Immigration and Entry Requirements

No person shall carry on gainful occupation (employment) in the Cayman Islands unless:

(a) He/ she is Caymanian;

(b) He/ she has acquired permanent residence with a right to work under the Immigration Law

(c) He/ she has acquired the right to reside and to work in the Cayman Islands as a result of the issue of a Residency and Employment Rights Certificate or a Residential Certificate for Entrepreneurs and Investors; or

(d) He/ she is authorised to do so by a work permit granted under the Immigration Law.

For the purposes of carrying out the Cayman Islands Immigration Law, there is a Chief Immigration Officer, supported by a number of Immigration Officers.

There are established three Immigration Boards as follows:

(a) The Work Permit Board

(b) The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board; and

(c) The Business Staffing Plan Board.

Collectively, the staff mentioned above, including the staff of each of the boards are generally referred to as "The Immigration Department".

Nearly all people seeking employment in the Cayman Islands for the first time are required to obtain a work permit.

The Immigration Department review all applications from companies and individuals who are seeking permission to work in the Islands, and take into account a number of factors in relation to both the prospective employer and the worker in question. The grant of any work permit is at the discretion of the Immigration Department.

For information on work permits, click here:

Visitors to the island may be granted permission to land in the Islands as visitors for a period of up to six months. In practice though, most visitors will only be granted permission to stay for 28 days as a visitor, and may have to provide evidence that they have secured suitable accommodation and have appropriate funds to support themselves whilst in the islands.