Last Thursday (5) in the Legislative Assembly, Premier Hon. McKeeva Bush, presented amendments (Immigration [Amendment No. 5] 2011) to the immigration law. He said it was part of the continuing review of, and changes that were required to try and attract investment in the current global conditions.

The law creates a new immigration category for foreigners who have a substantial business presence in the Cayman Islands and will enable people of independent means to apply for permanent residency for life rather than 25 years when they have invested $750,000 in a property and have an income of over $150,000 per annum. The law also provides for some people of independent means to apply for a work permit after being granted PR. The new bill also addressed a number of other immigration issues from removing the need for residency for descendants of Caymanians living overseas to get status to the introduction of a short business visa. Along with a number of other issues it also simplifies the immigration and customs clearance for recreational sports fishermen going on long-range fishing expeditions. It tidies up some anomalies in the law for care givers certificates, the functions and make-up of the appeals tribunal as well as other administrative issues such as who in the immigration department can issue student visas.

Mr. Bush said, “The earlier amendments to the immigration law last year designed to encourage investment turned out to be too onerous so the requirement of minimum investment amount in a business are being changed and the number of employees in the business that need to be Caymanian has been reduced from 50% to 30%.”

The People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) supported the amendments but Independent Member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, had reservations although he did support parts of the amendments.

“There are more negatives in the community to attracting business than how people are granted permanent residence,” he said.  I am also concerned about the changes that would now provide people granted PR under independent means the opportunity to be allowed to apply for a work permit. Caymanians continue to have a hard time competing because of immigration laws that were not being properly enforced.”

Mr Bush retorted that he didn’t expect any better from that member saying, “his (Miller) modus operandi was to castigate government and employers about work permits as he tried to make people believe he only wants Caymanians working here.” He described him as “a hypocrite.”

“The immigration department was hounded and cursed by all,” he said, “because people expect to have a high standard of living without having people from outside. These expectations were why there were so many problems surrounding immigration and why there have had to be so many changes to the law. It is always problematic but can this country get along without people on work-permits? No.”

The premier, in conclusion, said, “Despite the problems and opposition to the amendments there were more changes that had to be made that people might not like it but my government will make those changes.”