There are many reasons to visit the Cayman Islands although for most people, it is commonly a holiday filled with sea, sun and adventure. For others, there is the opportunity to wok in the Cayman Islands or even to study there and there are different entry requirements that will have to be fulfilled in the achievement of each of these different purposes.
As a general rule, every person visiting the Cayman Islands will be required to produce a passport for entry. It is necessary to ensure that your passport is current and that it is valid for a minimum of six month more from the date of your exit from the Cayman Islands.
Ideally it will also be necessary to produce your return ticket at the request of the immigration officials and if your stay on the Cayman Islands is for a longer period, you may have to show proof of funds as well.
If you are a citizen or resident on the Cayman Islands, you will need to produce documentation to prove your citizenship or right of residence. Amongst the documents that are acceptable proof of this include a naturalization certificate or a certified copy of your birth certificate.
Applying for a visa to visit the Cayman Islands
If you come from a country that requires a visa in order to visit the Cayman Islands, the best way to apply for a visa is from the British Embassy or Consulate near you. Details for the different countries are found at UK Overseas Missions.
If you are planning to visit the Cayman Islands more frequently, you may want to consider applying for a multiple-entry visa. This allows you to enter the Cayman Islands over a period of either twelve, twenty-four or thirty-six months without having to apply for a visa for every single visit. The discretion to grant a multiple-entry visa rests solely with the relevant officer.
A visa application commonly takes between 7-14 days to be processed therefore ideally, you should apply for your visa to visit the Cayman Islands at least three weeks before your journey in order to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays.
Generally, a visa will entitle a person to stay on the Cayman Islands for up to six months and if any extensions are required, an early application should be submitted to the Chief Immigration Officer.
If you are visiting the Cayman Islands as a tourist, you are advised not to try to convert your visa into a work permit. While the Chief Immigration Officer has the discretion to grant you a work permit, chances are, they will not do so, even if it is for temporary employment on the islands. Note however that if you are coming onto the islands for a specific project, and will work on this project for a period not exceeding 7 days, then no work permit is required.
Visas will be denied to persons whom the Immigration Authorities classify as prohibited immigrants and this includes individuals who are have created health hazards to the community, anyone involved in prostitution in any form, any person who has been deported from the Cayman Islands in the past, anyone who has been convicted of offences in any country and who was penalized with a 12 month jail sentence or more and other reasons.
Applying for a work permit on the Cayman Islands
There are several different categories of work permits on the Cayman Islands.
Temporary work permits which are normally for a period of six months, are issued by the Chief Immigration Officer.
Annual work permits are also available and are issued either by the Chief Immigration Off or the Business Staffing Plan Board or the Work Permit Board. The maximum period that an annual work permit may be renewed is nine years for employees that are designated as key employees, but for employees that are not designated as key employees, the maximum renewal period is seven years.
In order to be designated as a key employee, the worker must fulfill one of the following criteria, and this must be verified by the employer. The employee must :
- Have specific expertise in his field of work;
- Be directly involved in training Caymanians or developing their skills in a specialized field;
- Be a professional whose skills and expertise are in short supply globally and this specific skill must be of benefit to the Cayman Islands;
- Show that his presence on the islands contributing to his employer or Caymanians is essential and his departure will cause serious hardship or be detrimental to the islands;
- Establish that his business contacts are essential for the continued success of business on the islands;
- Show that his specific case is exceptional and therefore it is justifiable to allow him to be designated as a key employee.
One of the main criteria for applying for work permits is the language requirement. All prospective employees must confirm that they have fluent in the English Language. If you are not from an English speaking country, then it will be necessary to sit for an English test either before arriving on the islands, or upon arrival.
If you are planning to work on the Cayman Islands for more than 3 months, it is also necessary to take a medical examination which includes HIV / VDRL tests and to fill in a medical questionnaire as part of the work permit application.
Applying for permanent residence on the Cayman Islands
If you have been living on the Cayman Islands for at least eight years, then it is possible to apply for Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. It will cost CI$300 to make the application and upon approval, there are specific grant fees that will have to be paid. The grant fees are payable based on your income per annum and there is a specified schedule of such payments.
In order to make an application of permanent residency, there is a point system that is used. The criteria that is taken into account that will impact on this point system include :
- Family members on the islands;
- Financial investments on the islands;
- Specific skills and expertise that can be contributed for the benefit of the islands and the Caymanian community;
- Actual contribution to the Caymanian community.
The scoring system requires applicants to achieve a minimum of 100 points out of 205 points in order to be eligible for permanent residency.
It is possible to apply for permanent residency for your spouse and once this is attained, your spouse will be able to work on the Cayman Islands and in relation to your children it will also be possible to apply for permanent residency for them as well as long as they are dependents. However once the child attains the age of twenty-four years or completes their full time tertiary education, the permanent residency rights of the child comes to an end.
If your application for permanent residency is refused for any reason, it is possible to appeal this decision with the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board. This appeal must be lodged with the Board within 28 days of receiving the rejection and will cost CI$250.00.
Applying for a student visa on the Cayman Islands
If you or your child are planning to study on the Cayman Islands, it is possible to apply for a student visa on condition that the study will be conducted on a full time basis at a recognized educational institution.
It will be necessary to apply for a study visa where you are not Caymanian, not married to a Caymanian, not a permanent resident and do not have an Employment Rights Certificate. The requirements for the application are that the person applying must be eighteen years or older, in going to enroll in a Cayman Islands educational center on a full time basis, that you intend to leave the islands upon completing your education there, and you are not named as a dependent in any work permit or permanent residency certification.