Exemption From Work Permit Requirements For Certain Activities

Work permit exemption requests should be submitted to imm-wpe@gov.ky and must include the following information for consideration.

• Name

• Occupation / title

• Nationality

• Name of entity if different from the business submitting

• Nature of visit

• Dates and flight details of arrival and departure

The following do not require a work permit to work in the Cayman Islands:

• Caymanians
• holders of permanent residence with the right to work
• holders of a Residency & Employment Rights Certificate
• holders of a Visitor’s Work Visa
• persons employed by the Cayman Islands Government
• persons employed in the Islands by the Government of the United Kingdom
• a consular officer and his staff
• an accredited representative or agent of a government of any part of the Commonwealth
• a member of Her Majesty’s armed forces
• any person declared by the Governor-in-Cabinet to be exempt from work permit requirements
• a member of the crew of any vessel that does not operate full-time in the Islands, while engaged in his duties as such
• a person who is the beneficial owner of up to two units of property whose lawful presence in the Islands is to facilitate rental or lease arrangements in respect of those units and whose spouse does not own, operate or have an interest in those units.
• any class or classes of persons as may, from time to time, be prescribed.

List of activities for which a work permit is not required for visits of up to ten days (Regulation 11)

11. (1) A person arriving in the Islands for the purpose of engaging in any activities listed in subregulation (2) for a period not exceeding ten days is not required to obtain a work permit, on the condition that only such activities are engaged in and no other activity is carried out that would otherwise require a work permit.

(2) The activities referred to in subregulation (1) are-

• attendance at trade fairs and making purchases from Cayman Islands businesses;
• attendance at conferences and seminars as an ordinary participant;
• the receiving of training, techniques and work practices employed in the Islands, where that training is confined to observation, familiarisation, and classroom instruction and only if the person is employed by a company or organisation carrying on business outside the Islands;
• being a representative of an overseas educational institution, to promote or to interview applicants for places at such institutions;
• being a guest speaker at a conference or seminar where that event is a single or occasional event and not part of a commercial venture;
• the organising or supervising of a conference or seminar for up to ten days’ duration where it is a single or occasional event;
• the participation in sporting events or trials or auditions in connection with such events;
• the covering of a specific news assignment as a newspaper, magazine, radio or television journalist representing a recognised news organisation;
• working for short periods on behalf of or for a non-profit or cultural organisation based in the Islands;
• being a representative of a foreign manufacturer coming to service or repair products under warranty;
• the giving of professional or expert testimony in court or arbitration proceedings;
• working as a non-executive director of a business being carried on in the Islands where the person is not involved in the day to day operations in the Islands but is visiting in his capacity as a director only
• being a representative of an overseas entity coming to locally licensed businesses that are duly authorised by way of a dealership or franchise to sell the specific product line for the purpose of product and layout inspection, quality and public health testing/inspection;
• working for a private individual or household as a personal caregiver, chef or personal attendant/advisor who is accompanying or who is coming to the Islands as a genuine tourist visitor for the actual duration of the period landed;
• being a person coming to conduct an onboard inspection of foreign registered ships that are temporarily in the territorial waters of the Islands;
• being a technician or engineer coming to repair equipment or carry out engineering services not covered by warranty but for safety inspection/certification purposes relating to aircraft, cruise and cargo ships registered or not in the Islands;
• being a technician or engineer coming to carry out repairs on non-regularly scheduled vessels which are not owned or locally operated in the Islands;
• arriving as a representative for an international relief organisation post natural disaster;
• arriving on the invitation of a local insurance company as an insurance adjuster/evaluator post natural disaster;
• being a foreign manufacturer, service provider, security specialist, special investigator, business consultant, strategist, advisor, trouble shooter, lobbyist or safety inspector coming at the invitation of the Cayman Islands Government to conduct business with and to assist the Cayman Islands Government;
• being a person from an overseas office of a locally licensed entity trading in the islands whose presence is required to provide training and instructional techniques to staff of a local entity;
• arriving as a certified and licensed technician to carry out a specialised service which cannot be provided in the Islands;
• attendance at a meeting with a local entity or business;
• attendance at shareholder or Board of Director meetings in that capacity;
• any other activity at the discretion of an immigration officer of the rank of Senior Immigration Officer or above.