Provisions for temporary work and seasonal permits for tourism industry workers are included in the regulations to the Cayman Islands’ new immigration legislation.
The Immigration (Transitions) Bill, 2018 (and concomitant regulations) establishes the new Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (“WORC”) agency and merges certain aspects of customs and immigration into a single border control unit which amalgamation will come into force on February 1, 2019. WORC will be responsible for vetting work permit applications and ensuring fair access to job opportunities for Caymanians.
The Bill initially caused some concern in the business community as it did not appear to include provisions for the issue of temporary work permits but these were subsequently included in the regulations. The regulations also include a category of temporary permits for seasonal workers employed in the tourism, hospitality or water sport industries during the peak season and provisions for Business Visitor Permits. More detailed measures for dealing with landing, asylum, visas, deportation and other matters are also included in the subsidiary legislation.
