No quotas for new residents
(CNS): The chief officer in the Home Affairs Ministry has said that government does not have a set figure or target when it comes to the number of people who get permanent residency but it does care about the profile of the people who will eventually go on to be Caymanian. Eric Bush said the new process for PR applicants is more difficult but it is also much clearer and the aim is to ensure that those who now get through are financially stable and community minded people who want to integrate. Concerns that some past approvals were not able to pay the fees drove government to look at profiles rather than quotas.
Speaking on Cayman 27’s political interview show, The Panel, with Tammi Sulliman this week,Bush made it clear that the government is far more concerned with the quality of people who stay rather than the quantity. Denying that the government was focusing on the rich elite, he said community minded people who cared about the best interests of Cayman were the target but admitted that they must be financially stable and able to sustain themselves.
“What’s clear to me is that government wanted to address the anomalies we were seeing in the system,” he said, adding that people were getting permanent residency when they were not stable. “There have been cases where people were going to the department of children and family services and asking for money to pay their PR fees.”
He said government wanted a system that puts a stop to that as those who get PR must be able to provide for themselves and their families and not become a burden in future on government. But he also emphasised the need for individuals to be integrated into the local community and not pose a threat or risk to Cayman.
“There is no road map to figures,” Bush said on the show on Tuesday evening. “It’s not that easy to say that we need X amount of people. We can’t be that prescriptive. We need to be objective and transparent and listen to business and their needs and regulate but let the private sector manage the growth.”
He said he did not think government could manage the size of the population but what it could do was shape the population. “I don’t know if there can be a set number as we grow but we know what we want the population to look like, which is what government is showing with the new PR process. We have made it clear what individuals need to do,” Bush added.
Bush explained that expat workers can now look ahead and know that if they want to stay they need to get 110 points and they can see how they can achieve those points via the new lists of requirements, including the work and education level, their earnings and investments and their community involvement.
Denying that the new controversial PR test was too difficult, the chief officer admitted some of the questions were “obscure and irrelevant” and he had directed a few changes. Bush said in March that of the 140 people who had taken the test so far, the average score was 63% and some people had even achieved 100%.
Despite reports that the backlog for applications under the old system was cleared, Bush also revealed that there were over 220 still to be dealt with, some going back as much as five years, but the board was expecting to have those completed within one month. Thereafter, the focus will be on the new applications made since October, of which Bush said there were more than 100.
Category: Local News
Upon my first reading of this piece [which was in a cursory manner], I was unable to digest, or should I say injest this first paragraph grammatically! Now that I've given it a second reading I have discovered that with all the other talents some of our Civil Servants have, they obviously have the gift clairvoyance, or are required to have, psychic abilities as well!
And I Quote: Eric Bush said the new process for PR applicants is more difficult but it is much clearer and, "The Aim Is to Ensure That Those Who Now Get Through are Financially Stable and Community Minded People, Who Want to Integrate" END QUOTE:
Now my friends to ensure this! One definitely has to possess [at a minimum] psychic abilities. Because one has to have the ability to know intent on the part of the applicant. Some people will say and do anything to reach their desired goal. Which is that permanent Residency/Status. There should never be anything in that document referring to any community projects or activities that enables an applicant to add points to their score card. Because they will then focus on those things because of the points they will gain, and not because of their love for the community, which prompts them to get involved in the activities of the local neighborhoods etc.
Now this next sentence really floors me:
And I QUOTE: Concerns that some past approvals "Were Not Able To Pay The Fees" drove government to look at profiles rather than quotas. OK! Lets read that again:
Concerns that some past approvals "WERE NOT ABLE TO PAY THE FEES" drove government To Look At Profiles Rather Than Quotas. "Really" Am I missing something here?
LET"S QUOTE AGAIN: First paragraph! "The chief officer in the Home Affairs Ministry has said that government does not have a set figure or target when it comes to the number of people who get permanent residency but it does care about the "PROFILE" of the people who will eventually go on to be Caymanian" End quote. This bothers me because it appears to be discriminatory. Perhaps not intended, but this is why anything that Government puts before the public, has to be thoroughly vetted. prior to it publication..
I personally know of many "poor" persons who have come to this Island and have lived here for decades, who have proven themselves to be upstanding residents and community minded persons who, more than likely will be passed over, because they may not be able to pay the fee at the time of approval. Am I to understand that someone of that character will be rejected over someone whose sole purpose of becoming a "caymanian" is for economic opportunities, and because they have the financial requirements they then will be moved to the head of the line over those who have proven to the world that they truly deserve PR. There should be in place for those who [if they are proven to be unable to pay the fees in full] a program in place which allows them to pay over a given time period. Otherwise, as I said before it will appear to be discriminatory!
So I say to all those who are in charge, please make sure that there is fairness and equity in this document after the revisions you intend to make, which must be vetted thoruoghly prior to implementation.
All of the people saying that this social service or that is for Caymanians only need to ask yourselves where you think the money to provide those services comes from. The economy here is fed by the working population and that includes expats. Expats contribute by buying food, fuel, paying rent, dinners and movies out and so on. All of this contributes to the GDP of the country which in turn allows the government to have a budget. Meanwhile the government spends that money without the expat population having any say at all on where their contributions go. Nor does any expat have access to many of the services their money pays for. Then I read how some of you feel that those services need to be reserved for Caymanians only and how dare anyone ask the Government for help.
Here’s a thought, why not give preference to individuals that create jobs that will pay a living wage to the existing population?
Integration is such a ghastly concept.
There may not be a quota, but trying to tax a population less than 100,000 costs more than the revenue gained.
So, halfway there but let's keep building on any piece of ground that is available, adding stories to buildings and keep the mechanical workings a little vague.
Once the Islands have a supporting, revenue base, it is on the way self determination.
Try taxing a population of less than 100,000, Hellow! BVI has a population of less than 25 thousand people and they have payroll taxes, Bermuda have a population of 65 thousand and they also have payroll taxes both countries seems to be doing just as well and in some instances much better than many jurisdictions that do not have any taxes. Cayman politicians and people need to stop taking the wrong advice from people that do not have Cayman's interest at heart and only their pockets. Government needs to realise that when the ship begin to tilt they will all jump off and make their speedy exit just like they did everywhere in the world including the titanic.
of course they will jump off when cayman destroys itself, you do your upmost to stop expats staying and then complain when they leave and feel no loyalty to the place.
13 people a month are applying now. The success rate of these applications will be unknown while the new system rolls in, but let's assume 60% success rate. That is 8 people a month. Now even taking spouses and depedents into account, 100 succesful applications a year is not going to make significant differences to the nations population. One decent power cut adds more to the population each year than that.
Only 1 of my current employees showed up for work on saturday maybe it is because they got over paid on friday The owner 60% of the company didnt even show up Too hung over and doped out
Its Going to be funny when I sell my homes and leave I wont say anything too them.
Just not show up like them
And its going to be even funnier when those that will now be out of work have nothing eat
By the way I dont want status or residency even though I could get it on my own merit
or buy it for that matter.
The fact is this place is falling apart fast and I wont be here for the Chaos
By the way my company supports well over 100 people with our projects and there wont be anyone to pick up the slack
LOL GFY's
So sorry to see you to poster 10:05 Sunday 4/27/2014 hope that you will find the perfect place. Next!
I just hope you find a more welcoming place that appreciates the work and business, which should be hard
Why do you say "my employees" when someone else owns 60% of the company?
Fronting. It is a crime. It is widespread. No-one does anything. Ever!
Perhaps i should of said our employees But since the cayman partner is also an employee It is My ….that said monday they got chewed out and the Cayman partner ran home for the day crying because he was told HOW IT IS
In other words your Caymanian partner is fronting for you and it is really your business. You certainly could not do that to a real 60% Caymanian owner.
All when and good if you have just arrived and can make plans. For those who have been hear 7 or 8 years already we can't go back and change the way we invested/lived/integrated.
"Your decisions today, and everyday, create your tomorrow."
No one is responsible for your choices but you.
Reply to 27/04/2014 10-28
Try being ther for 21 years and still being told to leave,.
If you think it only happens in Cayman why don't you try Bermuda or Dubai. It there on the web for you and all to see, have a nice day!
Then obviously you would just invest/integrate if you were going or thought you would get residency. You're not doing it for the right reasons so ….you know the rest.
It has always been a ground to revoke PR if either you lied on your application or became a burden on the community. Often those that have become a burden lied on their application. Why have we ignored the Law? Will someone please explain? Oh, I remember, we were corrupt. Now we are not? Okay, can we please start following our laws now? still waiting….
Being poor is not a reason to infringe Article 8 rights.
No, but lying and fraud provide no protection.
I believe Mr Bush and his pannel has made a wise decision looking into this. It has been long over due to change the way people obtain PR and they are in no stable condition to live here. A lady who got PR and has been living here for more than 20 years said to me a few days ago that she was considering going to the Children & family services for assistance to pay rent and food vouchers.. These necessties are for the Caymaias who built this country, and the Social Serice need to reflect on that. Not for people who only used this Country for a stepping stone to build up somewhere else at our expense
Imagine livng here over 20 years built a home in her country and a business, and now want to ask the governmet for help.
Government and Immigration had better be careful on what they are attempting to do here. The UK decided to become lenient with their immigration policies now they are have having quite the problem. We were in a much better position when we had a tighter control on immigration, if the lax attitudes in immigration continues we will regret our foolish decisions very soon. I watched this video on Youtube and this will only be the tip of the iceburgh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-UjTP-8s3I
These videos have opened my eyes and I hope they will do the same for all Cayman.
I just pray that we don't get to the point of the UK but I can see it happening soon if we don't control our immigration better. We need to get the immigration department in order and fast, we need to start fingerprinting every applicant and do wordwide background check for every applicant for Status, PR and Work Permits. In addition we need to setup a system where by the passport of everyone who enters these shores are scanned and held on a database along with their fingerprints.
As part of the training as an immigration officer every officer should be made to spend three months oversease in the UK and possibly Australia to get real experience and exposure.
Ummm … here is a suggestion for many of you in the room;
Why don't you focus your time, energy and expertise into making your OWN COUNTRY a wonderful place to live?!
Are you people "listening" to yourselves?
"Cayman … if you don't want expats many other places do…", "X country has an easier process to achieve PR" etc.
Folks, none of you are fleeing wars, persecution or a plague of some sort … what is with the unrelenting mission to leave your homeland with a demand of another to accept you permanently? Why is there an onus being placed on countries like the Cayman Islands to cater to the selfish wishes and or disgruntled existence of countless people in the world?
I would make a guess that 90% of the posters to which my words apply are from the "1st world". Is there not something a bit odd about this picture?
You don't NEED to come to Cayman, you WANT to come to Cayman. Nevertheless, many come with the attitude of "Take me in or else!"?
No buddy … take a chill pill. Apply, work hard, act right – and we will consider your suitability for becoming a permanent member of our community.
Does your country not do the same to its immigrants? Yes, "immigrants".
(Interesting how the term "expat" is utilitzed when certain types of people are in question isn't it? For example, has any Brit in the room ever heard the term "expat" in their media or political discussions when referring to similar issues?)
Anyway, I love Cayman and I wish everyone a comfortable existence. However, although we are quite amazing and attractive, we are also very tiny. Please respect that reality and act accordingly folks. An overrun of this place will only reduce it to a crime-ridden, tense, and superficial metropolis like so many others.
Thanks.
P.S. I am yet to hear of what research and studies CIG is conducting into the long-term effects on our society by this population growth in respect to the racial, religious and cultural makeup of the country. Or are we ignoring thousands of years of human history, world wars, genocides, segregation, Holocausts, race riots, etc and keeping our fingers crossed in this regard?
you are such a hypocrite, nearly all your posts are about the UK, why don't you heed your own advice and focus on improving your own country instead of picking faults in others.
(Oh dear …)
(Type-o alert!)
🙂
Troll-lol-lol-lol.
This should be your theme song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1eHKf-dMwo
Of this post, but take an overall look at all the posts you have made.It is always about the UK or Chagos Islands, so yes you are a hypocrite. And Cayman doing well? Cayman is a country that can only just sustain itself through the money it earns from work permit fees from expats. Now Cayman is doing it's upmost to alienate them and people cheer when they leave. Unfortunately mainly will not realise until too late that their cushy government job, free gas, free CAL flights will come to a total halt if the expats go. With around 25,000 Caymanians now, the majority will end up in other countries or working the ships as their grandfathers did. Cayman is on a precipice and many Caymanians are acting like leamings.
Onething is certain. Nothing can have a negative cultural impact if there is not any culture in the first place.
Yet people like yourself are still clawing down our doors with hopes to never leave.
Logic therefore suggests that wherever you hail from is particularly unpleasant.
Lastly, you do realize that it is absolutely impossible for any community of human beings to be devoid of a culture, right?
Say no more. There is not a question in my mind where you come from. Same typical, racist and narcissistic crap as always. You are excused.
After all, it is in your "culture" to think the way you do.
😉
The Virgin Islands are advertising, their door is open and the welcome mat is out people
The Virgin Islands??? which one there are two, one is for the USA and the same rules apply like they do in the USA and the BVI immigration laws are much more difficult than Cayman maybe you should really read the link that was left on an earlier post. For PR in BVI you have to be a resident there for 20 years not the case in Cayman. Since Cayman is so difficult I am sure some of the other British Islands will roll out the welcome mat for you those in the Caribbean are:
Anguilla, Bermuda, BVI (British Virgin Islands), Montserrat and Turks and Caicos. Take the time to go one the internet and research their immigration and residency requirements.
Anguilla is very welcoming and friends haved lived there for two plus years and love it.
How's their murder rate looking these days ?
Where did you saw that?
I'm planning to move there as soon as I sell my condo here as I got my PR denied here.
I checked their immigration website and it seems to be same as here.
Thank you,
We all caymanians might just have to traverse there. It seems like the whole world wants to come and demand that they stay here on this little 90 square mile Island.
They do not want to have an Immigration policy that says, "we cant handle all of you!
There's a reason, have you been? I have, no thanks.
In the words of an expat colleague: "The best view of the BVI is from an aeroplane as it recedes from view".
No, that was a quote about Grand Cayman.
Dont worry Cayman, you'll soon have your islands all to yourselves. There are plenty more islands out there that are equally as nice, if not more that do not treat expats like they are treated here. By the time you all realise this – it will be too late.
Your comments are very hateful and I am sure that most Caymanians are far more tolerant to foreigners that most countries that I have visited. You seem very unhappy here, so why don't you move to Dubai they welcome expats there and have a very open policy the pay is excellent and expats live very well there. There are some good expats that have made Cayman their home and will stay here in good and bad times but for those who share your sentiments I say god speed, good luck and good bye.
I dont know what more you all expect Caymanians to do for you all, unless we Caymanians leave and go somewhere else and give you all Cayman. Cayman is no good now because the likes like you has ruined it.
You got nerve to talk about how we treat expats!!
Look around you my friend! how many Caymanian builders have contracts to build our buildings? How many have sub-contracted jobs on these mega construction site?
Let me tell you…NONE!
So stop talking shit! it appears like you want our dreams too! you took everything else from us already. All our businesses are practlcally gone…. doors shut.
Listen 14;29
In the 80s when we had 25,000 people here. All of us worked in harmony, natives and expats alike. It was not a matter of us and them attitude.
The people who were in charge of certain managment, made sure they got all locals involved.
For instance, the construction industry, the third leg of our economy. Mr. Butler was the biggest developer on Island then. He never asked for concessions. even if he did, the locals prospered from his developments.
He developed approximatly 3 miles of the 7 mile beach. He never held secrete meetings with politicians to import builders, every local builder in this country was busy and happy.
Now, you take the three last hotels built in the mid 90s Marriot, West-Inn and Ritz.
By this time the younger politicians had taken the country over. ( greed) they were the ones started giving concessions and permissions for the developers to import their own builders.
This traight has continue to where every construction manager now has his own construction company.
The locals were all pushed out by these intities.
You should master basic English before you get on your high horse.
Next step Mr.Alden is a Repatriation fee & Revoke policy! Everywhere else has it besides here! Bracka
This place is a gathering Ground for people who want freebies after they get pr or status etc, if you can’t maintain yourself & Siblings goodbye!
I don't believe there is no quota, perhaps not officially but unofficially you know they have a limit.
What is sad are all the people who really cared about this country who were forced to leave to be replaced by people who do not care.
As long as Caymnians prefer to hire foreigners over fellow Caymanians this country will be troubled.
The island is not big enough to grow economically without foreign labor, there are simply not enough people. There are a bunch of new housing developments being built especially out East who is going to buy those houses? Like it or not Cayman needs
expatriate workers
How many times do we hear that bleat and no mention at all of the other issues surrounding Cayman unemployment issues?
The imposition of work permit equivalency fees on PR holders is illegal discrimination on the basis of national origin.
Cayman is a no tax jurisdiction like Monaco, Bermuda and BVI here are the reqirements for residency in each:
After you have read the requirement of each please note that Cayman is still a good place to be and much easier than most. Monaco has a much shorter time to qualify but very few that can qualify in Cayman could qualify there. So to those who don't have anything positive to say about Cayman I hope you can find some now.
Monaco
http://www.relocation-monaco.com/relocating-to-monaco.html
http://www.ilovemontecarlo.com/category/moving-to-monaco/
Bermuda – Citizenship
http://www.bermuda-online.org/citizenship.htm
Bermuda does not allow the grant of residency (see below – only Citizenship)
http://www.bermuda-online.org/employwp.htm
BVI (British Virgin Islands)
http://www.bviimmigration.gov.vg/Residents.aspx
I thank you for the link to the Bermudian rules, not because of what they say about status/ citezenship, but because of the note about "Dame" Lois Brown-Evans (the butt of many a joke in the Umm-umm Show, where she was referred to as "Slow us down Heavens"). Loveley to see how one of the most anti-British (or should I say "white people") politicians in Bermuda rolled over and accepted a Damehood.
Truth speaks volumes.
Monaco, Bermuda and BVI are not "no tax jurisdictions" at all. Both Bermuda and BVI have payroll taxes and property taxes, and Monaco has corporate taxes.
And I Quote: Denying that the new controversial PR test "was too difficult", the chief officer "admitted" some of the questions were “Obscure & Irrelevant” and he had directed a few changes. End Quote:
My question is this! If "someone" had been doing their job, would they not have made this discovery prior to releasing this document publicly! Now, we can look forward to another few hundred thousands of our money wasted for making these corrections!
A system of ineptitude has prevailed within the civil service for so long it is now considered normalcy. But nobody is disciplined, demoted or retired!
And the beat goes on.
"Obscure and irrelevant" could describe every question set about "Caymanian Culture".
It is people with your attitude that the test is designed to weed out. People like you are so eager to offend Caymanians that you do so even when it is against your own interests.
Here's to you "Obscure and irrelevant" – Aesop's Fable – The Fox and the Grapes
One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing toquench my thirst" quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning around again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour.
Moral of Aesops Fable: It is easy to despise what you cannot get
I really thinking tobe or not to be a Chief Officer that is the question. What are the prerequisites?, for I find that every time one opens his/hermouth, the foot struggles to rise up and close it.
Without a plan any person or group can come here and convince our government they're good citizens.
One factor ALL workers have in common is economic benefit, so when will we understand that they all will use whatever they have, connections to money, to family, to deep racist guilt, to ensure our MLAs give them PR or status.
Either way it doesn't matter what the income of applicants our MLAswill do whatever must be done fromvague requirements for PR to status grants by Cabinet.
The ONLY people who feel entitled to have all rights to work and family are expatriate workers, and some will sue our government for discrimination.
When will our leaders get some b****!!!! Don't give in to the fear of protecting the future of your own FIRST, guess what it happens in every country so everytime you guys give in, the expats are laughing.
Whatever happened to Vision 2008? Hosea 4:6 says My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. People this is the reason why the country is going through all these social ills we had a blue print long set down by our forefathers we abandoned them and yet again God sent us people to worlk long and hard on a development document called Vision 2008 to serve as a blue print and we rejected that and did our own thing without plans for the future. This is why we are now in the mess that only seems to get worst on a daily basis. When the Cayman Island had less than 25K people the wise leaders of that era saw the need to put a quota on status by grant because the natural birth rate of "Native" or "Established" Caymanians were not equal to those that were applying for Caymanian Status at the time and to avoid the native/established population from being outnumbered and to avoid social problems a quota was set to create a balance. However due to greed and the need for political power all this was dismantled and guess what we have now chaos but hopefully not anarchy, unless we get busy in salvaging what we can and move forward before our people continue to regress and we end up like Fiji. One thing I know for sure Cayman don't have no George Speight and none to come anytime soon because the last of the Mohicans ended with the generation of the late great Orman Panton. These islands might see another son of the soil like him and that generation in the next 500 years if we are lucky.
Judging by the disparaging comments made about Cayman and its people on a daily basis, we shouldn't expect to see these truckloads of people scrambling to get a foot in the door.
Surely they must all be from some 3rd world hell-hole. Why else would they want to reject their homeland for these wretched little islands?
Very interesting …
"…Why else would they want to reject their homeland for these wretched little islands?…
Tropical paradise.
No income tax forms to fill out every year.
Thank you for your response.
Kindly now read above for my latest post. I trust you find it helpful.
Money. Easy, sweet, tax free money to pile up and take back to civilization one day.
Starting up a business without any sort of criteria. They call it free enterprize
I would have got PR but I did not know its was Mrs Ebanks not Mrs Bodden that won third place in a schools painting competition in 1962.
Eediat. Even brother Eric know it was Mrs. Watler daughter grandniece.
I guess there's no hope for hard working nannies or gardeners. We only want the Levitts and the syeds.
There are enough home grown criminals already. More than most places per capita to be honest. Why import more?
I don't agree that there is no way to limit the growth because that's pretty straight forward. The goverment could simply say, "when we get to 60,000 people, there will be a moratorium on Caymanian Status and permanent residence". We can't keep growing until the end of time, our government can't sustain the new residents if they're not solvent.
I do agree that the new permanent residents should be community-minded and financially stable. Since the 2003 UDP Status Grants, they've been giving status and permanent residence to anyone who met the 8 year requirement, which is absurd.
A lot of the applicants are low-income workers who work as unskilled (and often uneducated) domestic helpers, construction workers and security guards, etc.. Many of them make more or less $1000 a month and cannot afford to live alone so they shack up with 5-10 other roommates just to make ends meet. A vast majority of them do not even have a bank account and every weekend they wire money home to dozens of dependents (who will potentially become Caymanian as well if they're given status). Hence, they are not financially stable, and have ZERO interest in contributing any finances to our economy whatsoever. If they are given status, they in turn will naturalize their dependents from overseas (many of which are unemployed, uneducated and unskilled) who will automatically qualify for welfare services. This adds to Government's welfare crisis and its ability to provide for Caymanians in genuine need of social assistance.
Because they're only here to work and they don't make much money, they DO NOT integrate and tend to stick to their own, which does not satisfy the 'community-minded' requirement.
These aren't the kind of people that will help to advance Cayman, so no, they should not qualify for permanent residence.
Re moratorium on status grants, the Grand Court ruled that this was illegal some 12 years ago when a moratorium had been in place for 10 years. That is what led to the mass status grants.
It is not true that since 2003 everyone who was here for at least 8 years was given PR.
Not altogether silly, but it is very difficult to incorporate your approach into legislation. A little matter of ethics.
Good post 13:11. It shows exactly what a despicable situation exists for these foreign workers here on slave wages, a situation that right thinking Caymanians should be deeply ashamed of.
For your information, so many of these domestic helpers keep begging the poor Caymanian for a job. Even though they are told that they do not need , nor cannot afford they are persistent and the poor fool fool Caymanian go above their means and employ them. Most of the time they get their free meals and if they live in like mine they do not even have to buy tooth paste, so you see although their pay might be small if you dont have rent, utilities, nor food to buy then when their money is sent home that is alot. Please stop biting the hand that is feeding you.
i get you brother, look at history and the plantation in the 1700 and 1800's when the owners fed, clothed and gave shelter to their workers for their work, they wanted for nothing, yet then came emancipation and claimed they were slaves, when clearly the owners were paying their rent, footbills and utilities. And as for sending any pittance they recieve home (after the 5% poor expat tax deduction of course) is abhorrent to a good Christian like myself, I mean a mother not allowed to brign her children to live with her and then has the nerve to try and feed them at home, instaed of putting the money back in to Cayman's cofferss in our bars and liquor stores. It burns my soul, the selfishness of these people!
Everyone at some time or the other had to leave their homes and work in other countries. Caymanians had to do it many years ago. The same people that come to Cayman go to other countries and can't take their families either.
exalty my point, those Caymanians who worked abroad or on ships without their families sent money home so they could eat. And now Caymanians curse the expats for doing the same thing. And should I bring up all those Caymanians who moved to the mother country and now claim benefits and housing subsidies? hey but that's ok to you guys. Such hypocracy!
The UDP administration was well aware of what you pointed out in your comments. That is why Mac changes the law, which identified someone as having Caymanian Status. Now when you do an FOI on how many people are on social services, there is no distinction between Caymanian and Cayman Status holder.
Cause Mr.Mac knew where a lot of them would end up.
Thanks to MAC for increasing the social service dependents.
Madam/Sir Anonymous, with due respect, I beg to differ from some of the points you have raised.
1. 'Since the 2003 UDP Status Grants, they've been giving status and permanent residence to anyone who met the 8 year requirement, which is absurd.' I completely agree. THAT is an absurd statement.
2. 'A lot of the applicants are low-income workers who work as unskilled (and often uneducated) domestic helpers, construction workers and security guards etc.' Can you back this statement up with facts and figures? Those unskilled and often uneducated domestic helpers are the ones left in-charge of your home and children, which I hope are your most precious treasures, are they not? They're the ones left with school children to help them with their homework and school projects, so uneducated and unskilled they're also the ones responsible in preparing your meals. You should be wary they're not so unskilled they might just end up poisoning you, albeit unintentionally!
Considering that your former Minister of Education himself was the one who said that your fresh graduates are unemployables, you might want to reconsider and rethink why is that so. I may hazard a guess that maybe those domestic helpers may have more skills and better education as they're the ones employed!
Consider also the fact that those domestic helpers are in a sense not just hired to mop your floors and clean your toilets, because most of them end up as your Nurse, teacher, nutritionist, in-house mothers and playmates of your children. Despite wearing multiple and colorful hats, as you say, they earn less than $1000 a month, some of them are not even covered with medical insurance much less pension plans! And you would expect them to have a bank account, and deposit what?
You think its a bad thing to send their dependents the financial support they needed, why, is it better to be deadbeat baby daddys and unemployed baby mommys who are no older than their babies themselves? At least those dozens ofdependents are not lining up in welfare agencies back in their country!
3. 'have ZERO interest in contributing any finances to our economy'. You think so? Seriously? Show me a supermarket whose giving away their stuff for free. Show me a gas station who allows you to pump gas for free. Show me a free utility company – gas, water, electricity. Show me a free house to live in. Show me a bus who gives away free rides. Show me a car dealer whose giving away free cars. Western Union, Money Epress, Moneygrams, all benefited from transmittal fees. Shoes, Clothes stores, free stuff? Show me a movie house showing free movies. Free ice cream? Free popcorn? So in a sense, those unskilled and uneducated domestic helpers, gardeners, security guards ARE contributing to the economy.
4. They do not integrate and tend to stick to their own precise because of homophobic people like you.
5. These are the kind of people that is not over-populating your prisons.
Again with due respect, I suggest you check your fact and figures before putting two feet in your mouth because you will be left with no leg to stand on.
By the way, I am a domestic helper.
Well said, and very eloquently too.
> 4. They do not integrate and tend to stick to their own precise because of homophobic people like you.
Non-skilled workers do not integrate because of homophobia? So you are saying that all non-skilled workers are homosexuals?
That doesn't even make sense.
Swap homophobia with the word racist for using derogatory words such as unskilled and uneducated when it pertains to domestic helpers, construction workers, security guards, etc.. Or better yet, suggest a word that would perfectly describe the poster. A hypocrite, maybe?
I think his/her point is for one to have informations founded on facts and figures to support the rantings against DHs, SGs, CWs, etc. He/She might be surprised to find out that they may not have opted to apply for PR in the first place, as they cannot afford to risk paying the $1000 fee, face the daunting neanderthal questions / test that even the born and bred Caymanders do not know the answers.
But it is true that they tend to congregate amongst themselves, maybe because on their day-offs they would like to be free and have a rest from hearing swear words from employers or supervisors with limited vocabulary when it comes to curses except f.ck you! f.cking shit! motherf.cker!
Remember that of the 1500 extenders, most have already gone/left, prefering to wait out the year and just take another chance to work again than apply for PR. So barking at the wrong tree would get you no cat!
Why not check or investigate business establishments/employers who are giving false informations on work permit applications regarding job titles to escape paying the correct fees? Downgrading the positions so no Caymanians will be interested to apply, advertising $7-8 /hr rate, when actually it was double that, just to discourage Caymanians because they'd rather not hire one , as they had dumped and stereotyped them to be lazy, arrogant and has an entitlement attitude, whose work ethics are undesirable?
you're no better than the posters cause you're lumping all Caymanians together. Not all Caymanians curse. Only low class people with no breeding do that. My generation of Caymanians would get a box in the face for that. Our parents brought us up correctly with proper manners: yes mam, yes sir, please and thank you.
Three cheers and good for you!
But you're missing the point – it's not the posterwho's lumping them all in one barrel with the rotten tomatoes. Read again, it's the business establishments and employers who submit false info to immigration when applying for work permit and false ads in the papers with the intention of discouraging Caymanians to apply.
Maybe she thinks "homophobia" means fear of people working in homes!
Except that it's not clear; it shows the maximum points available per category, but not how they are allocated. For example Occupation can get 30 points; but what ones?! 30 points for salary, income & savings; but what are the amouts? Everyone I speak to feels it is still being made up as they go along or that the criteria for allocating points remains secret. More disclosure please.
Dont waste your money applying, only a token few will get through the process.
Save your money and come back later on. It would be a waste of money and would only be handed out to buy votes.
Points for income, salary and savings are clearly demarcated for anyone who is capable of reading. You do have a point on occupation though.
First we create a system whereby nobody will qualify…
Then we declare that we dont have any quota for those who do qualify…
In the meantime people are leaving in droves and no new people are coming…
And our economy gets worse by the day as businesses cut back on operations thereby creating less business opportunity and jobs for Caymanians…
Nobody will qualify? "Bush said in March that of the 140 people who had taken the test so far, the average score was 63% and some people had even achieved 100%".
If what you are saying is true that is good news !!!!! Dosent seem to me like Cayman is getting short of residents. Also do we care if no one is coming.
"People leaving in droves and no people coming in" sounds good to me.
New profession for a Caymanian Business, demolition of all the condos no longer needed as the population is decimated…
Not very smart Shirley, are you?
And you shall soon live in you dream come true land. Wherever Mr Dart says you may. Ha ha ha ha
I was having me some Chinese food when I saw this reply to my post, so I opened up the Chinese Cookie and here is what it read: 'This person is not really Shirley and he/she needs hygienic lessons'…
Of course there are no quotas because this is the same as everything else in the Cayman Islands – if you have enough money and the right connections you can buy your way in. PR is a joke and always has been. It's just like the rollover.
in other words..will only be for the rich
Good! At least then we will be able to pay for some of the mass importation of poverty of the last decade.
you do realise that the only people to get PR will be those in the high up positions. I will let that sink in. This means that the government is effecively turning that glass ceiling above Caymanians heads into concrete.
No, not if the immigration law is enforced.
Alot of the problem we’re having with public schools overloading with students are because of dead beats pr & free status that has nothing to offer our islands nor themselves but live off social security because they’re not a asset to themselves much less the country! SCREEN THEM! If you’re broke & has nothing to offer=goodbye!
Whatever! anything to blame someone except yourselves!!!
Good luck with that! Every sob-story that is told to the PR Board seems to find enough board members who are overly sympathetic, failing to have the big picture in mind and considering that those people who are always the "victim" to some circumstance will just turn around and bring their other 5 kids to Cayman once residency (and status) has been achieved………..
Hmmm, they managed to throw me out.
19 kids in one case, and seemingly every one of them allowed in without the law being followed.
I was surprised when I found out that my son in law is not a relation. Because of this he gets no points for me as a Caymanian relative and falls short for PR by less than the points he would get if I were "related". Because of this He will have to leave island. This means that our my family will be taken from me. My daughter and two grand daughters who were both born here will have to leave.
This shows how much, or little, thought went into the new bill.
Cayman has always bragged about its strong, close families and now the new government is splitting mine up.
Can you imagine what my response will be when the PPM calls next election asking me to once again work for them in the election.
Why does he have to leave? If he is married to your daughter who is a Caymanian, he can get status through marriage after a set amount of time. Status is BETTER than PR. Perhaps you and your daughter's situation is more complicated and that there are extenuating circumstance which you Are not mentioning?
At any rate, a BLOOD relation is NOT the same as a relative bymarriage since a marriage can be ended easily compared to a blood relationship which goes on forever.
First, the Immigration Regulations clearly define the relevant family relationships and it does not include in-laws. Obviously the family relationship would be from you to your daughter, who would presumably also be Caymanian, and from your daughter to your son-in-law as his wife. There would be a family relationship in each case. You should not be talking about the relationship between a Caymanian mother-in-law and her expat son-in-law. Also, obviously if your daughter has any rights here as Caymanian, PR holder etc. your son-in-law would be permitted to remain as her dependant even if he did not obtain status himself. Your story does not pass the sniff test.
The daughter is not Caymanian.
Ahhh haaa….the plot thickens. Why didn't you mention that in your first blog instead of trying to bad mouth the PPM for enforcing the law.
If you are Caymanian and your daughter was born here, she should also be Caymanian if she did the required paper work andis oe teage of18. If that was done he would be able to stay as he would be married to a Caymanian. If they are not married that is where the issue will arise.
Why does he have to leave? Being married to a Caymanian he can remain on a permit, and that permit is a mere formality for which there is no fee. Can you explain your reasoning on why he has to leave?
Why is your daughter not applying? She is "related" and so would benefit your your citizenship. Then her husband would benefit from his marriage. An "in-law" is not a relatative. The connection is only there because of a law. Only a spouse can benefit in that situation. As it should be.
She is a stay home mom and as such does not have income. So she would " point out" even lower. My point is that if my relation was acknowledged it would not be an issue. We are talking about a family that has a very good income and spends that income here in Cayman not sending it abroad. A family that has two girls that spend time with their grand father each week. That will all end because theri dad is not related to his wifes father. So the family is split. there is no natural justice to that which I can see.
Clearly you are either confused or ignorant of the law. There is no sense to what you have said, no matter how you repackage it. Whether or not your daughter is a stay at home mother has nothing to do with her rights as a Caymanian and her husband would have the right to work as the spouse of a Caymanian if he applied for it.
Right to work certificate for a spouse of a caymanian. Problem solved.
I would have assumed that your daughter has a right to be Caymanian and through her, and marriage your son-in-law has grounds to apply. No automatic rights, as marriage of convenience has been a problem in the past. I think they can probably go down to Immigration and see what they can suggest rather than an automatic refusal.
It does highlight the fact that everyone needs to be aware of their immigration status and apply for all the necesaary paperwork as it relates to them, even children born to Caymanians.
While I sympathize, if you daughter is not Caymanian then your son-in-law is not married to a Caymanian your ties are as close as me asking for my brother to stay (expat.) It is the lack of enforcement that has placed such a huge burden on social services.
If your son-in-law is a good provider for his wife and 2 children, then he can come back in a year, work hard and earn his PR. No more free-lunch and "Who y know" status give-aways please.
I am married to a Caymanian, but when I arrived here 23 years ago I had my OWN path to status!!
It involved hard work from the day I landed. I joined and gave countless hours to 2 charities- I bought my first property within 3 years of arriving, and knew that I (back then) had 7 ore years before I would ever be considered for "status" as we did not have PR back then.
I made sure the Immigration Department saw documentation that I worked hard to train locals for my own job, got promoted, trained locals again and was welcomed to stay. My immigration file was filled with community reference letters every year, not just when I wanted to stay!?
Sorry, but I (for once) agree with Eric. If you think this a place you want to stay, join the community, get status and all the rights, then start planning from day 1 must be key.
I also think the johnny-come-lately White Collar approach starting to volunteer and buy homes just 2 years before your PR application should be taken into consideration as it is NOT cricket. We CAN see through your last minute lame attempt. Reward those who earn it and punish those who are lazy.
Happy to see the quotas go too. We need good citizens not numbers.
I WOULD like to see extra points for community workers: Teachers, Nurses, Police…and actually will say here that if we want to fix our social woes, we need to recruit and compensate a better grade of educators (and accountable Education Administrators!) and the only fast track to status should be a shining star teacher that we beg to remain here for decades.
Our community needs to grow with good people, not just "who ya for?"
And you are not knocking down the Social services doors either.
We should never let in any body that cant afford to support themselves.
Totally agree however there is a major difference between being able to support yourself financially and invest in the community for example investing in property as opposed to having to reach an impossibly highly set financial bar
Who you for or who you fa? Or better yet who ya mama or papa is?. Seems like you snuck in n still na get it jajaja.
I forgot to include that my first decade here was as an expat before I met my local spouse. Let me leave you with this altruistic thought: When you arrive on these shores and endeavor to make it a better place and truly become committed to the community you are going in the right direction for PR, what have you got to lose? Some volunteer time? Investment in a property instead of renting? A pure heart knowing your time here was well spent?
I urge every work permit holder to hold themselves to a higher standard and shame on the locals who try to rubber stamp son -in-laws because of a family connection. Clearly a taker (social services ?) and not a giver so good riddance.
Amusingly if you had arrived 7-8 years ago and were now applying for PR, you would be rejected on the current rules, think about that.
Wow. You expect your extended family to stay because you are local? I think we see the problem.
Regardless where your son-in-law goes, he will/should have to abide by the laws of the land. PPM isn't married to anyone. If he failed to meet the requirements, so let to be. I wish the changes were in place 30 years ago, I am sure we wouldn't have so much baggage now.
??????????????????????????? this makes no sense, how would your son-in-law get point from you being a Caymanian to qualify for his PR, it should be through your daughter and not you. It makes no sense if she is Caymanian, something is just not right here you are not painting the picture right, collect your thoughts and start again.
Im telling you she is not concern with her daughter's husband. These people want cayman to have an open door for them all. Cant you see how they bond and network?
Give this island another 10 years and all other nationalities including Caymanians will have to look for another country to move to.
Ten years your population will be big enough to make income tax worthwhile. Then you are on your way to independence.
Sorry but something doesn't seem to add up! If you have Cayman Status and your daughter was born here, I assume she long ago could have also applied for Cayman Status and as such, her husband would also be eligible for Cayman status after a certain amount of time. I am hard pressed to believe that they would make the spouse of a Cayman Status holder leave the Island………..
Maybe its not about her daughter's husband she is concern about. Certain nationality here with status want us to take their whole country in They have no consideration for the natives here and realise that we need to also survive in our land of birth.
Your daughter will have accrued connections to provide Art 8 protection of her family life. She cannot be forced to leave.
Didn't you notice she never mentioned her daughter being forced to leave, only her son-in-law? Fishy story.
not forced, but d you think she might want to live with her husband, the man she loves as he is being forced to leave. Didn't the same thing happen to Tanya Skeeter, the world record "Caymanian" freediver. I feel sorry for the children who up rooted from the only home they have ever known and their schools and friends and forced to live somewhere knew.
Move to where your son-in-law from then. Or it aint nice like ya?
Is your daughter Caymanian? Shouldn't your son-in-law be able to get a residency and rights to work certificate if she is Caymanian. Then after seven years he is eligible for status. She was born here, so she should be Caymanian if you are too. He does not have to apply for PR if he is married to a Caymanian.
I agree with the govt! Unstable pr people have contributed to our social services problems! If you’re nit $$$ stable to maintain yourself & family sorry but we don’t need no moreankle weights on our country & our pockets=$$$! Gt voter
And how much have semi-literate locals like you contributed to 'social services problems'? Your comment is gibberish.
At least he or she is local as you proclaim. These should be the only recipeants for Social Services.
That was exactly my point earlier on this thread. Certain nationality wants more entitlement than the natives. get lost!!
Cant you all figure out the puzzle. THE DAUGHTER IS NOT CAYMANIAN.
Those who were not able to, or those who have not paid for their PR, why is Eric Bush even mentioning it? The answere should be, cancell those outstanding PRs and issue an exit. Why are we hanging on to social services hangers. Send them home. They are liabilities.
Thats Macs people you talking about now!!!!! Mine he don't go crazy on you, talking about sending HIS favorite people home. NO, West Bayers not his favorite, well….only before election.