The work permit review committee that is delving into separate, long-term policy issues will not present a final report to Cabinet until next April. However, there will be an interim progress report by next month, and a second preliminary report at the start of 2014.

According to the terms of reference for the review, it says, ““With over 20,000 work permit holders in our workforce, coupled with over 1,500 Caymanians registered as unemployed, it is believed that our current system is not working as it should. We must better align our work permit regime with the country’s needs of protecting its own with the industry’s need of foreign labour in some circumstances.”

Work permit fees specifically for small businesses and the criteria for application and approval of a work permit will be reviewed. This will include how long it takes to approve a work permit and the cost of that process.

Modern technologies that will better coordinate the work of the National Workforce Development Agency with other government departments that deal with the work permit process will be put in place.

There will be an examination of the work permit appeals process to see how it can be improved.

The committee chairman will be Ministry of Home Affairs chief officer Eric Bush. Others on the committee are Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans and National Workforce Development Agency’s acting director Lois Kellyman. Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Cayman Finance, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, the Cayman Islands Contractors Association and the Cayman Islands Human Resource Professionals Association will also sit on the committee.

The most urgent immigration issue to be addressed is the 1,500 and 2,000 non-Caymanian workers who will be required to leave the Cayman Islands when the Oct. 28^th deadline on their term limit exemption expires.

Premier Alden McLaughlin has said non-Caymanian workers residing here on Term Limit Exemption Permits will be allowed to resume holding regular work permits under proposed changes to the territory’s Immigration Law, as long as those workers can retain a valid work permit.

This has caused some controversy as there are over 1,700 Caymanians registered as unemployed representing some 9.8% of the local workforce.

According to the Economics and Statistics Office report, the labour force grew 0.8% in 2011 to 37,620. Caymanians benefitted the most, with the number of employed locals rising by 1.1%. However, the number of Caymanians out of work has also risen.

North Side Member of the Legislative Assembly, Ezzard Miller, said in the budget debate government must keep a close eye on unemployment levels among local workers because of the long term implications. He said the over-employment rate was running at 60% and because the government is depending on work permits for funds it is tempted to ignore the rate of unemployment among local workers.

In the Economics and Statistics Office’s latest report concerning Cayman’s labour force released last May, only 55% of those aged between 15-24 who are currently in the workforce are employed. More than 50% of the country’s unemployed have been without work for 12 months or more, whilst almost one in every six has never had a job.