Rollover’s last days approach
(CNS): The government is pressing ahead with the decision to remove the seven year term limit and allow all foreign workers in Cayman an opportunity to apply for permanent residency after being here eight years. Despite unconfirmed suggestions that not all of those sitting on the government benches are supporting the changes, the premier is pressing ahead with the first phase of the promised immigration reform. The amendment bill which is expected to be debated in the Legislative Assembly next week, when legislators will be meeting for the budget session, has now been released and sets out a number of changes that the PPM government hopes will be a first step in dealing with a myriad of issues relating to immigration.
The bill, which is being driven by the new premier, Alden McLaughlin, is not without its controversies, however, as it will allow for more than 1,500 workers currently holding term limit exemption permits to stay and apply for PR. These certificates were an emergency measure introduced by the UDP government to prevent a mass exodus from the island when all of the workers that had arrived in Cayman post Ivan were coming to their seven year term. The goal had been to give employers time to replace the staff gradually. But very few TLEP workers left, and as a result, the new government was facing the same economic problem that the departure of so many people and their dependents on the same day could cause.
With local unemployment soaring, however, this move has caused controversy. Even Cabinet was said to be divided on the issue and it is not clear if McLaughlin has managed to persuade enough of his team to support the amendments and see the bill’s safe passage. Questions sent from CNS to the premier about the split have been ignored.
Among other changes will be a much tougher PR regime but one which seeks a wider cross-section of people that can benefit the country and not just employers. The 'key employee' designation, which had allowed employers to select which people it wanted to keep and allow them to pass the eight year residency barrier, will be removed and enable government to approve or reject PR applications for everyone who stays. Those who do not apply must leave at the nine year point and not ten as anticipated, and PR applications are expected to be processed more quicklyso those who are refused will be leaving more promptly as appeals will be more tightly controlled.
The extensive new bill also provides for the chief immigration officer or her designate to decide permanent residence applications and work permits instead of the boards, cutting down the time applications take.
The board system for immigration has long been a problem since the significant increase in work permit holders and, as such, on the campaign trail McLaughlin promised to deliver a review of the administrative process to speed things up. The new bill also proposes removing the final one year work permit. Instead, those who choose not to apply for PR or who are turned down must leave within three months.
Although the overall result of the bill is that more foreign workers will get to stay a little longer, PR grants will be controlled by government and not the private sector, but in tandem there will be tighter parameters for employing foreign workers and stiff penalties for employers that ignore Caymanians during the recruitment process. The bill makes it an offense for employers not to report any applications they receive from local workers, introducing a maximum first-time fine of $20,000.
Permanent residents will also be monitored and required to declaration their investments, employment and other factors on an annual basis and inform the relevant immigration board or chief immigration officer if there is any change to their employment situation.
If it is passed next month, the bill will not impact any applications being made before it is law so current PR applications will be dealt with under the old law.
Despite the controversies, McLaughlin has persistently argued that the rollover and the process leading to PR has nothing to do with the problems Caymanians face in the workplace but that it was deigned to limit the number of people who can go on to get status. The difficulties some Caymanians have finding work are created through a number of other factors which were unrelated to the seven year rollover.
See bill posted below.
Category: Politics
I would like to see the stats on the Indigenous/Paper Caymanians that are unemployed. And then compare these to those 1,500 on term limit permits. Of course, not all are employable…..e v e n e x pa t s (don't worry, I've lived a few countries over the past 20 years, so I know what I'm talking about). On that point, I've met a lot of lazy and illiterate Caymanians AND expats and I agree that people shouldn't be given a job because they are "Caymanian" or "Expat". Caymanians that are educated, that want to work and actively looking for work….they SHOULD have jobs. Employers often ignore CVs from Caymanians fitting this profile. And for what reason; discrimination? P.S. I'm happy to read about the proposed 20k fine for willfully withholding information about over/qualified Caymanians etc. that applied for advertised jobs.
how dificult it is for social service to verify that all that is reciving benefits from goverment is still living here ,we look like fools sending our money away to benefit countries like cuba and jamaica while our people here are starving and cant get help because the govermente is too broke to help their own camanian children
Yes PPM remember now promises made to the elites to get votes must be kept.This is to ensure the remaining in power strategy for the next election stays intact.Who cares about what the majority of voters think?
I understand all the back and forth What the PPM needs to explains is how giving certain people 3 additional years and allowing them to apply for permenant residence is going to benefit Cayman. It appears to me some want a peaceful & blissful four years of government and a ace in the hole for the next election by giving a certain perception of a PR gift and living hell for any government thats tries to take their place.Pretty neat strategy PPM but unfortunately Caymanians future and that of their children will pay the price of your wonderful idea?
Dear Cayman,
Thanks for shooting yourself in the foot.
Your offshore competition
<That's right. Anything other than letting expats stay as long as they like and do whatever they please is shooting ourselves in the foot>.
<sarcasm>.
Cayman is not for Caymanians anymore.
But the Olympic medal for self-pity is a shoe-in.
It never was.
Nobody ever lived here so we are all expats, some have been around longer than others.
There are two issues at hand. The first is, are these people in jobs that should be going to qualified Caymanians, or where a Caymanian could be trained in the near future? I say let's put a listing of the jobs (not names) held by The 1,500 TLEP workers on the CNS home page. These jobs have to be advertised anyway, so what better advertisement than that. Issue resolved. The second issue is, are these people going to become a burden for the Government i.e. me – the Caymanian taxpayer – at some point in the future because they have been given the fast-track to PR and to Caymanian Status? I say, if employers really want these workers, then they should be prepared to take a chunk out o their profits and pay them a minimum of say $36,000 per annum (accepted, this number is debatable, someone else can throw out another number) and Government should ensure the other laws that are already on the books are strictly enforced for The 1,500 i.e. employee/employer pension contributions and post-employment health insurance programs. A decent salary, pension and health insurance will ensure they do not become a burden on the Caymanian taxpayer and allow them to live independently until their dying day or until they leave Cayman, whichever comes first. Issue resolved. Although I am as pro-Caymanian as they come, I do not see this as a Caymanian vs ex-pat issue. It seems obvious that it's the employer that has failed in this entire fiasco. The employer should pay now, so I don't have to pay later and everyone that is not holding a post that should rightfully go to a Caymanian gets to stay. Everybody's happy!
"The difficulties some Caymanians have finding work are created through a number of other factors which were unrelated to the seven year rollover."
This long winded sentence could be replaced with one word……"unemployable".
Or "crack" or "beer" or "criminality" or "laziness" or "illiterate"
Cayman has a small amount of these ppl compared to other countries
Cayman has a small amount of people, period. You cannot compare yourselves to other countries, you're not big enough.
But if you do, compare the number of people on this island to the number of serious crimes in the past month, (gun crime, murder, attempted murder, mugging, burglary, robbery etc) and work out the ratio compared to a small town in the US or UK for the same period.
Yes, thought so, its not comfortable reading is it.
My guess would be all five reasons . Its such a shame that so many Caymanians have turned away from hard working citizens, to damn lazy druggies.
This was not the way it was, up until the 70s and mid 80s, we all worked hard to survive, no stealing or robing.
We have lost 3 generations since the mid 80s we have to stop blaming the expats, if we all were woking when the expats came, they would be no jobs for them to take. It's all our own fault.
Mom and pop didnt want their sons and daughters to do menial jobs…work in the hot sun. So you left the doors open for those that would come in and do the job…business must go on. the government knows this more than anyone, they are not going to stiffle businesses because we screwed up. As you can see they are not heeding to your cry now….and i dont blame them. Business must go on.
Caymanians must prepare themselves for these jobs, if companies want workers with a degree, then get off your butt and go back to collage…take a course in something.
I'm 61 and attending UCCI.
00;27
I have to agree with you. We have many unemployables in these Islands…. and it didnt start today.
I have to ask myself, what were these 3,000 unemployed Caymanians doing for the last, lets say 10 to 15 years! why now all of a sudden so many are out of job. I do not believe it. where is the list of these unemployed?
Recently I know for a fact that job recruiting were organized in West Bay and North Side. Can someone let the public know how many showed up?
I hope these people that shouting "we are unemployed, did show up and prove that this whole sinerio is not a propaganda.
Myself have been working in these island for over 45 years and never out of a job, ofcourse there were times when the recession hit and jobs were scarce. All my families are hard workers, they all have jobs. Some just out of school and holding down two jobs.
(A Caymanian)
Ahh…. hate to break it to the headline writer, but the rollover isn't going anywhere. It's just been extended from 7 years to 9. And now with a much more stringent and expensive path to permanent residence, thiswill ensure that FEWER people get PR than have been up until now. They can put lipstick on a pig if they want, but this is a huge victory for Caymanians who see expats as a threat.
22.33 indeed, and it is also a great victory for Caymanians who do not understand what they wish for…The slower and even more painful death of the economy by means of government deciding who private business should employ. People who turn up and work hard (obligatory for expats, otherwise you are out of here) or those that just turn up. Once business profitably is affected, those businesses will leave. Effectively a double tax on business has now been imposed. You have to employ those who the government tells you too but there is no economic gain from doing so, and therefore you will also need someone else to do that work that the person forced on you is supposed to do. Great idea. Not. Bye Bye Cayman.
Waiting to see how many Caymanian nannies are out there willing to work 6 days a week for $600 per month
NO ONE should be working as a nanny for $600 per month.
I agree. But unfortunately, this is happening in Cayman. And we all know the nationality of those who take these jobs simply because Immigration has reserved their work permit to only one nationality. We all know who that it. Stop hiding you heads in the sand. They would of course love to be free to work for anyone .. at much better rates.
Immigration has not of course reserved such permits for any one nationality. I have personally had domestic helpers/caregivers from Honduras, Guyana, Nicaragua, The Philippines and Jamaica.
See the link right here … Now please apologize. http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/06/25/Expats-can%E2%80%99t-use-Jamaica-nannies/
Waiting to see an Immigration Board legally grant a work permit for such slavery.
I think they already do. Unless the paperwork submitted does not tell the truth. Just look at ecay and you will see ads for this salary.
You should be ashamed to pay ANYONE to care for your child/ren for $600 month!!
So you are saying that as long as we give them permanent residency it is ok to keep them as indentured slaves and pay them CI$ 600/month for working 6 days a week? I think most of those who have been abused and taken advantage of for so long will look for better jobs immediately once they received permanent residency…..and then what? Bring more people to Cayman so they can be taken advantage of?
What do you think is going to happen if those people who are employed on CI$ 600/month are getting to stay? Who is going to take care of their dependants they are going to bring with them and who is going to take care of everyone when they get sick? Are you happy to pay for building another few schools that can accomodate all those children of those who now have permanent residency?
In all honesty I don't think any nannies or other caregivers should be given PR. They clearly earn too little to contribute in any big way to society, many send what little they earn home, very few have pensions or health insurance and most, if not all will eventually become a burden to society and a drain on the Cayman tax payer/government coffers. In terms of jobs, the only ones who should be able to stay are those in jobs with a good salary, healthcare, and a pension that will enable them to survivie here after retirement.
I’m glad to see Caymanians looking out for each other! Unity if strength & don’t be afraid to voice your opinion!
Bracaka
This is a joke "Permanent residentswill also be monitored and required to declaration their investments, employment and other factors on an annual basis and inform the relevant immigration board or chief immigration officer if there is any change to their employment situation". Anyone who reads the Immigration law will see that this is already in the law. The only difference is that it is not being monitored. I would like to know how Mr. McLaughlin proposes for this monitoring to be done. Will he hire and train new personnel to do this? Inquiring minds want to know!
The annual monitoring is contrary to the ECHR.
You mean the last days for Cayman and its people the PPM is Fraud! A very good friend who was a law abiding citizen risked his life during Ivan to rescue 12 people who were drowning in their apartments by using a company vehicle who applied and complied with all immigration rules. He was here for over 19 years obtained a 98% on his residency test but still had to leave because of rollover, so as far as i am concern others should have to leave with no exceptions any government suggesting otherwise is clearly full of S&%#. It appears that the same little corrupt group controlling the previous leader now have bought themselves their own little political group and are now back at it with their little anti Cayman agenda . what a pity our leaders don't have a little integrity. Playing mind games with voters again PPM???
If an expat comes to this country, obeys the laws, and becomes a long-standing, productive member of society who loves it as much as any born-and-bred Caymanian, there should be no question as to whether or not they should stay.
THIS IS COMMON SENSE!
18:38, agreed.
But when you bring in "Good'Ol Caymanian Common Sense", that is where everything falls short.
Yes you're correct, there should be absoulately no immigration controls?Anyone coming here that doesn't break the law should be allowed to stay forever and ever. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Every countru has immigration controls and you're forgetting that Caymanians are already outnumbered in their own country!!!
And at what number do you stop? 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 (if you factor in that on average permanent resident holders brings 2-3 dependants with him/her)?
Where is your brand of common sense applied any where else in the world?
Alden, I hope you hear the knocking on the door…We put you there and we will take you out just like we did McKeeva. McKeeva was right, you are no leader, then again he wasn't realy one either.
Try listening to your people. That is where your strengtht and leadership skills will come from..
Here we go again..The UDP 3000 and the PPM !500…We always knew the PPM was the eeaker of the two but did the really have to walk in the UDP's footsteps. I'lll bet McKeeva is laughing now..
Caymanians when are we going to take our country back? Are we going to continue rotating these worthless politicians in and out every four years..
You can dress them up, clean them up , play different music and have them change their names and colors a bit, but in the end it's stiil UDP or PPM..We are screwed!!!!!!
The sad thing is that it's the people who abide by these rules that we need the most – people that are willing to stick around, spend their (and a lot) money here, build their families here and check in with immigration, renew their work permits. What we need more of is the monitoring of overstayers because they do not have a permit. They're the ones that stick around after a visitors or shortterm project permit is up and sit around with no money in their pocket and cause trouble and beg smaller jobs illegally. Now I know Caymanians are the cause of A LOT of the crimes but they do have company that they would be without if the immigration laws were enforced. Sometimes the officers are very serious when you enter the country and other times they are not. Similarly, sometimes you go to immigration to ask for an extension and it's inconsistent. It depends on the officer you get on how long you/loved ones can stay. Obviously this isn't dissimilar to other countries but for such a small country with a bloated force…we should do better! Hoping and praying some very important people in my office who were about to be rolled over get to stay here for as long as they like because of this. They've dedicated their livesto living here – they rarely take vacation, spending majority of their salaries here (and do not send it overseas), they've dedicated their time to training Caymanian assistants, encouraging them successfully to further themselves, they've had 3 kids here and they are an intregal part of our firms community service initiatives. Much more than I can say for some of my friends (I was born and raised here, by the way) – who maintain their low-salary, headed nowhere job and somehow still manage to fly to MIA or TPA monthly to spend what's left of their paycheck, while living with their parents and the government putting their toddlers through school. If you think it's laws like THIS that keep our Caymanians from bettering themselves or climbing up the career ladder, you are extremely jaded!
PPM. Read this. I would put my Number One concern on crime and jobs instead of who stays or who goes. Because in another few years even Caymanians are going to be afraid to live here. So just imagine a foreigner with options?? They outta ya. Gone. Accounts closed.
Gov’t need to prioritize THE MOST DETRIMENTAL CASE TO TACKLE FIRST. And this situation isn’t it.
Idea: Roll em all over come January, fill vacant jobs with suitable Caymanians and for those previous permit holders that want to return? Feel free to reapply for the boards consideration. Done. Problem tackled. I mean, why do we have to be so lenient with our immigration standards than that of other countries? Because where known as generously nice people? BS! This isn’t fantasy island! This is real life.
But think we seeing crime now? We haven’t seen nothing yet. The anger has just begun. People fed up!
And PPM is just another bunch of corporate suck ups that are pissing people off too! They have no back bone and no loyalty to there own. They need to deal with their CAYMANIANS first. The ones who don’t have no where else to go. And trust me after Ivan, it was clear we got alot of stranded natives here still. And they should know. Just look at the voters list unna spent all night reviewing during elections.
Thanks PPM – just great.
People blame the rollover for the economic downturn in Cayman but are misguided. Rollover has not really even had a chance to work yet because it is constantly being changed!
so….if at 7 years, you took the 2 year extension, does that not equal 9 years? Hmmm, basically anyone that does notqualify to apply for PR now would still leave. I would guess that is a good number of those 1,500 people. The others that would likely qualify are a minimum as I am sure anyone with a career has already left i.e. not waiting until the very last minute to be told to leave or not. Interesting…..
The grant of PR (or Naturalisation or Status) should not be taken as guaranteed. There is a lengthy special Immigration Board application process (for each); a history and current events citizenship test (that many born-Caymanians would struggle with); a points system with requirements which necessitate the demonstration of service and inward investment in the country. The special Board's purpose is to ensure that non-contributors never qualify.
If it were up to me, I'd welcome everybody to apply for PR, including migrant workers that may have qualified but were rolled just after Ivan. Many workers will not qualify, but there are some that do, and have become a great asset to our nation and electorate. We need more of these fine people to stay in Cayman and build homes and lives here.
This will be the last of the PPM just like last term was the last for the UDP. They have failed Cayman and Caymanians miserably.
Alden enjoy the spoils while you can..too bad McKeeva got there before you so you have to cut back a little.
Time longer than rope my friend…You and your C4C comrades will be swept out in the next election. Like the UDP I can;t wait to say good riddance!!
Cayman we need someone to lead…Where are the Jim Bodden's and Ormond PAnton's of years gone by, Those were statesmen that led with charisma and backbone and weren't afraid to stand up to all the political interests.
Has anyone seen the fees that are going to be charged for those persons who are going to be applying for permanent residency? We need have no fear that these persons on TLEPs are going to be here for the long haul taking away jobs that Caymanians can do. Who can really afford almost 10,000 to apply for permanent residency? If I had that kind ofmoney I be packing up and heading home
Most ex-pats can't afford it but the companies that employ them and want to hold on to them badly enough to avoid giving Caymanians a chance will gladly foot the bill to keep them.
Yep, but we can't afford either to have a whole pile of people getting PR who currently are not even full time employed and can barely manage to maintain themselves, never mind all of their dependants?
If people were here for 20 yrs or more than they should have applied for PR or status. Noone stayed here as charity. If you want to do and be recognized for charity than go to Hati. Do not sell the cheap story of rebuilding Cayman. You and others stayed because of jobs friends home etc. You should have scured tenure. There were ways provided for 20 yr people. Your inaction does not warrent the Government to take action. Pack up go home and come back.
I am a work permit holder Its sad that the focus is on work permit holders better yet expat. Majority of the income to the Cayman Islands is from work permit fees. My suggestion to the government is first come up with an alternative plan to earn more money, then talk about immigration reform If you have a plan has to how you will close the budgetary cap after you implement this new immigration reform, then I am afraid it will not do the country any good. The minimum a high end employee pays for work permit is abut $13,000 to a maximum of about $40,000. Plus fees that Accounting firms have to pay to DCI for each employee in the company. Plus the high end employees have to continue to pay this fee even when they are granted PR. I am afraid high end people will just leave at the end of 7 years. But I do hope business stick around that long to replace them . Or they may just move their accounting and legal department else where in the caribbean where work permit is not an issue. For those of you who can do the maths, please do figure.
I really think that the government didn't put much thought into the whole Rollover policy. Is it fair to wait until the very last minute. No….our lives have to go on and we can not take the chance of "what if's" to see if we will have a helper/nanny/cleaner or what we should do in the meantime. And for those having to leave the country, it is not fair to have them waiting in limbo. So they pass the law before all of these 1,500 people have to depart then what? Does government give us the money back or apply it to the new work permit application for the time we lost because they could not issue the work permit for the full year. And now we must re-apply! Yea we have money………………to give government. NOT! This is one way that government collects more money. What happens to the islands should these 1,500 people leave? Tourism…did you read the article about the hotels being at full capacity? Like I said government did not think this through fully before passing such a law. And now they are looking at a Nine-Year rollover….really. Who wants to invest into a country that has laws like this?
It is not a law yet- just a bill.
Alden's last time in political office! Caymanians have no identity and are people who lack confidence in themselves and their country – They have no patriots and fail to realize what exactly it is they have – They do not think for themselves – too many little foreign birds chirping in their ears. – This is the only country in the world were a temporary work permit translates into perminent residency – and with so many expats who absolutely dispise Caymanians and their customs and traditions its going to be interesting to see what becomes of this place over the next decade.
Thanks Alden – We are going to take this place over! :-))))
Actually, in most civilised countries if you have attained the right to work and live in a country, put down roots and have become a productive, law abiding citizen, then you can apply for PR after 5 years and seek status soon after.
Expats don't despise your so called traditions and culture, they despise your hypocracy, discrimination, racism, self entitlement, envy, homophobia, sexual harassment, child abuse, animal abuse, domestic violence, guncrime and dishonesty.
True, a lot of these social issues are the same in other countries, but Cayman is meant to be a 'christian', welcoming and honest society. It is also home to 30,000 'locals', not millions.
The way this country is heading it won't be long before the roll over is redundant. Expats just will not come here to settle down and companies, starved of quality staff, will relocate to places that don't participate in the politics of envy. Then lets see who blinks first, one things for sure, Cayman is dying at the hands of its own stupidity and there are many hot, safe countries around the world who would gladly take her place and employ the right people for the job.
awesome…..this should be a viewpoint!
This is a mistake. Once they've been here for 8/9 years it will be much easier to 'prove' a 'human right' (expectation) of continued residence. The point of the roll-over wasn't to control jobs, it was to control immigration. We forget that at our peril and risk another mass status grant in a few years. Especailly since the government has blinked on the TLEPs. And why? Because some bussinesses bet they would and so didn't bother with bussiness continuity planning and find replacements for staff they have known should have been leaving for years. Not sticking with the TLEP is a slap in the face to everyone that did abide by the rules. But again, in Cayman, playing straight isn't rewarded by our politicians. Or maybe it just doesn't reward them.
I completely agree. Employee and employer knew about the rollover so this is no surprise and both parties should have been adequately prepared and made plans accordingly. Simple! Only in Cayman are we constantly negotiating in regards to our immigration laws to apiece someone else.
I know of several companies who had filed for key employee exemption for one or several of their employees. Joke is that each and everyone of them I knew jumped ship after they have received that exemption. Immigration did nothing about it and the businesses they left continued to flourish just fine.
Those constant threats of the difficulties and unfairness of people being rolled over is a lot of hot air. There are major international corporations who have gone through sudden loss of their long standing CEOs and many of those companies survived just fine!
I'm laughing: all those who voted for PPM are getting what they deserve
Errr…this was UDP's doing in kicking the can down the road by giving this 2 year TLEP in the first place, now there is little choice but to do what the current govt. is doing.
Interesting that the first major topic approached by the PPM is a change to the law to further benefit expats. Cayman Government… by the people but not FOR the people.
This point system thing is a piece of sh-t. When they had the 600 grant of Residence that most of the Public did not know about there were people submitting receipts of as little as $300 deposit on a piece of property. Now that was showing good faith in the Country as the wording of the law stated. No land title was shown just a lousy few hundres dollars deposit on a piece of property. There are only one type of people to benefit from this and that is those that have offices set up to assist with the applications. Also there will be enough to vote in the coming elections. Please Alden we Caymanians are begging you to go back to the drawing board with sensible Caymanians . There are many of you advisors who feel like they will benefit from this by being able to keep their employee alittle longer, but what if their Residence are approved? Then they will certainly loose them as they are going to work for themselves. Alot of people are not seeing this thing through. Mr Lion and Mervyn really need to take over now and they certainly have the majority of Caymanians supporting them.
This point system thing is a piece of sh-t. When they had the 600 grant of Residence that most of the Public did not know about there were people submitting receipts of as little as $300 deposit on a piece of property. Now that was showing good faith in the Country as the wording of the law stated. No land title was shown just a lousy few hundres dollars deposit on a piece of property. There are only one type of people to benefit from this and that is those that have offices set up to assist with the applications. Also there will be enough to vote in the coming elections. Please Alden we Caymanians are begging you to go back to the drawing board with sensible Caymanians . There are many of you advisors who feel like they will benefit from this by being able to keep their employee alittle longer, but what if their Residence are approved? Then they will certainly loose them as they are going to work for themselves. Alot of people are not seeing this thing through. Mr Lion and Mervyn really need to take over now and they certainly have the majority of Caymanians supporting them.
Well we cant blame Mack for this, seems like some people was only jealous of his position. We will be waiting after this for the taxes to be imposed. After all the majority of these people who will be eligible for Residense will certainly be approved, and the vast majority are unskilled and poor. They will have the same rights as the Caymanians. Just tell me where the monies will come from to help support them like the Caymanians are now receiving. The $500 are not much but it certainly helps. I can already see taxation being imposed in order to help all these people. Then the medicals, my God help us. Government cannot afford now all the hand outs that they are giving. Already from the 3000 grants there are some who are retired and past 60 who are receiving those benefits and are living in Isla De Pino and Jamaica. The monies are going to their accounts here and being sent over to them How stupid can we get. If some Politicians promised our heritage to supporters during their campaign then why dont they give out 5 per annum like they have the power to do because when they give 5 you have to multiply 5by 5 equalling 25. That is terrible enough. I fore see alot of angry people and problems in the Cayman Islands over this. Better to have Mack any time. I am very sorry That I gave them my vote.
Alden you are know better than Mckeeva end of story. Roll has NOT will NOT ever benifit this island.
Allowing each person to apply for residency/status after 8 years may help the economy but hurt locals who are in need of work.
Look at the amount of un-employed people on this island. If those who are meant to come for a period of time are now able to make Cayman their permanent home then the jobs they hold will never open up to Caymanians who have nowhere to run for a better life; thus leaving people un-employed for longer periods. Not to mention more burden on the government purse (Social Services).
The only reason the vast majority of adds in the classified section exist is because by law employers have to advertise the position for locals to apply before a permitwill be granted.
Soon there will be a classified section with little to no jobs advertised because the people who hold the job will be here permanently.
For expats & employers of expats this is great. For locals who really try day in and day out to get employment this is a sad day because the job that would open up because of roll over is now permanently closed.
This is a bad move for Cayman and for most Caymanians. This is however a good political move for Alden and the PPM. Alden understands, like most astute observers, that Caymanians have not only lost control of the small and medium business sectors of the economy but have also lost control of the ballot box. He therefore understands that there will be very little negative consequences resulting from this decision. In fact he is hoping that this decision makes him king for life.
This is just kicking the can down the road and does not solve anything.
That means that the island will be filled of paper caymanians & the indigenous Ones will be forgotten about! Great plan ppm! C-Brac
No one is indegenous to Cayman, we are all imports.
Indigenous Caymanian's, really.
You are all immigrants, there are no such people as indigenous Caymanians as the first settlers came from the UK and Ireland. Successive waves of immigrants from the Caribbean region who came here to settle, start businesses and enjoy a growing financial and tourism sector boosted the population in the 60's, 70's and 80's.
This island was considered part of Jamaica long before 'Caymanian' became a national identity. You are more likely to have Jamaican, Honduran, Cuban, Mexican or Haitian blood in you than the original genes of the first settlers, (who by the way claimed these islands on behalf of Great Britain). That still remains the same today, so like it or not, you're not descended from blue iguana's or mosquito's, the true indigenous Caymanian's.
Get over it, it was good enough for your ancestors to colonise and settle, it should be good enough for others to do the same. Hypocrites, one and all.
Any connection between the rollover and port authority stories? Basic economics perhaps? Temporary presence = less demand for goods. Just saying.
rollover has been bad for the economy and has caused hardship for everybody which led to greater unemployment for locals……. its time to embrace policies that will stimulate economic growth and then everyone will benefit………
Any factual data to support these foolish self serving statements?
How can you blame any problems on the roll over polocy when it has not even had seven years nor taken effect yet. None of the problems you point to can be blamed on the roll over polocy as no one has been rolled over yet. I see the merchants lobby is out in full force on this one. If only we had a Caymanian interest lobby to look out for us as well.
Then how is it that those who came to Cayman to help rebuild after Ivan have all but gone due to the rollover?
Blind stupidity, the Cayman way.
Would you mind explaining your comments a little further? How has the rollover caused hardship for "everybody"? and how has it led to greater unemployement of locals? I agree with "its time to embrace policies that stimulate economic growth" but I don't believe that abandoning the rollover is necessarily one of those policies! What abandoning the rollover will do is, to swell the welfare rolls with both, disenfranchised Caymanians old & new!
about time… the first good thing the ppm have done(and it's not done yet!)…..
the rollover has been an umitagted economic disaster for cayman (just anybody with a basic grip of economics)…..
lets just hope its not too little too late….
The term limit or Roll Over has always been a provision in CI Immigration Laws. Which country can you go to and stay forever without being informed of your approved term limit by immigration?
This is his first major accomplishment and it is of absolutely no benefit to Caymanians.
The world wide recession has given the country the ability to recruit more qualified people to fill most of these jobs so there is no need to remove the term limit.
No, actually the previous lack of rollover and its late implementation has been an unbridled economic disaster, not least given the large scale importation of poverty that resulted and the displacement of Caymanians from the workforce.
Check social services, and any economist, if you do not believe me.
Better for the expats like youself or gready business man who makes hige profits off the cheap labor. People like you are not welcome here and should leave on the next flight on a oneway ticket.
Yes, let's all leave. Let's leave you to a stagnating economy, (based on fewer permit fees), a higher cost of living, (because of self entitled pay claims) and bankrupt businesses, (unable to surivive the stagnating economy and higher cost of living). Followed by higher unemployment and withdrawl of investment, you should be very happy here being Caymanian, the people who had it all and lost it because of blind stupidity.
Do the maths, if 20,000 expats are working here, how many businesses will surivive on expensive Caymanian labour alone?
These new proposals will make it harder for employers to get top end foriegn hires.
How?
Please explain why you think that “These new proposals will make it harder for employers to get top end foriegn hires”.
The top end foreign hires don't leave their country. Do you think the Warren Buffet's and Bill Gates will ever come here? no……. because their earning power is so much greater in their own countries. This is the nonsense they try to sell to us and because Nationals can be so naive sometimes, they get pulled into that thought process.
No it will not, unless the employer has become accustomed to lying to the authorities to avoid hiring qualified locals, and we know about plent of those!
Ah, the mantra of the mediocre "suitably qualified".
No. Its in the Law. Ask the CIAA – they just learned the hard way!
…says the mediocre expat who gets the job because of his fellow expat connections.
The problem is that Cayman does not mostly attract top shelf expats but rather those who could not make it in their own countries. They arrive in Cayman and start making some money that they would not have dreamed of back in their homeland and then they begin believing that it is attributable to their genius and writing stupid posts like '…the mantra of the mediocre "suitably qualified"'.
Not just top end, across the board. My initial reaction is to outsource as much as possible because the lottery of PR applications will make business planning impossible.
Ha! There haven't been many, ever.
Why? Do explain. Why would being allowed to have work permits for up to 9 years and allowing you to apply for permanent residency at year 8 deter top end foreign hires. Enlighten us, please.
I would love to see the fines being retroactive ! and enforced !
The fines are not enough. This criminal fraudsters who have done permanent damage to the careers of Caymanians for over a decade need morethan a slap on the wrist.
What about the people who came before Hurricane Ivan, we are the forgotton ones here. We lived here for years prior to Ivan, stayed through it and helped the country rebuild afterwards. I know of 2 people in my circle of friends that had to leave the island after over 20 years, yet the country is bending over backwards to help the people that came afterwards.
Despite their best efforts, It is not as easy for the boards to misbehave these days thanks to changes in the law. But trust me, if they could they wouuld.
What about all the expats who have made Cayman their first home, invested in property, feed the local ecomony and support local charities. What about those who live law abiding and socially constructive lives, and those who work hard for local businesses to ensure success and wealth for their Caymanian owners.
What about us?
When Cayman is being torn apart by its own stock of criminals, why are so many people against those who actually contribute millions to this island and its economy.
Everyone would agree that those with no right or purpose to be here should go, nobody wants to support losers who cannot be bothered to contribute to their own society. But to deny those who really care, those who helped rebuild this island and those who work hard everyday to keep this island going is nothing but the mark of an ungrateful, envious and selfish people.
Please Cayman, don't be those people.
Life is not always fair. Get used to it buddy.
I wonder if this could be a human rights issue?
It should be, but the fees lawyers are charging here, people usually give up trying. One day, someone who can afford to challenge it will, on principle. I look forward to that day.
Forsure. There are some people that have been here 10, 15 years without PR or status. Government needs to regularize these people or the risk being in violation. The people who are now here 7-9 years are people and business who did not heed the roll over. Something needs to be done for the pre-Ivan people and the ones who arrived in the 90's. Not for people who can in the mid – 2000's.
There is a difference between the socioeconomic background of those who were here during Ivan and the rebuilding of these Islands, and those who returned after it was rebuilt. We should be looking to those who have our country at heart rather than those who intend to reap as much for as long as they can and leave again sholud another disaster strike us. Sad!
What about the people who came before Ivan? and people who spent 20 years and had to leave. My learned friend 95% of those people spent 20 years in Cayman and did not have apot cover to show for it here. Why should the government give PR and status to people who are only using Cayman for a stepping stone, to move to UK or USA or Canada.after they get thePR and Status. Most of them do not have a pot to cook into. They send evey dime home, and become old men and women here and at the end of the day they end up on the Pay roll of the Children & Family Services. There are too man foreign persons who were granted PR and status on that list. It need to stop now. That list should only consist of Caymanians over 60 years who do not have an income and Caymanians who are disabled not foreign PR and Status grants. If you spend 20 years here and send home all of your money then you should go home. Anyway let us see what will happen to the New plan the Priemer will enforce. I believe Immigration should surely scruntinize these applications of persons who do not have a fowl coop on the Island much less a chim pot.
You are so right? What is the government going to do about these people? Their answer is apply with everyone else and you have 90 days to do it at the commencment of the law. Section 30 (2) E. Some people have been ordinarily and legally resident for 10, 15 years and have not been regularized. Missed out on the mass status grant or some change in the law. Which seems to be every couple of years. These same people are ones who have gone to school here, and have family here, and are members of the community.
to paraphrase John F Kennedy
"…ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country – providing of course that it's suits it and when it doesn't your'e history"
We need balance to protect Caymanians. We need compassion and fairness to protect the rest.
Yes, you are right, the new generation after Ivan are less concerned with the island and more concerned with their package.
I have noticed it and many of my friends have commented on it. Not the sameilk of people from before. I can feel it everywhere. At work, at school, out and about. It is palpable.
I miss my islands before Ivan even though we still had some riffraff, not like we have now. We sure let in the chaff!
At least they got an opportunity to do “what it took” to get a Cabinet Status grant. I understand some were available pretty cheap.
Just wondering how do you think those of Native/Locals are feeling, we are bypassed for all who come to our shores regardless of how long you or your circle of friends have lived here, We have no choice nor do we have another country to return home to, you have a choice, what is happening in our little country amounts to a down right shame on the government we so foolishly continue to return to power, not one of them stand up for their very own, and it's sad to say but you all are enjoying the spoils of our country whilst we Caymanians are just barely surviving here. The Cayman Islands are overpopulated, and crime hasn't taken a grip here yet just giveaway these statuses/permanent residences to more expats and watch what happens next. Just like UDP it's all about $$$$$$
Agree 100%
I agree. Those that Re here should join your friends by leaving on the very next flight out of Cayman.