The issuance of a formal letter of acknowledgment coupled with a stamp in a person’s passport serves as official confirmation of the fact that a person is Caymanian, whether “by right”, “by entitlement” or by continuation of entitlement under the Immigration Law.

Letters may be required by private sector employers and other entities seeking proof of status.
Persons who are Caymanian by right may apply for acknowledgment at no cost. Those who are Caymanian by entitlement pay CI $50.

GRAND CAYMAN (GIS) – For public ease following recent widespread discussion on social media, the Immigration Ministry wishes to clarify the function of acknowledgment letters and the process by which persons may apply for these documents.

Acknowledgment letters are so called because they offer official proof that a person is Caymanian, whether ‘by right’, ‘by entitlement’ or under other conditions of the Immigration Law. The need for such proof is created where the status is acquired automatically by law rather than grant, and generates no subsequent documentation.

To this end acknowledgment letters may be required by private sector employers or other entities who wish to confirm that a person possesses Caymanian status. Noting that it may not always be practical for persons to produce the documentation necessary to prove Caymanian status every time they need to do so, the Immigration Law allows such individuals to apply for formal acknowledgement in the prescribed manner.

In making an application the person must produce copies of relevant documentation proving that he or she satisfies the particular requirements. Once the Chief Immigration Officer is satisfied that the person is a Caymanian he will issue a formal letter confirming this fact and a stamp will be placed in the person’s passport denoting that they are Caymanian. As part of the application process persons applying for acknowledgement on the grounds of “entitlement” are required to submit a non-refundable CI$50 fee. Ministry officials note that despite recent public speculation this fee remains in place. There is no cost for those applying for acknowledgment “by right”.
Additional information on the acknowledgment process, including required documents and definitions of “by right”, “by entitlement” and the continuation of entitlement, is available from the Immigration

Department website, www.immigration.gov.ky. It may be found under the section titled Right to be Caymanian in the Acknowledgement subsection.

Officials note that the only document required by the application process to be counter-signed by a notary public or a Justice of the Peace, is an affidavit proving that the parents were domiciled in the Cayman Islands at the time of birth.

Other than the timeframes outlined in the Immigration Law there is no deadline for applications.

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IMAGE: FILE