GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Most of the people working in the Cayman Islands on Term Limit Exemption Permits met the deadline this week to have their passports stamped so they can continue in their jobs.

The Department of Immigration on Monday and Tuesday processed the majority of the 1,465 TLEP holders (which is inclusive of those on the Brac), and a further 155 who are on Island remain to be processed. The remaining will be processed when they appear at the Immigration Department on Elgin Avenue over the course of this week. Six of those on TLEPs have now married Caymanians.

All TLEPS expired 28 October and Government amended the Cayman Islands Immigration Law allowing for those persons to continue working by operation of Law until the 9 December 2013. The amendment also abolished the key employee designation, changed the term limit from seven to nine years and put into place new requirements for those who would apply for permanent residency.

Although those here for eight years legal and ordinary can apply for permanent residency, not all will apply and not all who apply will be successful under a new points system.

The Department of Immigration will work closely with the National Workforce Development Agency to identify willing and able Caymanians to fill any position held by foreign workers, which includes those previously on a TLEP.

Enforcement officers will be taking measures to address those persons who previously held a TLEP and have not regularized their immigration status.

See related story:

Immigration processing TLEPs successfully [on Monday]

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – More than half of the people holding Term Limit Exemption Permits have been successfully processed by the Department of Immigration.

Close to 1,500 non-Caymanian workers had Monday and until the end of business Tuesday to have their work permits extended until 9 December, if they so choose.

In addition to its office on Elgin Avenue, Immigration opened a second venue at Mary Miller Hall in Red Bay to handle the volume of people on Monday and Tuesday.

At Mary Miller Hall, 686 people appeared on Monday with their passports and 45 decided to take the December extension. At the headquarters, 187 people appeared.

Of those, 45 want the December extension; 81 moved to the visitors’ exemption, which means they have 90 days to get their affairs in order before they leave the Cayman Islands; and three have married Caymanians.

“Yesterday (Monday) was a very busy day for Immigration staff,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “While some people had to wait outside for a while at headquarters, the system was fair and efficient.”

Government amended the Cayman Islands Immigration Law extending the TLEPs to 9 December last week. The amendment also did away with key employee statuses, changed the term limit from seven to nine years and put into place requirements for those who would apply for permanent residency.

Although those here for eight years can apply for permanent residency, not all will apply and not all who apply will be eligible under a new points system.

The Department of Immigration will work closely with the National Workforce Development Agency to identify willing and able Caymanians to fill any position held by foreign workers, which includes those previously on a TLEP.

See also iNews Cayman Editorial October 30 2013 “Grand job by Immigration but 40% TLEP’s fail to show” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/the-editor-speaks-grand-job-by-immigration-but-40-tleps-fail-to-show/