Civil servants to work on PR backlog
(CNS): Government has appointed six administrators who have been trained to assess permanent residency applications to help deal with the backlog of around 1,000 people awaiting a decision. Although the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency has historically made the PR decisions, the law provides for qualified civil servants at the Department of Immigration to also grant PR.
Officials said that following a period of training, the six administrators, who all have senior management and technical experience, will begin reviewing the backlog this week. Five administrators will be working on the applications full time and a sixth part time, which should “significantly accelerate” the decisions, the premier’s office stated.
In his role as the minister responsible for immigration, Premier Alden McLaughlin said the new team would contribute to the efficiency of the overall process.
“I would like to personally acknowledge the men and women who have accepted the challenge to help deliver positive results for the applicants and the people of the Cayman Islands,” he said. “I am confident that the six will perform their duties to the best of their abilities and become a true asset to the team.”
The intention of the process is to review each PR application as quickly as possible, although the premier said this was not a task to be taken lightly.
“The CIG, the ministry and the CSPR board take the procedure of considering and deciding on PR applications very seriously,” he said. “Our main focus is to ensure each application is thoroughly reviewed and given fair consideration.”
McLaughlin said there would soon be an increase in the numbers of applications being considered, but it would not happen overnight.
“The CIG will continue to provide additional support, training and mechanisms to the CSPR board and the new administrators to ensure the highest level of speed going forward,” he said.. “This is a top priority for government and it will continue to be so until this matter is resolved.”
By the end of last week, since the consideration of PR applications began again in May after being stalled for more than three years, the board had reviewed just 53 applications. Of those, 13 have been approved, 16 refused, 17 deferred, four withdrawn and three did not qualify because their application was made after nine years of residency.
Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith said that while concerns had been raised about applications being deferred after already waiting so long, there were advantages for the applicants.
“The CSPR Board doesn’t want to refuse an application just because the information needed to process it is no longer valid; instead they are deferring in the interests of the applicant by allowing them to provide up-to-date information before a final decision is made,” Smith said.
Category: Local News, Policy, Politics
hahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahaahaaa civil service! hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahah ooooohhhhhh hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahah. This is an April Fools Gag; right?
Don’t bother …. Most of us packed up and left way quicker than CIG can think.
Nice words. But at least 50% who live and work on the islands know it just means “more of the same” Just like last time, the time before that, and also the next time. If you could do the job it would be getting done. The best you can do is pretend. Its working for the 50% who matter to you. We get it. Well done.
A great move the PR boards is a disaster.
Stop the foolishness and give the people who truly deserves it!
Instead of those who don’t. Could 50% of Caymanians qualify? Why? What about those who are not even close? Jail? Civil service? Freebies for life? We already know. Just wondering if you do.
Ah boy here come the rubber stamps
More spin from Alden. It’s a joke everytime he opens his mouth to try to justify a failed immigration process he is responsible for. He has cursed Cayman with the reverse of the Midas touch!
Wow, how very kind of the board to defer judgement to allow the applicants an opportunity to update information that was first provided 3 years ago.
Imagine the potential lawsuits if they actually denied someone on the basis of stale information when they have taken over 1,000 days before considering the application.
Who is going to do the work these “six senior managers” were previously assigned to do, or should we assume, given they are civil servants, nobody in their former departments will notice the difference over the next 3 years.
Veritas, you assume they actually did some work in the first place…
You completely missed the point. As do most people who read the first half-sentence of someone’s comment and reply on that basis.
Don’t you just hate a know it all?
Should get through them all by 2031 then.
stop giving PR /status period
Stop having laws that require it then, and deport all the indigents who have previously been given status so that the economy has some chance of working without creating more Caymanians with money.
How about getting rid of at least some of the Caymanian indigents we have had hanging around our country for donkey years doing eff all but drinking, drugging, beating up their women and making more babies in between the burglaries. Sterilizing a bunch of the dead beat women who don’t seem to have any ambition other than open their legs would also help.
I thought a bunch of university graduates had been hired for this project? What happened to them?
Over qualified.
Especially to those Caymanians who can’t pass the test.