Expert: Drew Wilmoth - 3/28/2007

Question
I was offered a job in cayman, the company has already sent me the job contract and the immigration papers, according to them they will apply me with 6 months working permit, knowing that I will shoulder all the expenses e.g roundtrip tickets from the Philippines to Cayman, the accomodation etc. is it advisable to grab the opportunity because of the validity of the permit? is the permit renewable?after my contract ends is there a posibility that the company can extend my contract so as my working permit?If not can I look for another job and renew my permit? Please advise.Thanks  

Answer
The procedure you are describing is quite normal for obtaining work in the Cayman Islands.  Normally employees are responsible for paying their own expenses.

An employer must solicit the work visa on your behalf and they alone are responsible for paying for the visa.  Processing times are shorter for a six month work visa, so many employers choose this option to quickly fill positions.

Work visas are renewable, usually for one or two years at a time.  It is usually quite simple to renew a work permit with the same employer, though you can seek work with a different employer at the end of your work permit.  The maximum stay overall is normally seven years - a limit imposed by the so called "rollover" immigration policy.