Employers whose work permits expired since the shelter in place orders came into force (27 March) are required to apply for a renewal by 30 June 2020 to be in compliance with the law.

The original deadline for employers of 31 May 2020 has been extended following consultation with private sector stakeholders including the Chamber of Commerce.

Employers must first advertise the position on JobsCayman https://jobscayman.worc.gov.ky for at least 14 days before any work permit renewal applications can be made. Where Caymanians have applied for the position and are not successful candidates, employers are required to supply names of all applicants, qualifications, working experience and background, inclusive of detailed reasoning for not employing the Caymanian. Guidance on how to use this site has been provided to businesses via How To guides available on www.worc.ky and a registered webinar recently hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. 

No action will be taken against an employer or worker who has continued working with an expired work permit provided that the employer applied for a work permit renewal (or grant in the case of temporary work permits) before the deadline of 30 June.

The Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) offices have been closed to the public since 27 March as part of the government’s COVID-19 suppression strategy. As such, employers have only recently been able to apply for work permit renewals under newly established arrangements.

Employers wanting to apply for work permit renewals or grants should visit www.worc.ky for application forms and guidance on how to submit including how to pay. 

WORC continues to offer services and for questions or assistance persons can contact Customer Care by texting 925-7199, calling the call centre at 945-9672 or emailing [email protected].