As the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency (CSPR) Board continues its work to address the permanent residency application backlog, a team of skilled administrators has been appointed to accelerate the process.

The Ministry of Immigration has announced that following a period of training, six administrators, with senior management and technical experience, will begin reviewing PR applications the week of 24-28 July, 2017. The addition of one part-time and five full-time administrators will significantly accelerate the consideration of PR applications and greatly assist in clearing up the backlog. The appointments follow through on the Government’s plan to deal with the PR backlog that was announced to the public on 15 June, 2017.

The Premier and Minister for Immigration Hon. Alden McLaughlin said he is grateful to the new team members, and believes they will 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 Mr. McLaughlin notes it’s 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.”

Noting recent public discussion surrounding deferred applications, Acting Chief Immigration Bruce Smith says that deferral has advantages for the applicant.

“The CSPR Board doesn’t want to refuse an application just because the information needed to process it is no longer valid, instead they are deferring in the interests of the applicant by allowing them to provide up-to-date information before a final decision is made,” Mr. Smith said.

LastThursday, 20 July 2017 the CSPR Board met to review the latest batch of applications, with a total of 3 granted approval. To date 53 applications have been reviewed, 13 granted approval, 16 refused, 17 deferred, 4 withdrawn and 3 did not qualify because of application after nine years.

“As we move forward, we expect to see an increase in productivity but we are aware such drastic change will not happen overnight,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “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. This is a top priority for Government and it will continue to be so until this matter is resolved.”

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IMAGE: New World Immigration