Immigration Questions
Update on permanent residency question
(Auntie): Since publishing a column earlier this week about a husband who wanted to wait past his term limit to apply for permanent residency, I have received additional information from a local immigration lawyer and am therefore updating the original response. The question was: “My term limit is coming up but my wife still has […]
Can I wait past nine years to apply for PR?
My term limit is coming up but my wife still has several years. I’d like to apply for PR, but ideally I’d wait until after my own term limit. Am I able to continue working as a dependent of my wife until I’m ready to apply for PR? Basically, it comes down to buying a […]
Do I have to own property for permanent residency?
I am applying for permanent residency. Is it required that I own property for my application to be successful? Auntie’s answer: There is nothing in the latest related legislation, the Immigration (Transition) Law, 2018, that says property ownership is mandated for an application for a Residency and Employment Rights Certificate to be approved. However, investment […]
How long can a non-resident homeowner stay in Cayman?
We have purchased property in Cayman and want to build and live in our home hopefully within 8-9 years. Without residency or citizenship, what is the maximum length of time we can live in our home? When can we return? Have the amounts gone up yet to apply for residency? What is citizenship? Would any […]
Can I stay in Cayman as a tourist after reaching my term limit?
I am going to roll over soon. I’m just wondering if I could stay more than two weeks here in the island just to explore Cayman without working. Is that possible? Auntie’s answer: This question came in as a recent comment on a column from last year (see Remaining in Cayman after quitting work). As […]
Is national diversity a WORC goal?
Are employers still required to have a diverse range of nationalities among their work permit holders? Auntie’s answer: To offer context, I received this question in response to a CNS article on Governor Martyn Roper posting a graphic on his Facebook page depicting the many nationalities in Cayman on work permits, and saying that it […]
Are immigration officers capable of assessing medical reports?
Is there anyone at the Department of Immigration/Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman qualified to review and interpret the thorough and expensive medical questionnaires and X-rays furnished for work permits or say, continuation of Caymanian status at 18 (R22)? It seems unlikely that any application could be legally denied on the basis of an immigration employee’s […]
Do I need to prove I am a resident?
I am a Caymanian and was born over 60 years ago. I visited WORC and presented my UK passport (I don’t have a Cayman Islands passport) for a stamp to show proof of residency. I was told that because I was born over 60 years ago it was not necessary for me to provide proof […]
Can an expat seaman live permanently in Cayman?
I’m a British national working on a ship with three months onboard and three at home. I have a place on island that I want to move permanently into. While I can stay for three months on a visitor visa (and I believe six at the discretion of the immigration officer), is there any sort […]
Can my husband lose his RERC?
My husband is non-Caymanian and I am Caymanian. He has RERC. We are now leaving the island for a few years but plan to visit on occasion. Can he lose his RERC? When we return, we plan to stay for a few months at a time rather than a week or two. Will this move […]
Is a seaman allowed to apply for an RERC?
I will be applying for Residency and Employment Rights Certificate as the spouse of a returning Caymanian. My question is that I work at sea as a seaman for about three weeks to a month at a time and then I am with my wife for the same time. How would this affect my application? […]
Will I lose Caymanian status if overseas for more than a year?
Can I travel to Cayman once a year for a week at a time and maintain status? Or once every 2-3 years? Does that work? Auntie’s answer: The law is very clear on your question, but to be sure, I asked an official at Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC), formerly the Department of Immigration. […]
Can same-sex spouse be granted dependency under work permit?
What happens if the Work Permit Board decides not to grant dependency to a same-sex spouse because they say they have “no power”? What is the recourse one would have to take in that case? Auntie’s answer: This question came up in the comments to a column last week on the rights of same-sex couple […]
Proof of residency when returning to Cayman
As a Caymanian I recently travelled to Jamaica using my British passport on which I encountered resistance as I attempted to check in at the Cayman Airways counter in Kingston. The supervisor immediately asked that I show proof of residency in Cayman in order to board as I have no stamp in the passport to […]
Old term limit needs two-year extension
I have a boyfriend who has been on a work permit for the last seven years and will be on rollover in September this year. I phoned the immigration department to inquire and I was told that the term limit has changed from seven to nine years therefore a further two-year extension can be sought. […]
The penalties for overstaying
Do you know what the consequences are for tourists who overstay one or two days? Auntie’s answer: Generally speaking, staying beyond the limit on a visa is a serious offence. However, there are clearly varying degrees and reasons for staying for longer than you are legally allowed to be here. A Department of Immigration official […]
Maintaining Caymanian status if off-island
Please can you check on how long you are allowed to be away if you have status and are naturalised with a Cayman passport?
Spouse applying for RERC while overseas
Can a non-Caymanian spouse apply for the Residency and Employment Rights Certificate (RERC) and subsequently the rights to be Caymanian on the grounds of marriage while off island? Or does the couple/non-Caymanian spouse have to reside in Cayman during the process?
