About - Working in Cayman

Working Here

The total labour force in the Cayman Islands is approximately 38,000, of whom about 18,000 are expatriate workers on work permits. Educational standards in the Cayman Islands are good. Many young people proceed from high school and community college to further education in the United States of America, Canada or the United Kingdom. The Labour Law sets minimum standards for working conditions including leave, remuneration, hours of work, dismissal, health and safety.

The Cayman Islands enjoy full employment (less than 3% unemployment) and there is no legal minimum wage set by law. Average hourly rates range from US$10.00 for manual workers to US$20.00 for skilled labor. Clerical salaries vary greatly, but US$2,500 a month may be considered an average. In practice, working hours for most businesses are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although a 40-hour week is considered normal. Hours vary in certain industries, such as construction and the hotel and tourism sectors. Under the Labour Law, overtime pay is paid at the rate of one-and-a-half times the usual wage for hours worked over 45 hours a week. There are 11 paid public holidays, 10 days sick leave allowed, and employers are required to grant a minimum of two weeks vacation a year with pay, upon completion of your first year's service. Many employers, especially the larger international banks offer more generous benefits than these.

Employment of Non-Nationals

All non-Caymanians must obtain a work permit in order to work in the Cayman Islands. These are issued for one to three years, at the discretion of the Immigration Board, and are renewable annually. Work permits are normally only granted if no qualified Caymanian is available for the position. Positions must be advertised in the local newspaper. Self-employed foreigners must demonstrate that their business is not prejudicial to a Caymanian in the same line of work. Residence requirements for non-Caymanians include character and financial references.

It is not generally permissible to arrive on a tourist visa and search for employment. You must secure employment before you arrive here.

The labour market is very tightly controlled through the issuance of Work Permit Grants (often referred to as Gainful Occupation Licences, or "GOLs"). No expatriate is allowed to work in the Cayman Islands without this work permit. Prospective employers apply and pay for employee work permits; individuals cannot apply themselves for a permit. Traditionally professionals such as accountants, lawyers, nurses and teachers have had little problem in obtaining the right to work in the Cayman Islands. Other occupations can have more difficulty.

The application process can take several months, so employers often apply in the first instance for temporary work permits, which can be sought for periods of 90 to 180 days. Such permits generally take one to two weeks to be processed. A temporary work permit does not necessarily mean that the job is temporary, it is most often applied for to save time and simplify the relocation process.

There is still a significant demand in Cayman for Executive PA's, Legal Secretaries, Part Qualified Accountants, and Financial Services staff. The best route to take for such positions is to seek employment with an employment agency who can apply for your work permit and secure you an initial temporary assignment. This enables you to come to the island, establish yourself, gain some on-island experience, and interview for permanent opportunities, with the assistance of your agency employer.

Finding Employment

Most of the major financial institutions and businesses in Cayman use Recruitment Agencies to source temporary and permanent staff. All vacancies must be advertised in the local press before a work permit can be applied for on behalf of an ex-patriate. The purpose of this is to provide Caymanians with the opportunity to apply for such roles. Only if no suitably qualified Caymanians can be found can an employer make an application for a work permit grant. Most work permits are renewed annually, and therefore employers are obliged to re-advertise these positions in advance of the submission of any ex-patriate's work permit renewal. The same applies for any proposed promotion of an ex-patriate, as in effect they are being promoted into a new role. Therefore the newspapers are always full of job advertisements, but the vast majority of these roles tend to be work permit renewals or are not open to ex-patriates.

As Cayman is such a small place, it is advisable to only register with one recruitment agency, as duplication will inevitably occur otherwise, which can reflect very poorly on the candidate. Like any tight-knit community, the employment market is driven by relationships. Local agencies will have much stronger relationships than overseas recruitment firms, and will also be able to better inform you of the immigration requirements and restrictions.

Couples and Families

If you are married, and one of you obtains a Work Permit Grant, the other can be listed as a dependant on this work permit, at the discretion of your future employer and the Immigration Board. As a dependant you will have the right to reside on island, but will not automatically have the right to work. You will still have to apply for a job, and subsequently a work permit through that employer.

In general, a person must be earning a minimum of CI$3,000 per month to list a dependant on their work permit. The application process involves a fee, and some employers will not be willing to pay this. The Immigration Board do not recognise Common Law marriages for the purposes of work permit dependency.

Children under the age of 18 can also be listed as dependants on a Work Permit Grant, again at a cost, provided that they are enrolled in private education.

It is generally not possible to list any dependants on a Temporary Work Permit, regardless of your profession or income. It is therefore important to be aware of which type of permit your prospective employer is applying for before you accept a job offer.

Formalities for obtaining a work permit

The application process includes various forms that must be completed in order to obtain a Gainful Occupation Licence. A medical examination and a police clearance certificate are just two parts of the process. The importance of completing the application in a timely and accurate manner cannot be stressed enough. An incomplete application can delay the granting of your work permit indefinitely. The work permit is renewable annually.

Click here to be taken to our Immigration section for an explanation of each type of work permit, and to download the required documentation and instructions.

Moving from one job to another once you are settled

It is important to note that you are obliged to fulfil the full term of your work permit with each employer. It is generally not allowed to resign from one employer and move to another before the expiration of your work permit. When applying for any work permit with a new employer, you are required to show a release letter from your prior employer. The release letter is in effect a professional reference. Your employer is not obliged to provide you with one, especially if you have not completed all of the obligations of your initial contract, or have poorly performed. Failure to obtain a favourable release letter from a previous employer can severely hinder your prospects of obtaining a new work permit.

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