Deputy Premier: PR is a privilege not a right
(CNS): Chris Saunders, the deputy premier and minister for labour, has again refuted the idea that the PACT Government has imposed any kind of moratorium on the granting of permanent residency rights. But the minister has made it clear that government is not only taking the time to scrutinise all applications, it also has plans to change how these rights are awarded. He said that people should get PR on merit as it is not an entitlement gained merely through time spent in the Cayman Islands.
In a lengthy statement released Wednesday evening, Saunders said that while there was no freeze on permits, the application processing time has increased due to greater scrutiny.
“This has become necessary due to a number of factors, including increased reports of marriages of convenience and other questionable activity. As a result, WORC has stepped up its due diligence with regard to all applications, and in particular those which raise any red flags,” he said.
Speaking to CNS last month about the delays, Saunders said that land ownership claims, a large portion of the points system on the road to PR, were also causing concerns. In this latest statement he also implied a policy shift towards ensuring that those who are granted PR not only play by the technical rules to earn points but also have the right attitude and understanding of what it means to be granted the right to residency.
“To understand the gravity and importance of being granted permanent residence, applicants must realise and appreciate that the Caymanian community is giving you a pathway to their precious birthright,” he said, noting that it is also the first step to becoming Caymanian. “As a small population, it is important that we are mindful that our national identity remains.”
He pointed to the change in Cayman society caused by the doubling of the islands’ population in one generation and the challenges that has caused, such as the current housing crisis. Saunders said that while economic studies have been done on the problems of under-development, none have looked at rapid development such as what has occurred here.
In just eight months, from October 2021 to June this year, the population grew by 10.5%, he noted.
“It is therefore necessary, indeed imperative, that we focus on sustainable development and thoughtful population growth to ensure we have a successful society,” Saunders added, stressing the government’s intention to ensure that people granted PR would “better our community”.
He said permanent residence is not an automatic right. “It is a privilege granted to those deserving residents who have become a part of the very fabric of our community. It is not a status to be conveyed to anyone perpetuating divisions in our society,” the minister stated.
“New applicants must recognise that taking an entitlement approach is not the mindset of someone looking to integrate. People should not expect that they will be given permanent resident status automatically after being here for a certain amount of time. It does not work that way.”
Saunders said those taking shortcuts or making misrepresentations in the application process would not be rewarded, so the necessary care and due diligence would continue.
“We take this responsibility very seriously, as we would like to recognise and reward those long-term residents who have played by the rules and who have greatly benefited our community,” Saunders stated. “We don’t want to cheapen their contribution. We fully recognise that Cayman’s success was achieved in partnership with people who came here and made our islands their home.”
The existing evaluation system is currently undergoing a full review by a committee because the PACT Government believes that members of the Cayman community, not businesses or politicians, should decide who ultimately gets to join them.
With mounting complaints from applicants about PR delays and allegations coming from local law firm HSM Chambers, well known for its work with PR applicants, that the government was imposing a de facto moratorium, Saunders said this was not true and that grants were being made.
“It is the very attitude of entitlement that has grown around the issue of permanent residence that shows us we need a new approach,” Saunders said. “People must understand that merely coming here as an employee and remaining for a certain number of years does not automatically make you entitled to PR. It merely gives you the opportunity to apply. It is how you live in our community, and your commitment to our community, that will determine whether your application is granted.”
Nevertheless, he accepted that delays in processing could impact people’s lives and plans for the future. A special project team at WORC is now reviewing the process and pending applications in date order to speed things up without compromising the scrutiny.
Saunders also released the details on the number of applications this year and stretching back to 2009. The numbers have fluctuated from a high in 2009 of 584 approvals to a low in 2016 of just 17, caused at the time by concerns over the legislation. Over the last eleven months, 98 applications have been approved and 61 refused.
“You will note that the 2022 numbers are not the lowest annual numbers by far. Look back to 2015 and 2016, when just 33 and 43 applications respectively were processed and only 37 approved in total over the two years. Where was the outcry at that time?” Saunders asked.
Permanent Residence Applications 2009-2022
| Year | Approved: | Refused: | Total # Processed: |
| 2009 | 584 | 1197 | 1781 |
| 2010 | 270 | 225 | 495 |
| 2011 | 323 | 136 | 459 |
| 2012 | 217 | 110 | 327 |
| 2013 | 212 | 92 | 304 |
| 2014 | 246 | 89 | 335 |
| 2015 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| 2016 | 17 | 26 | 43 |
| 2017 | 550 | 242 | 792 |
| 2018 | 407 | 316 | 723 |
| 2019 | 285 | 85 | 370 |
| 2020 | 167 | 41 | 208 |
| 2021 | 392 | 154 | 546 |
| 2022 | 98 | 61 | 159 |
| Totals: | 3788 | 2787 | 6575 |
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The Cayman Islands have two resources, the people who are here and that it can attract and hard work. Good, better, best, never let it rest!
Look at the numbers. Anyone here long enough to remember what happend to the immigration department in 2009.
Let me enlighten you …Mr Manderson the Chief Immigration Officer (the now DG) got promoted to chief Officer. It was all down hill after he left.
Pray he doesn’t retire anytime soon. I think even his jealous haters maybe realising that.
The shambles (and the community vitriol) all came about with the introduction of new immigration laws in 2007. It worked much better before and has been downhill ever since.
The normal way to get PR in Cayman Islands is to sue them. That’s the only way to get them to do the job they are getting paid to do. Just because they are lying to everyone doesn’t mean you have to believe them. (unless you can vote then you have to.)
Alternatively, you can be referred to someone high up in government who will offer to steer it through for you…isn’t that right Mr Saunders ?
This doesn’t offer much clarity
To have your application heard/processed is indeed a legal right
No more expats,no more immigrants, no more brits,canucks,yankees,filaps,zaffas and yardies
Cayman for Caymanians. We’re at capacity and closed for business. And for all you immigrants that want to crow “where would your tiny Island be without us” well, we generational caymanins can look back to a time that was simpiler where our families lived off the land an went to sea to make a living. Unfortunately greed,corruption and yes, our own politicians sold us out.
So a return to an economy from the 50s in the modern world?
Good luck with that.
Sold you out?
You do realize Caymanians have, by quite a margin, the highest standard of living in the Caribbean?
Quite the sale.
Caymanians, or Cayman Islands? When you think about it there’s a BIG difference, just as there is in our society.
Caymanians as well.
I don’t think you quite realize the standard of living issues elsewhere in the region.
‘we generational caymanins can look back to a time that was simpiler‘ – and chances are progressively you’d become a lot more simpler without us. Does ‘unique cerebellar ataxia’ mean anything to you 6:38 ? Apologies but your ignorant post deserves and equally ignorant response.
@10:41pm No, that doesnt’ mean anything.. to anyone that read your post. loser
It wasn’t targeted to anyone but the original poster 1:17. Is it a loser comment, yes it absolutely is as acknowledged to begin with. It’s without doubt the worst comment I ever posted and I’m somewhat ashamed to it but better than to have it repressed.
With that said I’ve endured throughout the years the same inflammatory xenophobic hate speech and accepted it just because of being on one of the OP’s labeled list, ‘I wasn’t one’. Do I expect you to side with me ?, no absolutely not, I’d be disappointed but I would hope you’d call out the same divisive, racially prejudiced and incendiary hate speech when you see it. Some of my best friends are multi generational Caymanian and I’d call them out as well, if I heard similar from them, they’d be disappointed if I didn’t. There’s no place for any of this in any community and it’s such a shame to see it occasionally still appear, – Blessings to all
How about no more people that do not contribute to society? No more people who do not pay their bills. No more people who live off of handouts from the Government. No more people who do not follow the laws. No more people who can not and will not take responsibility for themselves. Can you see where this is going? If there was no expats there would be no money at all in Cayman islands. Besides it was the people of the islands that sold the island to expats, not the politicians. Get an education, work hard, and live like an expat in Cayman.
This place would be poverty on the highest scale. Thats where it would be.
you’re very funny! poverty on the highest scale when we maybe would have 20,000 people. Caymanian have always been well off, many owning businesses in the US well before you arrived. Cox Lumber sold to a small enterprise called Home Depot ring a bell? That was a US $900 million dollar transaction probably $2 billion in current dollars. How about our shipping lines, sold to conglomerates for many many millions. Caymanians are very enterprising people, and few in number and never afraid to take opportunities on a global basis. So when you look at such large deals, divided by a small population and then factor in the tourism dollar would get split amongst a smaller population, you can do the math and find out why we have been and will continue to be one of the more successful sets of people.
Key words “in the US”. Linton Tibbetts moved to Florida, immigrating to the US, after joining the US Merchant Marines.
This does rather assume both that Caymanians still own extremely valuable businesses in the US, and that those businesses are going to be nationalised in some sort of communist collective where their proceeds are split between the population. Without that, this is just utter nonsense.
This must be the dumbest post I have read all year.
Sounds like my neighbor talking about surviving by living off the land and fishing “like the old days” during the lockdown. He was the first one crying up and down for handouts after the first week
A lot of people with big mouths and empty heads around here
@8:46
Yea no sh*t moron. who isnt going to take free money from the government when all they do is take tax payer $.
You had millionaires in Canada getting cerb checks during lockdown, fool.
You guys love free don’t you.
The millionaires in Canada actually pay taxes. What tax do you pay? oh, wait, don’t hurt yourself trying to think of an answer
Thats income tax, Gov’t here puts duty on products which = TAX. the consumer then has to pay that, which is why strawberries are $15KYD. Maybe your brain can’t comprehend that.
LOL. Where do you imagine all the money comes from to pay for our world class civil service that is, by far, the biggest employer of Caymanians? You might well have been sold out before but any politician spouting this kind of nationalist garbage is lining us up to do it again.
If that’s how you feel then I hope you are in medical school training to become a doctor rather than expecting someone else to do that for you.
the featured articles is perfect, a reminder of how political victimizing starts and ends. Sooner or later it does come home.
If you can convince the lowest Caymanian he’s better than the best expat, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.
Didn’t President Lyndon Johnson say that about southern white people?
Yes. Same difference when politicians bait their constituents into a battle of us vs them.
So there’s a moratorium then, is what he’s saying.
He’s saying there isn’t one. They just aren’t doing their jobs.
So yes, there’s a moratorium
The Minister’s view seems to be a reasonable, sensible approach. Visitors and even investors or people who would like to live in the Cayman Islands must realize geographically our islands–individually and collectively– are very small compared to any other nations; very small. And there is so much of a population that the islands can hold and even embrace. Otherwise there will be no room for our people. I have said it before there should be certain areas on the islands that are zoned only for true Caymanian ownership and other areas could be open for Caymanians and or other persons who may want to be residing in our islands. Example is the United States. One cannot simply migrate to the United States and purchase property, residential property, in order to obtain permanent residents. Otherwise many Caymanians would be doing so. In order to gain permanent residence investors have to open a business and that business have to be thousands of dollars and it also would have to show that it can guarantee employment for United States citizens or Permanent Residents. That means going through the Department of Labour. Of course we welcome diversity of course we welcome immigrants of course we welcome investors but it is simply not feasible to think that we can do that to the magnitude of other jurisdictions, other countries; it is simply not sensible. We would love to keep persons especially persons from countries that make up the labor force and who have stayed in the country for many many years and made the islands their homes but that’s not possible either because then they will take up what would be available for Caymanians that qualifies them to take up home ownership simply making up population numbers where as our people are becoming less and less employed no longer able to own homes and provide for their families pass on to generations or children cannot comfortably go to school because other children are taking up the school space. There has to be some sort of balance and now is the time. Minister Saunders you go ahead and hopefully we’ll find a sensible resolution because immigration has been at the top of the list for many governments for over 40 years as this country continues to grow and grow. And the more it becomes an issue the more our people are getting outnumbered and populated and the less we have access to resources and assets.
Threw open the doors to rich people building out the island in gated communities and pouring concrete for roads everywhere. Cayman is winding up like so many others–very rich and working poor with educated white collar middle being used then thrown off the island.
You absolutely can gain permanent residence in the United States by investing in residential property, it’s called EB-5 and it’s been in place for over 30 years. This is usually done in multi-unit developments that create hundreds of jobs. The reason why the average person (Caymanian or otherwise) is not jumping at this opportunity is because it costs over 1M USD to qualify.
CI$2MM
“One cannot simply migrate to the United States and purchase property, residential property, in order to obtain permanent residents”
Nonsense. Yes you can. I’ve done it there and I’ve done it here. It’s FAR easier and much quicker to do in the US than here. I’m absolutely fine with that but don’t make stuff up to try and prove your point.
It’s actually pretty easy to get a green card by investing there. Easier than here. Not sure how that is relevant though other than to point out you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about.
Saunders- will you and your PACT cronies then STOP depending on fees associated with this as a source of Government income- yes it is a source, the question means will you make the fees so high that it will serve as a deterrent to persons?
Such as persons walking dogs to take a dump or volunteering at every community event.
And if they didn’t, who would do it, pray tell?
Marriages of convenience? Where exactly in the points system to qualify for PR does marriage to a Caymanian even feature? Having a baby with a Caymanian sure does – that practically guarantees you enough points – but there is no requirement for marriage.
The various tiers of permanence in the Cayman Islands are already merit-based points-allocated applications, whose criteria were set by previous xenophobes. What doesn’t seem to be merit-based, is continuous employment in Worc, even while not processing lawful (and mandatory) applications prior to 8 years residency. That many applicants qualify lawfully, is not reason for obstructionists to redefine reasonable criteria and justify their own continued non-performance. We can’t pay for that, or the lawsuit and settlement that follows.
A simple way to show there is no freeze is to present a list of all Board meetings this year. I don’t see that in the article. So if the board hasn’t met this year that is basically a freeze. CNS-When did the board last meet?
Very good point!
The Board has met many times. It has just never considered a Permanent Residence points system application pursuant to the points system. The press can readily confirm that, and then we can see Saunders squirm, when confronted by the facts, and tell us all his version of the Mary on the Donkey speech. Jon Jon can give him some tips.
And he is, of course, correct in one respect.
No one should feel they are entitled to move to another country and remain as of right. No one should ignore the fact that there is an irony when those that wish to live here decide to deride the society into which they wish admittance.
However:
1. The system in place is one designed by the Caymanian people through their elected representatives. For those that have complied with the rules of a points based system, this is not a matter of demanding something as a right – it’s a matter of asking the government to abide by its own laws. I don’t see that as too much to ask.
2. Applications that are based on the points system can be easily separated out from those that are based on things such as marriage. The argument that the delays to ALL applications are due to additional scrutiny on such things doesn’t hold water.
3. Expatriates have, for decades, contributed hugely to these Islands, both in terms of culture, standard of living, global profile and, yes, financially. If you want to see what an insular and xenophobic Cayman would look like, feel free to look around the region at the BVI, Nassau, and Bermuda (and those are the relative success stories). The comparison is not an enviable one. Crime ridden and/or billions in debt with no prospect of that changing. Cayman is a wonderful regional success story due to the partnership between those that were already here and those that have come over the years. Expatriates benefit hugely from being here, but the country benefits hugely as well. Why so many seem to want to stoke division rather than celebrating that aspect is beyond me.
4. The tensions in Cayman around living costs, job opportunities, etc. are not really the result of immigration (or at least not primarily). These are challenges that are being faced in countries all over the globe. Too many are looking for an easy scapegoat and as always, “foreigners” are a nice target to pick.
5. Maybe not a popular thing to say, but it’s the truth: the world, and in particular financial services (which constitutes much of the government purse) are already and will continue to become more and more global in nature. For Caymanians(leaving aside what that term should mean) to fully benefit from the industry (which they should), they are going to be need to accept that fact and realise that the level of work and the standards that they need to hold themselves to will be akin to those in any other major financial centre (e.g. London, New York, or Singapore).
I was thinking the same points thank you for your good and in my view reasonable comment. Only thing I would add is that birth rates have been shown to decline in successful and universally (male and female) educated societies and so have been in decline for many years in the western world. Cayman has avoided a decline in population through immigration but world population is going to shrink rapidly within the next few decades and there will be competition for educated hard working immigrants
Chris is correct – entitlement to PR is not a right based simply in time in country. It’s based on meeting the points threshold set by the Cayman government, which includes the community contribution aspects he refers to. Of course CIG is free to change those criteria, but good luck in persuading a court that you vacant sit on an application for over a year then apply new criteria in order to reject it. But I will tell you what is another legally enforceable right – for a government department to hand down a decision within a reasonable period of time , demonstrating said decision was made fairly and reasonably and based on the law. Dealing with 159 applications in a year when you have a backlog 10!times that….
About damn time. Too many got PR and status that do not deserve or earned it. Now they trying to run tings.
Exactly! Pesky foreigners should “know their place” right? I don’t know why people who have achieved PR or status should this they can have an opinion on the society they’ve made their home in over the years.
The gall of people!
/s
….they couldn’t run it worse than the home grown and the Jaymanians/Caymaicans, even if they tried in a very, very hard #”world class” way……….
And how did you deserve or earn the right to be Caymanian? By accident of birth?
With all due respect to Minister Saunders, the government is looking at this from the wrong perspective.
The reason the population is growing is because too many work permits are being granted. Then, there is zero enforcement of the requirement that Caymanians be trained to take over WP holders’ jobs.
Secondly, there is a way to simply buy PR by spending $1,000,000 or $2,000,000. Granted this is a lot of money but it’s not money invested in the economy, it’s simply money invested in a house. By allowing this, and making property ownership worth so many points on a PR application, the government is artificially driving up prices in the housing market which hurts Caymanians.
Also, the whole argument about a sense of entitlement is a completely red herring. No one is complaining about the rules or suggesting applications shouldn’t be scrutinized closely. They are complaining that it takes years to have them heard.
How is it fair that a work permit can be granted so quickly with basically zero scrutiny while a PR holder has to wait 6 months to find out if they can get a promotion or change a job? In these cases they already have PR and receive worse treatment than someone who has never set foot in Cayman.
People just want WORC to act reasonably and in a reasonable time frame. That’s it. If the government wants to change the rules to control the population or to control who gets PR and ultimately Caymanian status, then they should get on with it! Freezing applications under the existing law was never the answer.
I agree with you but I’d add that the investment in property categories of 1mill and 2mill to get PR do benefit Cayman as these persons would have to sustain themselves here and would (often without working here ) likely bring funds from offshore to be spent locally. The 1mill category in particular is largely referred to as for wealthy retirees – these non working but “spending” immigrants in my view should be encouraged.
Mostly agree but if I remember correctly property investment really isn’t worth a huge number of points and it’s also capped at $500k. That is to say buying a $500k apartment is worth the same number of points as buying a $10m house. The real, move straight to PR don’t forget to collect your NAU check on the way points, are for having a baby with a Caymanian…
“It is how you live in our community, and your commitment to our community, that will determine whether your application is granted.”
What makes me think that a big contribution to a PACT member’s re-election campaign expenses, or Mac’s criminal defence fund, would show the necessary commitment?
the 10.5% stat (Oct 2021 to June 22) is, I think, misleading as it must include returning hospitality workers. As such – Im not sure that they truly impact the housing crisis, albeit rents/property prices pre departure and post return are significantly different.
Yeah it’s quite obviously distorted by covid. Lies, damn lies and statistics.
“ It is how you live in our community, and your commitment to our community, that will determine whether your application is granted.” Oh, so it has nothing to do with the points based system the government introduced and forms the basis of the law, then? It’s down to some WORC employee making a decision on whether you have the right community spirit, based on no knowledge of you as an individual whatsoever? That’s going to go really well at the judicial review hearing.
whenever Saunders opens his mouth.
I wonder how many of the 159 applications review in 2022 were looked at in the last month.
There was an article here a few weeks ago showing not 1 application had been approved since Oct 2021, so these listed have been heard in the last 3-4 weeks.
gov is trying to fudge the figures to avoid the inevitable court action that will cost the public again.
This table needs another column to show how many applications there were, otherwise we cannot see how many have been held up. And then another table for status applications please? How many people applied, how many and still waiting and how long are they waiting?
Also, how many meetings were held, and how many applications processed at each meeting.
Lots of meetings were held. NO Permanent Residence applications were considered under the points system, at a single one of them.
And columns for the “lost/tampered” applications, and ones submitted by registered mail, never picked up at GT post office.
Why is it taking so long for status applications too? Been here 16+ years, own my own house here that I live in, am not married to a Caymanian, am retired so I am not taking any work from a Caymanian, I am fully solvent, able to support myself, no criminal record ever, not even stopped by the police, am in good health, have medical insurance etc. My neighbors and friends will tell you how integrated I am into the local community, how much I do to help them out. Worked with a charity for many years and done much more than my bit. Have been paying a work permit fee now for 5 years even though I am retired. My annual PR renewal is coming up in December again and now I have to pay yet another work permit fee because my status application still hasn’t been processed.
I have jumped through every hoop, paid many thousands in fees, done everything right. I am not ‘entitled’, I am qualified for status by the governments own rules. Why must I continue to pay work permit fees every year when I do not work, and while I qualified for status a long time ago, but still have not been granted it. As a pensioner, these fees and delays are really starting to hurt now.
These are our rules so please abide by them.
Those aren’t rules. Imagine if Caymanians had to wait 6-12 months for a driver’s license or to register a car, they would start to question why it took so long to process.
It really isn’t that much more of a process. Some documents need to be verified and the point scale applied. I don’t think anyone believes for a minute that in depth investigations are being made into each and every application. They simply are not being looked at.
Ummm – it’s WORC not abiding by the rules.
So ‘asking the government to abide by its own rules’ is ‘entitlement’ is it?
I’d have hoped the Premier might be properly briefed on the law before opening his mouth …
Not only was there outcry in 2015 and 2016 when PPM illegally suspended this path, but there were lawsuits filed and settlement paid.
Exactly. There was a MASSIVE outcry, and it’s the reason why the numbers jumped big time for 2017.
Saunders is relying on short memories, however too many remember the saga that played out then and the hit to the public purse and other ramifications as a result of stagnation in the system.
One of the aspects he is forgetting is the case where a PR application was refused because they applied new criteria created after the original application was filed. That didn’t survive contact with judicial review, and if I recall, the court also observed that taking more than 6 months to deal with an application was unreasonable. Yet Chris wants to change the rules so he can deny the existing applications which have been pending for more than a year, whilst all the time “respecting” the contribution made by the applicants. Going to end in a very nasty and very expensive class action.
Well Aldumb and now Squanders give financial service work permits to whomever can pay….of course you’ve created an expectation. It is the expat that is now entitled in Cayman. Enjoy the crime your welfare state has created.
I don’t know whether you had anything valid to say because I stopped reading at “Aldumb and squanders”
Are you 6 years old? Stop acting goofy and converse like an adult.
I stopped writing after “I don’t know”….ure an idiot
ure an idiot? Classic.
yawn….just lots of hot air to try and justify the usual incompetence of cig and the civil service.
Another interest grabbing headline ( no shade on CNS) just trying to remain relevant and pretending that he (the Pact) is actuallly doing something worthwhile. Apparently there is a go slow on granting PR, persons who have reach the time limit and have checked all the boxes are being stalled, deferred or denied. If the rules have changed then shouldn’t the immigration laws be amended so that these people can plan their lives and move on. Instead of waiting and waiting…………. stop playing with people’s lives. I am not suggesting that everyone who applies should be granted but anyone who applies, has been granted permits over the years, has a good record and good standing should be granted the privilege. This Quack PACK always seem to relish embarrassing “foreigners ” whether permit holders, contracted officers, the Governor or whomever to suit their fancy. Because so few of them possess the qualities of a good negotiator but has the power they prefer to demean and disrespect. Remember a bit of humility is always a good quality.
We can only hope that the same level of scrutiny will be practiced when preparing to stand for election going forward. No one should put themselves forward to represent us if there is any doubt at all in his/her ability to govern fairly and intelligently. Of even more importance no one should vote for anyone who does not appear to have the same qualities and can make our island home a better place to live, work and grow our families.
Then sadly most districts would have no one who could stand for election. Sad but true.
muppett….whose nonsensical ramblings would be laughed out of any court.
i recommend a class action suit by those who have been unreasonably delayed.
as there was due to the 2015,2016 debacle of which there was one hell of an outcry, deputy premier.
Notice that its now ‘unreasonable delay’ and not ‘a de facto moratorium’. I’d say the Deputy Premiere was right.
I’m sure HSM have already drawn up the relevant papers, and grouped their applicants…
let’s hope cns will offer a link so we can join the class action, there will be a line up of many.
Land ownership is a problem? Has WORC ever heard of LIS, used by every realtor and developer in Cayman to find out who owns which Block/Parcel? Seriously? As someone who waited four years for my PR to be heard, I qualified for Cayman Status by the time it was done.
You sound like the sort we don’t want but the rich expat law firm aggressively foists on us.
Two things. One, his argument is a strawman. There is a point system in place, it’s not arbitrary no matter how entitled you feel. The applicant did not design the point system. It is what it is.
Two, the number of processed applications does not speak to the number of unprocessed applications that are sitting in a pile somewhere and for how long they have been sitting there.
“October 2021 to June this year, the population grew by 10.5%”
Did Saunders take into account the Covid exodus? That would be interesting to see if we have reached back to previous population highs?
“right attitude and understanding”
Caymanians are a diverse group not only by colour but by diversity of ideas. What exactly is the Minster getting at. Will the minister please tell us the right attitude?
“Saunders said. “People must understand that merely coming here as an employee and remaining for a certain number of years does not automatically make you entitled to PR”
May I remind the Minister of the rules set out and published for all to view. In no way does this say a right.
FACTOR
COMPONENTS
MAXIMUM POINTS
Factor 1 – Occupation
(see note 1)
Current Occupation
Priority Occupation
15
Factor 2 – Education, Training and Experience
Professional or Vocational Education, Training and Experience
25
Factor 3 – Local Investments
Investments in Real Property and/or Locally Licensed Company
30
Factor 4 – Financial Stability
Cash and savings held locally
Salary and income
15
Factor 5 – Community Minded/Integration into the Caymanian Community
Contributions directly impacting Caymanians
Contributions directly impacting the Community
20
Factor 6 – History and Culture Test
Test on Caymanian History, Tradition, Customs, and Current Events
20
Factor 7 – Possessing Close Caymanian Connection
Parent, Grandparent, Child, or Sibling of a Caymanian and Cuban nationals who hold permission to reside in the Islands on the basis of a close Caymanian family connection
100
Factor 8 –Demographic and Cultural Diversity
Points are awarded based on an applicant’s country of origin. Countries with fewer residents represented will receive more points than countries with higher degrees of representation
10
Factor 9 – Age Distribution
Points are allocated based on the number of working years that an applicant has remaining before retirement
10
Factor 10 – Deductible Components
Criminal Convictions
Health Issues
Administrative Fines Levied
Inadequate Pension
Mistreatment of Fellow Workers
100
(points may be deducted)
The obstructive minority have never registered that there is a points screening system designed by protectionists a generation ago. It not only applies with regards to PR, but a full requalifying application (with Caymanian references) for Naturalization, and then again for Status after 15 years. It’s a significant ordeal. There is a 6 month wait just to book an appointment to submit your application documents. Then, after demonstrating allegiance and commitments for a great deal of adult years, some may finally achieve status, only to find they are still a driftwood paper lesser, and further – that a set of fellow citizens will forever obstruct your life out of spite. Saunders wants to play that role openly like Kurt Tibbetts did. Not sure it will play with today’s voters.
And if you get 110 Points YOU ARE ENTITLED TO PR.
You are responsible for that – so don’t come with entitlement crap.
Too many people have come to Cayman and have become the embodiment of the “entitlement mentality” that they chose to describe the majority of all locals as having. That is at the core of the message from Deputy Premier Saunders.
Sadly, they demonstrate this mentality in every aspect of life as visitors in these islands. The resentment has grown generation after generation amongst many locals.
Ironically, NOTHING is entitled to them in their own countries. The lack of respect shown for things Caymanian and multi-generational Caymanians has led to increasing hostilities.
Expatriates especially the many economic migrants that arrive must realize there is no job, promotion, work permit, PR or Caymanian status that is guaranteed to any person that arrives on these shores.
The same applies to any Caymanian that goes to work or seeking residency in any other country.
The overt discrimination and racism consistently on display by all sides will unfortunately drive these islands towards a similar situation as Bermuda, B.V.I and Fiji.
There must be a reset or rebalancing of expectations by those coming to Cayman for long term success and stability to continue. The current generation of locals will not tolerate continued overt discrimination, lack of respect and intolerance of locals in our own country.
While I agree that people shouldn’t have a mindset of entitlement, if they follow the rules, do a good job of integrating into the community, how is it fair for the government to simply stall hearing of their applications?
If they want to change the system to gear it toward getting the right people, or to reduce the number of people getting PR then by all means.
7th generation caymanian aka grandchild of an expatriate .
You’re making excuses for the failures of previous generations of caymanians. If we sold out our properties and let people come here and walk over us, who can we blame but the older caymanians? Wtf does that have to do with some foreigner with a shitty personality that moved here yesterday?
FOH with the bs. If caymanians wanna be hostile towards anyone be hostile to the caymanians that sold us out. This generalization and demonizing of expatriates is STUPID. I dont give a damn if you are 7th generation caymanian, at some point one of your ancestors was an expatriate too doing the same shit you’re “hostile” to others about.
Get a grip.
Well said. I am a 4th generation Caymanian and have seen the arrogance of many who have done only enough in our community to get the required points. No true desire to integrate into the Cayman community, no respect for our culture and no real interest in what is Caymanian.
“Islanmama” – your family were expats quite recently, then! Don’t pull this “no respect for our culture” cr*p – it’s not *your* culture. You have the sense of entitlement you accuse others of!
You also plainly don’t understand the current system: government have legislated specific criteria which PR applicants must meet. Upon meeting those criteria, people are *entitled* to PR. If you want to change the rules, you can do so: you have a democracy, Caymanian MPs and a Caymanian government.
Asserting that people who expect a basic level of legislative competence are being “entitled”, reflects the fact that you have a Third World mindset. If run by people of your intellect and calibre, Cayman is on track to become Somalia rather than Singapore.
What’s your real problem: are you too lazy to get qualifications, get experience working in London, New York or Singapore, and then competing in your merits here? Do you want to be spoon-fed? I have news for you: no one gets “given” a decent job. They earn it. Or – apparently in your case – they don’t.
International clients will not instruct firms full of diversity hire and affirmative action sad cases. Shape up, or shut up. There’s no place in the world for hangers-on, including in Cayman.
8:23, – your comment reeks of immigrant imperialism, not everyone’s ideals are what you seem to dictate them to be. I would say if this isn’t what you want it to be, shut up & ship out.
expat
7th Generation Caymanian – you mean to say you don’t claim your origins back to the Stone Age?. Your comments about Caymanians seeking work or residency in other countries are a load of hogswash.How many thousands of Caymanians and their dependents have been given full British passports giving them the same rights as all British born citizens without any requirement other than being Caymanian?.
@ 7th Generation…well stated. 💪
let’s chat about how status must start getting approved now. it’s been stalled while greedy cig collect fees and break human rights.
Numbers are pretty useless if you don’t know how many applied.
It should be very simple to rule out marriages of convenience. Ie every applicant not married to a Caymanian. All this, “not a freeze” will do is give an extention to cases that would otherwise be rejected while their application isn’t processed.
There needs to be a lot of scrutiny with regards to the charity work that people allege to be doing. I worked on a few charities and I was always baffled at the requests that were received from someone who had volunteered at one event. I had one of the radio DJs, that has since left island, ask me for a letter when the radio station donated some radio spots for that particular charity. He was doing his job, he didn’t give any extra time (because it was part of his regular 9 to 5) or any of his own personal money, but yet asked for a letter from the charity to say what a great person he was helping the charity?
My husband makes a lot of jokes about the “dog walkers” as well. I think it’s great to have this on the PR application, but I do think that some of these charity letters need to be heavily scrutinised.
I have also heard of people only wanted to be on boards, so they could put that down on their PR application and as soon as the PR is approved, how much charity do you think any of them are doing.
Would you prefer they remove that part of the application?
10.24am Are you not aware that most people involved in charity work are not looking for “points’. It’s become a Caymanian habit to cast these slurs on many volunteering their time for community benefit, rather than involving themselves in this admirable cause.
charity work should be anonymous if it is truly charitable.
I refuse to put charity work on my PR application, as it feels wrong to me.
It is indeed a privilege, and a functional path to BOT citizenship and CI Status is also a human right. These paths cannot be lawfully obstructed. CIG has already lost and settled on this topic and Deputy Governor should rethink his position based on that alone. He’s fast becoming my least favorite PACT member, and I say that as a Caymanian who won’t be voting for any of this protectionist regressive policy anymore. We need to move forward, not backwards. Do not waste any more of our public funds loosing lawsuits and/or paying settlements being poorly informed and stubborn. PPM did that for years.
*losing*
Chris is a Jamaican and didn’t earn his privilege to be here.
Chris is a Caymanian.
by Jamaican expats.
Raise the Caymanian Status eligibility to 25 years residing on island.
This would ensure WP fees stay intact while reducing the rate at which the native population is getting diluted through immigration.
you’re insane.
Infringement on human rights, do your homework.
LOVE this comment!! Yes Yes Yes! Raise eligibility to 25 years on island
GR8 startinbg point
Then y’all get another white paper. Human rights violations.
This is an interesting observation,
“New applicants must recognise that taking an entitlement approach is not the mindset of someone looking to integrate.‘
It’s called irony.
If we told the bird there would be good provided, do you think they would show up?
‘Saunders said that while economic studies have been done on the problems of under-development, none have looked at rapid development such as what has occurred here‘
So essentially Mr Saunders is revealing an overwhelming glowing realism of incompetency, we knew that Chris
“As a small population, it is important that we are mindful that our national identity remains.”
Of course it does Chris, just like the environment that PACT was so steadfast on preserving 🤡
Amen! We need to start letting these people know it is a privilege to be here and it shouldn’t be so easy. They come here and refuse to be amongst the locals, look down on them, are racist and live in their own bubble. It is modern day colonization all over again from these people, majority from countries that are known for being prejudice. Once upon a time it was published who was applying for PR or who was granted status, probably not possible due to Data Protection now but I wish this was still a thing!
If you wish to discuss prejudice – Cayman needs to take a hard, honest look in the mirror.
Wow, just wow. As soon as I see or hear the phrase ‘these people’, I know EXACTLY where the conversation is going. Physician heal thyself.
Mr Saunders you’re starting to sound like… – ‘no !! stop it anonymous poster, stop yourself right now.’
I wonder how many in the 2009 class are still around?
‘In just eight months, from October 2021 to June this year, the population grew by 10.5%, he noted.’
what was the population before the pandemic, what was it during and what is it now ? I’m pretty sure Mr Saunders you’re finding fluctuation but not actual real growth. Its more likely the tourism sector filling the 6,000 void from two years ago. Everyone predicted it, ‘wait for traffic to really start back up again when tourism resumes’ foregoing actual tourists.
Deputy Premier: PR is a privilege not a right.
Just like spandex.
Increase the community involvement hours. If an application shows community hours accumulated a year before application then application automatically denied. If someone truly wishes to integrate they volunteer upon arrival. Volunteering must mean time. The volunteering must continue even once they have status for at minimum 10 years. Otherwise it shows volunteering was not genuine. Not just throwing money at it. Make this retroactive for all applications. There’s lots of Johnny come latelys that don’t even want the Cayman passport and are just using it to get the British passport. Open a business in Cayman. Earn tax free then move to the UK.
go to any charity event or volunteer event or beach cleanup etc. It’s usually 90% permit holders, or people who used to be permit holders. Put your money where your mouth is and tell us how often you volunteer please
Can we look at all applications that paid the PR fees late or not at all and revoke their PR plus revoke their entitlement to reapply? It’s hundreds of thousands owed. No where else in the world allows for late payments and still granted citizenship.
PR is PR, the fact that it has to be paid for annually should go to JR.
Charging an annual fee for PR breaks human rights and the constitution. Thats why so many don’t pay it, yet gov do nothing about it. They know its unenforceable, and by trying, they will end up in court, losing again.
better for gov to keep just taking the money from those willing to pay, and quietly ignoring those that don’t.
There are people who contribute a lot to Caymanian society through charity work and their roles, and yet are made to feel second class citizens through the contract and work permit systems. They will never be millionaires but they commit to making everyone’s life better. It may be a privilege and not a right, but it also a process that fails to take account of the value their work gives to all sectors of the population.
Don’t worry. As someone who was 5 years old when my parents brought me here, with maybe 2 memories of life before being on-island, growing up with Caymanian friends and having a caymanian accent, working and giving everything I have back into the Cayman economy… I am still reminded I am a paper caymanian. And if two Caymanians with family history and lineage argue, one will claim a greater right be Caymanian over the other. The people make the process and those people still have their entitlement between themselves.
And to be fair, I don’t fault them. Caymanian can mean different things to different people and those who have lineage on these islands want to be able to distinguish themselves. I get that, but I would be lying if I said it doesn’t make me feel lost at times.
Does the Minister hold a full British passport and if so what exactly did he do to earn it?.
Nice one – waiting for the answer
Nailed it. ‘Entitled’ to a British passport right.
When this country was colonised, the people were given that right. The British passport. Knowing that if all 7000 Caymanians came to the Uk, it would cope. The reverse simply cannot happen. Imagine every Brit demanded a right? There is simply no room. However that does not mean that they should be given other benefits ie more points? Priority for jobs? I don’t know, but a tit for tat can’t work. And your question quite frankly shows a serious lack of understanding and sense of entitlement.
You think there were 7,000 people here when these islands were colonized?
There are only people here because of colonization…
Also, heaven help us if and when Cayman becomes an actual country. That means the loss of UK oversight and with our politicians I fear that would be the end.
THANK YOU! Great answer to a really stupid, entitled and bigoted question. I honestly hate reading the comments on CNS – they consistently show how much some expats really look down on us Caymanians.
then stop giving them reasons to!
10.01am “people were given that right when this country was colonised”. Nonsense they were never able to get a full British passport until the law was changed several years ago.Nobody has suggested UK citizens have a right to become Caymanians,but if you provide conditions under which they may apply for P.R or status then you need to stick to them.
It is you that suffer from a “serious lack of understanding” as you have a right of entitlment (to a British passport) but it is certainly not the case the other way round.
Except Cayman was NEVER colonised. It was settled.
Do his rule making abilities apply in the UK or in Cayman?
If he does, he is entitled to it as a Caymanian, because it can be applied for by British Overseas Territory citizens, which is how I obtain my British passport.
England is a much bigger land mass than Cayman! You have much more room to facilitate immigrants so stop the semantics. You sound silly to be honest and are exactly the type of persons we need to scrutinize.
You’re all a bunch of immigrants and you’re lucky the British brought you here.
Saunders comments make for good politics but bad policy unless he amends the law to support his assertions. For example, the current law states once an applicant attains the required points they SHALL receive PR. Its not a privilege, its a legal right at that point, no matter how we born and bred Caymanians want to complain about it. If the law does not say what we want then it is our duty to bring pressure to bear on Saunders and others to change it.
How is that relevant?
Better question than that. Is he entitled to a Jamaican passport, and if so, how was he qualified to run for office around here?