CAYMAN WORK PERMITS

If you are looking for a job in the Cayman Islands, Affinity will help you navigate the complexities of taking such a step, so that if and when you decide to move here, you are well advised and prepared.

All non-residents who plan to live and work in the Cayman Islands need a Work Permit. Prior to an employee arriving in the Cayman Islands, the prospective employer must apply to the Cayman Islands Government Department of Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) for a work permit on the employee’s behalf. WORC reviews all applications from companies and individuals who are seeking permission to work in the Cayman Islands.

It is necessary for an expatriate worker to provide the employer with certain documentation to be included in the application, but it is the financial obligation of the employer to pay for all work permit and immigration related fees. It’s important to note that a prospective employee may not reside in the Cayman Islands when the application is submitted. Only the Director of WORC may exercise his discretion to accept an application where the prospective worker is already in the Islands, in exceptional circumstances.

There are two main types of work permits:

TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT (TWP)

Temporary permits may be granted for a period no more than six months and usually takes 5-10 business days to process. The applicant cannot be resident in the Cayman Islands during this process. If a GOL (explained below) is applied for whilst the applicant is living and working in the Cayman Islands on a temporary permit, the applicant can remain in the Cayman Islands and continue to work.

Required documentation for TWP:

• Application form – employer and employee section to be completed
• One recent full face and one profile passport sized photograph
• Original police clearance certificate issued by the police station from the last country of residence, stamped and signed (valid for a six-month period).
• Full medical examination with chest x-rays and blood tests for HIV and VDRL (valid for a six-month period)

YEARLY WORK PERMIT GRANT – GAINFUL OCCUPATION LICENSE (GOL):

Work Permit Grants may be granted for periods up to three years. A GOL may take up to two months to process. All accompanying dependents must be included on the permit application and dependents over 18 will have to provide a medical questionnaire, a divorce decree (if appropriate) and a police clearance certificate. Being able to support your dependents is also taken into consideration, so please ask your Affinity contact about this if you intend to bring your family with you. There is a fee for adding dependents to a Work Permit and the employer is not legally expected to pay this fee, so who will be responsible for this cost and it needs to be agreed between employer/employee.

Once the GOL term has been completed, the employer will need to re-advertise the position and see if a Caymanian resident is available for the role, before submitting another GOL for the incumbent applicant.

Required documentation for GOL

• Application form – Part 1, employee section and Part 2 employer section to be completed
• One recent full face and one profile passport sized photograph
• Original police clearance certificate issued by the police station from the last country of residence, stamped and signed (valid for a six-month period)
• Full medical examination with chest x-rays and blood tests for HIV and VDRL (valid for a six-month period)
• Accommodation form stating the details of the person’s abode
• Advertisements (provided by employer) must be submitted to ensure that there are no suitable Caymanians; people married to Caymanians or Status Holders suitable for the role. The advertisements must appear on the JobsCayman web portal for 14 days to allow any prospective applicants the opportunity to apply for the position

Additional Requirements:

If the prospective employee is not a native of an English speaking country, they are expected to have a basic understanding of the English language to ensure they are able to perform their work duties effectively. Test results from two global providers will be accepted: The providers are International English Language Test Systems (IELTS) and Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) Test centres for both can be found globally. For more information you can visit the following website.

Natives from Jamaica, Honduras, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua must re-take and submit full HIV and VDRL blood work on arrival in the Cayman Islands before employment can commence.

Standard Term Limit

All work permit holders are permitted to work and reside in the Cayman Islands for a limit of 9 years via the work permit process. Once a person reaches this term limit, they have to apply for permanent residency or leave the island for the minimum of a year. The permanent residency process can begin in the 8th year on Island.

For more information on the Cayman Islands Immigration policies Connect with our team today.