Expert: Robert Clark - 9/7/2010

Question
I have taken up a job in the Cayman Islands and my new employer have just applied for a temp visa for me. I have a 14 month old son and a partner, we are engaged, but not married. We would like to move to the island all together as a family, but my partner is finding it difficult to get a job on the island without physically being on the island. He is a qualified social worker and works for The UK Justice system over here.

We have been told by the immigration experts sorting out my visa it is possible for him to come onto the island with us on a 30 day visa and extend it for a max of 90 days, in which time he will have to find a job and have his new employer apply for a work permit for him. I understand he has to leave the island during this time. Since we are from the UK it is expensive for him to fly all the way back to the UK just for a couple of days, we have been told we can take a family vacation for a couple of days and this time is sufficient for the visa to be processed. Is this the usual time frame for issuance of a 6 month temp work permit?

Failing him getting a job within 90 days to get a visa we would like to know if it is better to get married before we arrive on the island, I am due to start the job in exactly a months time, or can we come as a family to the island and get married on the island. Which option would be easier and more cost effective for us?  I will be earning exactly $4000CI a month. The most important thing is we need to be together as a family on the island as It is difficult looking after my son on my own without my partners help.  

Answer
Tennille
answers to some of your questions.

Para2 - temporary work permits can take anything between a few days and a couple of weeks - really depends on the urgency of the case as submitted by the employer.  

I think it would be better to get married before you go to Cayman, and it would probably be cheaper.  In theory your son and your husband could then be listed as dependents on your work permit.  As a dependent, he can't work, but he could look for a job, without the need to be off-island whilst the work permit applications is being considered.  I think you will find things tight to begin with (Cayman is very expensive), but I think you should be able to manage.  Check my FAQ at http://www.gotocayman.com for a rough guide to living costs (including groceries), and a link to some of the supermarket websites.  Also worth checking out http://www.newresident.ky



Some other issues to be aware of.
Cayman is really suffering from the recession.  There has been a clamp down of recruitment on all government post on everything but the most essential posts.  As your partner is more than likely be looking to a government job, I would say that his chances aren't good at the moment. (There are certainly no jobs listed that I think would be appropriate on the government's website at http://www.recruitment.gov.ky).

Good luck!

Robert


Tennile
I've checked with my contacts and we don't think there should be a problem to add your husband to your work permit as a dependent.  The general guidelines that the boards work on is that an employee must be earning a salary of $3,000 for the first dependent and then $500 extra for each extra dependent.  However, this is subject to approval by the appropriate board.
Hope this helps!
Robert