Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Should expats be made to leave BVI after 2 years?

Should expats be made to leave BVI after 2 years?

Radio commentator Julian Gordon has suggested that expatriates should be asked to leave the BVI after working in the territory for two years.
According to Gordon, this will help to address the immigration challenges that are currently being faced in the territory and it is an approach that is already being taken in other UK Overseas Territories.

The outspoken commentator claimed that when the labour code was being reviewed previously, expatriates pressured someone on the review panel to remove a clause that once allowed for an understudy provision in the code. That provision reportedly allowed locals to shadow skilled persons coming into the territory to work.

“The same situation we have with the labour and immigration issue and status right now was supposed to be contained and controlled by that provision in the code,“ Gordon argued on the Hot Seat radio show last evening, May 10.

Gordon said he felt this helped to “destroy the system“.

“Cayman [Islands] and all of them have a provision — you come in for two years and you go back out. If you want to renew (your work permit), you can get a renewal, but you leave the country and come back,” Gordon stated.

He continued: “We sit down here and allow disaster to happen in our country.”

A pack of jokers

Meanwhile, Gordon’s co-host, former legislator Walwyn Brewley, agreed with his suggestion, contending that the BVI has “a pack of jokers” for lawmakers.

Brewley, while making reference to an error discovered during an audit of the Fast Track immigration programme executed under the Andrew Fahie administration, said lawmakers went to the House of Assembly to ratify a broken law.

The error forced lawmakers to return to the HOA, after it was dissolved, and regularise the status of some 688 persons that had been granted Belongership status, without following the correct procedure.

“Then, to compound that disaster, the set of jokers that we have as a government went and they give them two statuses,” Brewley said. “They gave them residency and Belonger status at the same time when they know they were breaking the law.”

What happens in Cayman

According to the Cayman Islands Immigration (Transition) Act, 2021, full-time work permits are typically issued for up to three-year periods. However, the maximum time that an individual can reside in the Cayman Islands on a work permit is five years.

While domestic helpers, teachers, doctors, nurses and ministers of religion may be granted a work permit for a period of up to 5 years, workers who are considered temporary or seasonal are issued permits for one year. Temporary work permits are typically three or six months in length.

Once an employee reaches the maximum time, they can either apply for permanent residency or get “rolled over.” Rollover requires the individual to leave the country for a period of 12 months.

They are, however, still entitled to visit throughout this period for vacations. At the end of the one year, they can apply for a new job in the Cayman Islands.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×