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(CNS): As the third labour minister in six months takes over the evermore challenging portfolio, local immigration attorneys are warning of an “immigration storm”. The backlog of permanent residency and status applications continues to grow, presenting a legal headache for the government even as new workers arrive daily, with the number of work permit holders reaching another new record of 36,501 last month.
More than 450 additional work permits were issued to foreign workers from the middle of June to the middle of September, fuelling an unprecedented population increase in the country. While this adds enormous pressure to local infrastructure and school placements and worsens the housing crisis, it is also leading to more dissatisfaction among the local population and political controversy.
In his latest update for HSM Chambers’ immigration clients, Nick Joseph said they continue to receive a steady flow of new applications for permanent residency as well as for Caymanian status.
Although applications are being processed by the team at WORC, headed up by Director Jeremy Scott, Joseph said it was the firm’s “experience and understanding that no applications for permanent residence pursuant to the points system appear to have been determined by the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board since their appointment in 2021”.
Joseph said that HSM had still not received any explanation as to why the board is not processing applications for PR based on time spent living here. He warned that, as a result, the processing time was slipping back again, and applications for PR are now taking around 16 months.
In the email sent to clients, Joseph said the processing time for applications to be Caymanian on the basis of naturalisation is now between 18 and 20 months, depending on the circumstances, and 16 months for those applying on the basis of marriage.
Joseph warned that things could get worse in the coming weeks. He said that, according to the most recent data, 17 applications for Caymanian status based on naturalisation were determined in August. Ten were granted and seven refused. As HSM waits on the numbers for September, he said that early indications were not promising.
“We have heard no news as to fresh determinations since August,” he said. “It appears clear that the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board… continues to fall behind.” It is believed there is a backlog of 509 applications for Caymanian status based on naturalisation and a further 222 based on marriage.
Joseph predicted that it is likely to take more than three years to determine these pending applications, and with around 50 applications for status being filed monthly, the backlog is going to grow. “We have already (long) contended that some of the delays appear unlawful,” Joseph warned and questioned how the authorities did not see this situation coming.
“It may be a good thing that we have not yet seen any formal proposals from the PR review subcommittee,” he said, noting that they had expected them to be released last month. “Although reform is needed, we need to get it right. Rushing for solutions, particularly if they are motivated by political expedience, helps no one in the longer term.”
The challenges surrounding Cayman’s immigration regime are becoming evermore complex and challenging. The knock-on effect of the growing population is having a profound impact on the community.
Having so many expatriate workers is also impacting the economy. Recent figures released by CIMA revealed that between June 2022 and June 2023, more than $300 million left this economy and was remitted back to the home nations of more than half of the workforce. More than 60% of that cash was sent to Jamaica, with the rest going to dozens of countries around the world.
Heading into the busy winter season, Cayman can expect to see the population increase again. The rate of growth in work permit numbers fell from a high of twelve every day to five per day over the summer, but that rate is likely to increase again as the tourism industry ramps up ahead of the holiday high season
While the official population is currently estimated at 84,000, Joseph said that analysis by HSM of the government statistics indicates that a more realistic figure is at least 90,000.
Even that figure falls far short of the actual number of people in Cayman on any given day, as it does not include people on temporary work permits, overseas property owners who arrive and leave throughout the year, and the thousands of tourists here every day, all of which adds to the impact on the infrastructure.
See the latest statistics of work permits by nationality and CSPR applications below
(a response to an FOI request by HSM):
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