail.com’.”
Dress and preparation for interviews can also be an issue.
“We had a recruitment drive … and we still had a number of folks who showed up in Crocs and T-shirts. I had to tell them, ‘You can’t compete like this … you’re here for a job,’” Myles said.
Despite those challenges, officials said government is trying to support job seekers through training and support programmes while continuing to work closely with businesses.
“We absolutely have to meet in the middle on this,” the minister said.
“The government is never going to get all of it right, neither is the private sector … but we are putting systems in place to improve things long term.”
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It’s confusing why WORC doesn’t hire people at the job fair I.e more Caymanians to increase processing time. These sectors finance, law and tourism are cracking due to the slow processing.
Lives are being ruined with these government delays thanks to Myles.
Am I reading this correctly? There’s a staffing crisis at immigration because they cannot find enough staff, which I would imagine have to be a national. They would rather have a slow and backed-up process than hire a WP holder? There is a lack of insecurity that is driving a stubborn pride far beyond reason.
While I agree that Caymanians must and should come first, in terms of employment, the reality on the grounds is you probably will not be able to source Caymanians for every post that becomes available. The truth is, most countries in the world source employees from beyond their shore. They simply cannot fill available positions with Nationals only, even though that is the desired goal. If they are to be solely reliant on filling those roles with Caymanians, then naturally there will be backlog, and in some cases, things might come to a grinding halt! So, something has to give. I think some human resources concessions need to be made here, so we can fill those positions and get on with the business of issuing those Work Permits and keep the island moving, which is the ultimate objective here! As it relates to Minister Myles argument/observation about the Crocs and non-traditional email addresses etc, I wouldn’t focus too much on those matters. I would be far more interested in how qualified an individual is for the position he/she is seeking and far less interested in whether they have acceptable email addresses or on the sartorial aspects of prospective applicants. Perhaps Minister Myles is more interested in a well-dressed applicant, with an email address he likes versus their qualification and ability to do the job they are being tasked to do. I get it, you shouldn’t wear a bathing suit to a job interview, but at the same time we shouldn’t put too much emphasis on the physicality of the applicants. Sometimes what persons show up wearing at an interview is all they have! That’s something we should keep in mind as well. The Work Permit problem doesn’t seem like insurmountable problem though, and I believe Minister Myles is doing everything he humanly can to remedy the problem. I think his intentions are noble and he works in the best interest of his country and his people. I really hope, and with the best of luck, that the problem can be resolved in real time. Incidentally, I thought about leaving New York and funny enough, the Cayman Islands was one destination that actually came to my mind. I will visit there later this year, and maybe at a future time apply for a job there. In the meantime, I wish the island nothing but prosperity and good luck in its national endeavors
Richard Edwards