Work permits for the Cayman Islands
To
protect the local Islanders from what is viewed as undue competition from
unqualified overseas applicants seeking to work in the Cayman Islands, the
Immigration Board has developed a policy of work permits and criteria by
which potential expatriate workers are assessed.
Temporary/Short-term
permits
These are issued for one or
six months and are primarily used to fill a position that is not permanent
(e.g. for a waitress during the New Year period). In some instances,
one-month permits can be issued to allow you to start working if you are
waiting for your long-term permit to be approved by Immigration
– effectively a ‘fast-track’ solution.
Six-month
permits are designed to fill seasonal positions (e.g. a diving instructor
working through the tourist season). No newspaper advertising is required
for temporary permit applications.
Gainful occupation
licences/Long-term permits
G.O.L. permits are generally
issued for a period of one year (it’s possible for two- to five-year
permits to be granted on occasion) and must be submitted for annual
renewal thereafter by your employer.
In
order to have a long-term permit issued or renewed, your employer has to
advertise the “vacancy” in the offshore press for a minimum of two
weeks to see whether there is a suitable local Caymanian available for the
position. Subsequent renewals are hence not automatic but in practice they
are usually granted.
Also, note that with a valid G.O.L you can bring personal items into the
Islands “duty-free”.
Documentation
You will need the following
documentation to accompany your work permit application:
-
A
completed Immigration application form
-
Certified copies
of your qualifications and passport
-
A police
clearance form (non-UK) / Sworn affidavit* (UK applicants)
-
A
medical certificate of good health in the prescribed
format
-
Three
references
of good character (from
non-relatives)
-
Four passport-sized photographs
(one must be in profile)
The completed information should be couriered back as a
single package.
If
this sounds complicated, you can be assured that once you have secured
employment in advance of your arrival in Grand Cayman, both Hamilton
Recruitment and your new employer will be pleased to guide you through the
whole process.
Customs duty
Persons entering the Cayman
Islands to reside and work for at least 12 months are allowed to bring in
a reasonable quantity of personal effects (excluding motor vehicles)
duty-free, provided these have been owned and used abroad for at least six
months. Prohibited goods include drugs, certain publications, gambling
materials, and spear guns and ammunition (unless licensed in advance).
A
resident returning from overseas can import personal and household effects
to the value of CI$350. Visitors can bring in unsolicited gifts to a value
of CI$150 per gift. Note that there is also a departure tax of CI$10 for
all persons leaving the Islands.
*Must be by a notary public, justice of
the peace or commissioner of oaths
|
