Immigration Questions
Clarifying pre-clearance at the airport
Why is it that Cayman Airways, the national flag carrier, has not managed to integrate their reservation system into the Immigration system (but are able to provide the necessary information to the US authorities) whereas the foreign carriers have? Auntie’s answer: After a bit of back and forth with two Department of Immigration (DOI) officials, […]
Maintaining Caymanian status if living abroad
In your column on Maintaining the right to be Caymanian, you state: “However, if you go overseas for no more than six months in a row for such things as education, health, vacation or business, you will still be considered a resident.” 1) Are you saying that if I were to travel to Cayman every […]
Couple on rollover hopes to visit Cayman
I am on rollover and my spouse wants us to spend the summer holiday in Cayman. Can I apply for a visitor’s visa? My rollover is up in November of this year. Auntie’s answer: A similar question has come up before but it has been about a year, so it seems a good time to […]
Approval rate for grant of right to be Caymanian
I read that the success rate for Caymanian status applications is way lower than for permanent residence in recent years. Is status approval more or less assured, provided an applicant is naturalised, insured, immigration fees paid up to date and can prove a minimum 15 years uninterrupted residence? Is the decision-making process sufficiently transparent to […]
Divorce and applying for PR
I have been on island for the past 9 1/2 years and currently married to a Caymanian for four years. I received my RERC (Residency and Employment Rights Certificate) in 2015, which will expire in 2022. We have no kids together. My wife and I are having marital problems and she wants a divorce. My […]
Retaining right to work after a divorce
If you are married to a Caymanian and there are minor children from the marriage, and the marriage breaks down through divorce or separation, and your residency/right to work is revoked, are you able to re-apply for residency/right to work on the basis of having young Caymanian children? Auntie’s answer: I will be passing on […]
Returning to Cayman after being rolled over
I will be leaving shortly on rollover. Can you tell me what the rules are on visiting Cayman during my 12-month absence period? If I want to come back and visit friends, what are the rules? Also, if I wanted to come back and work in my former office for, say, one week every quarter, […]
Overstayer wants to return to Cayman
I was on island in 2013 and overstayed because I had no job and could not buy my plane ticket. Can I apply for another work permit or visa? Auntie’s answer: This is one of those good news/bad news scenarios. An immigration department official explained that you can apply for another permit or visa to […]
Eligibility for the ‘Caymanian’ immigration queue
1. If someone is naturalised and gets a Cayman passport but does not yet have Caymanian status, what queue would they use at the airport? 2. I have Caymanian status through marriage but never got naturalised and do not hold a Cayman passport. Do I get to go through the immigration line for Caymanians at […]
Work permit issue for wife of PR applicant
Can you help with a work permit question please? My last position was made redundant after a company restructuring and I lost my job just before my term limit was up. I wasn’t able to find a new job right away and was added to my husband’s work permit as a dependant. Now I’m finding […]
Immigration status of ex-convicts
What is the status regarding work permit or permanent residency holders who have been convicted and sentenced in Cayman, upon their exit from Northward? There was a number of cases last year. Will they need to leave Cayman once they are out of prison or are they free to stay (e.g. if they are a […]
Testing work permit applicants for contagious diseases
With all the HIV testing being pushed recently on the radio and various media outlets, the news breaking of false positive tests belonging to expat workers, etc, I can’t help but wonder is there any kind of immigration requirements being implemented that require people to be tested for various contagious diseases and STDs before coming […]
Unclear whether children are Caymanian
Are my children Caymanian? I have two children born in 2012 and 2016 in Cayman. I, the father, got status in 2002 on the basis of residency, and my children both have Cayman passports and Cayman birth certificates. My wife is a foreigner with permanent residency with the right to work because she is married […]
Wants to escort patient to Cayman
Can a visitor (a family member) who is accompanying a Health City patient but is from a country for which Cayman requires an entry visa, be granted entry if the patient does not require an entry visa (from the US)? Auntie’s answer: I’m afraid the family member does not get any special dispensation on the […]
Naturalisation and applying for Caymanian status
I have permanent residence and am hoping eventually to be granted Caymanian status. Do I need to be naturalised to get status and/or would it make the process quicker? Auntie’s answer: If you are only interested in a one-word reply, the simple answer is “yes”, you must be naturalised before applying for Caymanian status. If […]
Are non-Caymanian minors allowed to work here?
I have received these two similar questions: 1. We are getting mixed answers to our query about whether a non-Caymanian teenager can work in Cayman. We’d love to see your response upon investigation. If I am between 15 and 18 years old, am I allowed to work for money if my parents: – are on […]
Rules for refunds of work permit fees
I saw in the news that immigration has introduced a new form for people to use to request withdrawal or cancellation of a work permit or refund of a work permit fee. Could you find out when and under what circumstances someone can apply for a refund on a work permit? Auntie’s answer: The procedures […]
Working online and off-island
Is it legal for someone who is off-island to do online work for a local company? Auntie’s answer: This could easily have been a one-word answer, allowing Auntie to take the rest of the day off, but I wanted to give you your money’s worth so will add some context. For those who do not […]
