Acquiring Permanent Residential Status

It has been established government policy in the Cayman Islands for some years to encourage as permanent residents those people of good repute and financial standing who make a substantial investment in the Islands.

Anyone wishing to reside in the Islands, without engaging in employment, may apply to the Chief Immigration Officer, with a view to obtaining permanent residence. In order to qualify, an applicant must normally be in a financial position to support himself/herself and any dependents without the necessity of having to engage in any form of employment in the Islands, and must be able to make an investment in a home or local enterprise of at least CI$150,000 (US$180,000).

Exceptions may be made on the grounds of those close family connections with the Islands. This applies to a person who is the spouse, parent or child of someone who has Caymanian Status.

To apply for initial residence facilities, an applicant must submit the following:

(A) Application Form:

The form must be completed in full. Separate application is not required in respect of accompanying dependents.

This certificate, to be obtained from the applicant's home district or last place of residence, should cover the last ten years. A certificate should be submitted in respect of each accompanying dependent over the age of 16 years.

Applicants resident in the United Kingdom and other countries where such certificates are not normally issued may submit instead a copy of an affidavit attesting to an absence of criminal convictions, sworn before a magistrate or public notary.

(C) Medical Report:

A medical certificate of health, on the prescribed form, must be submitted in respect of each family member.

(D) References:

Three written references from persons (not related to applicant) who have known him/her for some years.

(E) Evidence of Financial Status:

A statement of assets or income demonstrating the applicant's ability to support himself/herself without engaging in employment in the Islands. Where possible, this statement should be accompanied by independent evidence, such as a banker's letter. (This information will be treated in strict confidence).

(F) Photographs:

One full-face and one profile photograph must be supplied in respect of each applicant other than minor children (under 16 years).

Applications to reside in the Cayman Islands should be sent to:

The Chief Immigration Officer
Department of Immigration
P.O. Box 1098 GT
Grand Cayman, B.W.I.

If the application to take up residence is approved, the applicant will be so advised, and will be required to leave a deposit with the Cayman Islands Government to cover the remote possibility of repatriation. The deposit may range up to CI$2000.00 depending on the country of origin.

An entry certificate will then be issued, permitting the applicant, and family, to take up initial residence in the Islands.

The entry certificate must be presented on landing in the Islands and is usually withdrawn by the Chief Immigration Officer, who will endorse the applicant's passport giving permission for him/her, and family, to remain in the Islands for an initial period of six months.

This authority is renewable at six-month intervals at the discretion of the Chief Immigration Officer. However, at any time after the initial six months, the applicant may seek permanent residency.

Unless otherwise authorized (as detailed below), a person granted permission to reside permanently in the Islands is specifically forbidden to engage in any form of employment here, or conduct, or offer to conduct, any financial, professional, trade or business activity.

A person may apply for permanent residence after residing in the islands for at least six months. The application must be made in triplicate, on the prescribed form, which may be obtained from the Department of Immigration. A separate application is not necessary for an accompanying spouse and/or children under the age of 18. The Immigration Board may refuse, defer or grant it unconditionally, or subject it to such conditions or restrictions as the board deems fit.

In considering such applications, the board takes into account whether or not the applicant has made the previously mentioned investment, and also, whether or not the applicant is, in fact, living in the Islands. Evidence of owning a home here assists in establishing residency.

Applicants must hold valid passports.

Permanent residency is granted on the basis that the applicant has sufficient private income to enable him/her, and family, to reside in the Islands without employment here being necessary. A resident may, however, hold shares in a local company, subject to any other laws concerning the ownership of shares, and may hold a directorship in such a company, without the need for a Gainful Occupation License, provided that the directorship does not entail day-to-day management of the company's affairs.

The grant of residency facilities does not imply any obligation to permit the entry, on temporary or permanent terms, of servants, even if such servants may be in short supply in the Islands at any given time.

A person granted permission to reside permanently in the Islands is not immune to normal deportation procedures instituted for sufficient reason.

A full declaration of assets owned, and the amount of annual income from specific sources, is expected by the board. Such information is confidential to the board.

An applicant may, on grounds of confidentiality, decline to give the information in the preceding paragraph, but must be in a position to satisfy the board that he/she has assets and income, available without restriction, sufficient to support the applicant, and any dependents, without any income derived from work in the Islands.

An applicant will be requested to declare on his/her behalf and that of accompanying family members:

1. Visits or residencies in a Communist country, including dates, addresses and purpose.

2. Any criminal charges or convictions, in a personal or corporate capacity, as well as sentences to, and/or terms of, imprisonment (Details will be required).

3. Any personal bankruptcy or any involvement in an organization which went bankrupt and the creditors were not paid in full.

A permanent resident may, after two years' continuous residence, apply for permission to engage in gainful occupation. The board will examine the connections the applicant has with the Islands, his/her standing in the community, and the contribution he/she has made, or is capable of making, to the life of the community.

Such permission to engage in gainful occupation will normally be restricted o a specified occupation, but not to a specified employer. In the case of a self-employed person, permission will be restricted to a particular field of employment (specifying the number of persons to be employed), though the board may vary this to reflect changing circumstances.

A permanent resident, given permission to work, will be required to pay an annual fee equal in the amount to that required for the relevant gainful occupation license.

A non-returnable filing fee of $50.00 must accompany an application for a grant of permanent residence.

Applications should be made on prescribed forms and are available from:

The Department of Immigration
P.O. Box 1098 GT
Grand Cayman, B.W.I.

Any specific enquiries should be directed to the Chief Immigration Officer, who may request information additional to that provided on the application form. Application forms may also be obtained from the office of the Cayman Islands Government representative in the United Kingdom. The address is as follows:

Cayman Islands Government
Office in the United Kingdom
Trevor House
100 Brompton Road
London, SW3 1EX, England