The Department of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Report Mach 2012 makes fascinating reading.

For the full report and graphs go to Cayman Islands Immigration website

At the end of the 1st quarter of 2012 there were a total of 20,309 foreign workers (other than permanent residents) living and working in the Cayman Islands. This represents a net increase of 382 (or 1.92%) over the previous quarter.

The Cayman Islands Government is the largest employer in the Islands. Although the majority of employees are Caymanian, there were, as at 31st March 2012, 977 non-Caymanian Contract Employees. Non-Caymanian Contract Workers do not require a work permit and are not subject to term limits.

At 31st March 2012 there were a total of 20,309 foreign workers (other than permanent residents but including Government Contract Workers) residing and working in all three of the Cayman Islands. Jamaican nationals form the largest group of foreign workers (39%).

While an application for the renewal of a work permit is being processed, or when a work permit application has been refused and an appeal against the decision has been made to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal, the worker may be allowed to work by operation of law. At 31st March 2012 there were 902 persons working by operation of law in the Cayman Islands. A final non-renewable work permit for one year is issued where a person’s permanent residence application has been refused or after an unsuccessful appeal against its refusal

A total of 768 applications were refused by the Boards for the quarter ending 31^st march, 2012 (excluding Term Limit permits and 242 applications in the ‘Other’ category).

There were 37 approvals and 16 refusals for Key Employee status from January to 31st March 2012 inclusive.

Since 2005 there have been 537 ‘key employee’ approvals in total. Of those approvals, Jamaican and United Kingdom citizens accounted for 23% of the total figure 123 and 122 approvals respectively.

There have been 352 refusals of Key Employee applications since 2009.

Term Limit Exemption Permits

Changes took place to our immigration legislation, effective 28th October 2011, affecting persons (and their employers) who have reached the expiry of their term limit recently, or who will reach it within the next two years. It is now possible for an employer, or prospective employer, of a person –

(a) whose final work permit expired on or after 28 September 2011 and who had not applied for permanent residence prior to the expiry of their final work permit; or

(b) who, on 28 October 2011, is working by operation of law having applied for key employee designation and the application is subsequently refused,

to apply for a Term Limit Exemption Permit which, if granted, will allow them to remain employed in the Islands, either for their last employer or for a new employer, for up to two years from 28 October 2011 even though their term limit has expired.

These permits, although not work permits, are processed by the Work Permit Board, Business Staffing Board and Chief Immigration Officer and are detailed in the following charts.

A total of six hundred and sixteen applications were approved between 28th October and 31st March 2012.

For the quarter ending 31st March 2012 the Work Permit Board processed a total of 1,466 work permit applications – excluding Term Limit Exemption Permits.

Total Applications refused during the quarter ending 31st March, 2012 was 97 – excluding Term Limit Exemption Permits.

The Caymanian Status & Permanent Residency Board processes all applications for Permanent Residency and the Right to be Caymanian. Total applications processed for the quarter end 31st March, 2012 was 479.

Total Applications refused for the quarter ending 31st March 2012 was 58.

The Department of Immigration has 174 employees made up of 62 uniformed Immigration Officers and 112 non-uniformed personnel working in a range of operations.