📜 Cayman Islands government considers term limits for expat workers

The Cayman Islands Government is mulling over the introduction of term limits, or 'rollover', for foreign contracted staff in the civil service. This move would align them with private sector employees, who are required to leave after ten years if they do not secure permanent residency. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has been tasked with assessing the potential implications of such a policy. Although no official policy exists yet, senior civil servants have been asked to submit recommendations to facilitate Cabinet’s deliberations and the legislative drafting process. The proposal is part of the government's ongoing efforts to reform immigration policies. 🌍

The proposal includes immigration term limits for non-Caymanians working in some statutory authorities and government companies, in addition to the civil service. An open consultation has been held among government employees and other key stakeholders to gather their views. Currently, 69% of civil servants are locals, with around 1,400 non-Caymanians working across central government, most of whom are teachers, police officers, prison staff, health workers, and specialists. The proposal may offer opportunities for local people to be trained for jobs that open up, but it could also exacerbate the challenge of recruiting certain specialists and experts. 🏢

Despite the government's commitment to immigration reform, progress has been slow due to various issues associated with the current policy. In August 2022, a review of the points system for permanent residency was led by Steve McField, but the results have never been made public. The goal was reportedly to make getting permanent residency more difficult. However, there is no indication that changes will be made anytime soon, and it is unlikely that the UPM administration will be able to roll out any meaningful reforms before the official start of the 2025 election campaign. 🗳️