Topic: work permit
Selling the Cayman dream: Desperate migrants shell out life savings in ghost-permits scam
Migrant workers are paying blackmarket fixers thousands of dollars for jobs in Cayman that don’t exist, leaving some penniless and stranded on the island.
Cayman sees decline in work-permit holders
Cayman has registered a 1,058 drop in work-permit holders based on January statistics from Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman.
WORC compliance boss targets rogue employers
Government is establishing a blacklist of rogue employers and employees who will face penalties and possible prosecution over repeated work permit-related breaches.
Man on trial for working at wife’s business without permit
A man accused of working at his wife's restaurant without a work permit was put on trial, alongside his wife who was prosecuted for allegedly employing him, on Wednesday, 5 July.
WORC cracks down on permit breaches
Since the start of 2021 to date, 23 individuals have been arrested and $391,000 in administrative fines levied against local employers and work-permit holders found in breach of the Immigration (Transition) Act, Deputy Premier Chris Saunders has confirmed.
Update: Suspected arson at police business office
A suspected arson on Monday at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Business Centre in Walkers Road has led to the suspension of the processing of police clearance certificates for work-permit renewals.
Deadline for work-permit applications extended
Employers whose work permits expired since the shelter in place orders came into force on 27 March are required to apply for a renewal by 30 June to comply with the law.
WORC changes operations as part of COVID-19 response
The Workforce Opportunities and Residency department has implemented policy changes to reduce public interaction as part of its COVID-19 response.the Workforce Opportunities and Residency department has also implemented policy changes to reduce public interaction.
116 work permit probes to date
More than $289,475 in administrative immigration fees have been levied for 116 work permit offences for 2019 to date.
No conviction for assault on police officer
A magistrate ordered that no conviction be recorded against a 31-year-old work permit holder who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer.
Number of foreign workers hits all-time high
There are more foreign workers employed in the Cayman Islands than at any other time in the territory’s history.
Immigration legislation delayed
Government stated on Friday that legislative changes to facilitate the transition of immigration-related powers to the Workforce Opportunities Residency Cayman, known as WORC, and Customs and Border Control, will not take effect on Jan. 1 as previously announced.
WORC agency to police work permit applications
Businesses seeking work permits to bring in staff from overseas will face additional scrutiny under a new system aimed at ensuring Caymanians get first shot at employment opportunities in the Cayman Islands.
Counselor gets Caymanian status after 19-year fight
A legal dispute over a substance abuse counselor’s work permit fees that began in the late 1990s has finally been resolved.
‘Fair employment’ bill due in September
Cayman Islands lawmakers finished debating a raft of legal changes to immigration rules Wednesday night, but it appears that legislation is just the start of a major overhaul for the system that now allows the employment of nearly 26,000 foreign workers within the British Overseas Territory.
Hiring starts for new government HR agency
The new government agency that will take charge of issuing work permits for Cayman’s more than 25,000 foreign employees is now hiring for three senior management positions, paying between $80,000 and $109,000 per year, according to advertisements that went out last week.
New agency to develop labor and handle work permits
Beginning next year, a new governmental department will take on the administration of issues involving immigration and workforce development.
Workers waiting weeks for English language testing
Workers from non-English speaking countries are facing a delay of up to several weeks in some cases before they can take a required English language test to obtain a Cayman Islands work permit.
Government eyes $209 million in immigration revenues
The Cayman Islands government expects to collect more than $100 million per year in the next two years from immigration-related fees charged for work permits, permanent residence applications, visitor work visas, Caymanian status fees and other permits, according to budget documents reviewed by the Cayman Compass.
Immigration swamped with over 18,000 work permit applications
A much larger number of work permit applications than a year ago are being handled by a reduced Immigration Department staff, leading to longer-than-usual delays in acquiring permission to work for non-Caymanians.
Honduran who overstayed work permit to be deported
Leonidas Antolin Ruiz was sentenced to two months in prison and ordered to be deported to his homeland of Honduras Monday after pleading guilty to overstaying and working without a permit.
EDITORIAL – e-Government gets ‘police clearance’
Today’s front page contains a welcome development from government – Cayman Islands residents can now apply online for police clearance certificates, potentially cutting in half the number of in-person visits needed to obtain these documents required by immigration officials, as well as some employers and businesses.
Work permit applications rarely refused
About 5 percent of the work permit applications submitted to the Cayman Islands government were rejected during the previous budget year, according to records made public last month by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Work permit applications will require proof of health insurance
Starting next year, employers will have to include a certificate of compliance for health insurance when applying for or renewing work permits, including any temporary permits lasting longer than 30 days.
Gov’t to require jobs to be registered with NWDA
Employers will have to register job vacancies with the National Workforce Development Agency at least two weeks before applying for a work permit to hire a non-Caymanian following a vote last week in the Legislative Assembly.
Man sentenced for overstaying work permit almost 10 years
A man whose work permit expired in 2006 was sentenced Monday to two years’ imprisonment, but with 18 months suspended. Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez said she constructed the sentence that way to give immigration officials time to deal with procedures before deporting him at the earliest opportunity.
Premier: Free Jamaican work permit story ‘bogus’
A recent online report claiming that the Cayman Islands government had agreed to give Jamaican citizens working here free work permits and allowed them to enter Cayman without a visa for up to six months is entirely false, Premier Alden McLaughlin’s office said Monday.
Woman jailed for changing date on work permit stamp
A woman involved in a traffic accident “dug herself a deeper hole” by changing a date in her passport, attorney Dennis Brady said in Summary Court last week.
Gay couple wins work permit appeal
Ruling in favor of a same-sex couple, the Immigration Appeals Tribunal granted Leonardo Raznovich’s application to be added to his spouse’s work permit as a dependent. The decision ends 14 months of applications and appeals to the Immigration Department.
