600 people offer views on immigration
(CNS): With just one day left for the public to participate in the debate about government’s review of how the immigration system is working for them, officials said that around 600 people had already taken the online survey. But customers going to the immigration office in George Town today will have a chance to share their views before the midnight deadline in a paper format of the online survey.
The Department of Immigration’s Process Improvement Project is the first step in the premier’s promised overhaul of the immigration system and the separation of work permit issues and residency rights issues from border protection. The ultimate goal is to establish a National Human Resources Department, GIS said in a release this week.
Premier Alden McLaughlin, who now has immigration in his portfolio, said the survey was extremely important.
“We want to know how the DoI can better assist all customers and stakeholders who use their services,” he said. “This is your opportunity to help guide government as we work to create a sustainable delivery model for the entire organisation.”
Chief Officer Wesley Howell confirmed that around 600 people have already taken the online survey but he encouraged more people to join in the consultation.
“We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to provide their input,” he said “So, for someone who may not have the resources to access the survey online we want to hear from you …this is your time and platform to express the changes you want to see.”
All information provided by paper or electronic survey respondents will be anonymous and remain confidential.
Access the online survey here
Can someone tell my why anyone is allowed to put in for residency if they haven’t already accrued the pre-requisite number of points. So much time wasted at immigration processing people who patently do not have what is required. If you want residency, get your life in order, do the research and apply only once you have whats needed. This would mean the immigration dept could (possibly) keep up with demand.
It has been very hard for quite some years now for Caymanians to get a job. While I must admit that there is some of us who do not act responsibly on the job there is folks like myself who was denied because of the crab in a bucket mentality. Years ago I applied for a position at the Radio Station and was told that the position had been filled. A few days I met the late Mr Haig who asked me if I had applied for a job at the Radio Station to which I replied yes. He then shook his head and said ” I thought it was you” because I overheard a conversation where someone was saying that my Spouse already had a good job, so I did not need that job. Thanks to God for a Bank manager who gave me a job at the very first call and from there I gained experience and after some years moved on to higher grounds.
If this article is referring to the nice desk and chairs recently laid out in the Immigration Department with about six young people seated at this desk, chatting to each other, joking around, on their phones and only engaging with themselves, then this is a real joke. What I have seen there is what we call ‘poppy or puppy show’. Those young people are not engaging with the public, Their employers should pull an “Undercover Boss” with them by going down to the Immigration Department in disguise. This way the bosses will see that their efforts is a waste of time. Those young people are clueless to who enters the Immigration Department, the purpose of their visit. There is no attempt being made to get an overview from the Immigrants/Locals of their experience while dealing with that department. Bunch of JOKERS
The survey was a joke and waste of time. Consultants like Deloitte are having a laugh while raping the country.
The politicians do not care that the exercise was a waste of public funds lacking depth and structure because it looks like they are trying to do something. Paying consultants what you already know is an insult considering the issues have been documented for decades. The problem is nobody wants to fix it and deal with the loop holes.
Why not ask Franz Manderson, Orrett Connor, Linda Evans (Former Chief Immigration Officers) and other former senior immigration officials to contribute to a working paper of key issues and possible solutions to share with Cabinet? They are well versed in Immigration policies, laws and processes as a starting point instead of paying a firm like Deloitte 150k to concoct a pointless survey as step 1.
The government has known for years what the problems are with the entire system. A lack of political will and accountability is why things have been allowed to develop by the same politicians who are now contracting consultants.
The Dept. of Immigration is the only government authority that does not have to answer to the vast majority of people (customers) it polices. Immigrants have no legal status, no recourse, when dealing with lazy, uneducated, corrupt gov. employees. Other gov. dept. are used by Caymanians and thus Caymanians can use their vote or legal system for protection. The average x-pat has to accept whatever immigration gives or takes from them.
Dont forget customs dept!!!!!
Just another “smoke screen” to pretend that “something” is being done and it looks like work. Good job keeping the uneducated, incompetent and well fed voting block happy and content. The other 80% of the population understands that you are already doing the best you can and it just dose not get any better. Once again you took something that was working and destroyed it making your voters happy. What a smart man you are.
you have the ratio wrong.
I’m a caymanian and I can’t get a job here in the cayman island I even register wid the national work force but I still can’t get a job and the government ga make it more harder for caymanian to get a job .by the way what kind of national work force because if u go there to send email to the company and the company don’t call u bac your officer so pose to call them back to find what round but they don’t do there job accordingly ….all the people that workin in the government department they are very lazy even inside of the royal cayman island police all they be waiting on they pay
If this is not a sarcastic post, then you should consider upgrading your use of the English language as means to get a job.
The answer is in your comment.
When will the laugh button return?
Troll. 100%
This survey is fundamentally flawed from the first set of questions. A person with “Cayman Status” is Caymanian by law, therefore the “I am answering as” which has a category that lumps anyone with “Cayman Status” in with persons with work permits, PR or Employment Rights Certificates and then has a separate category for Caymanians appears that the people who framed the survey do not understand the Law they are investigating…… if you have Cayman Status and are looking for work or are an employee you belong to the last category, not the third….h
RItch Report! ANyone????
I guess the Premier isn’t interested in how Immigration Department works for Caymanians in matters nor related to employment. Like trying to get Caymanian Status by right sorted for relatives.