New members of the Cayman Islands forum, introduce yourself here

Hi all
m from Nepal want to move in Cayman, i am searching for a job in Cayman  but its seems not possible without yours help.
if u want any reference my best friend is working there i can provide her number.
please do kindly help me

thanks
Paru

Paruu. Your best bet is to get your friend to find a job for you. No stranger is in a position to do so. Your friend will know all about our local Work Permit system. Good luck.

hi Gordon
she is trying but not able to get job because she is new there
any ways thanks for advice

SuzanneW wrote:

I am from Germany,would like to  move and work in the Caymans. Lived in South Africa for many years, am now looking to gain more international exposure in Logistics. Any advice or contacts would be appreciated.

Suzanne. Google New Resident Cayman and look up Recruitment Agencies. Please tell me what Logistics means, exactly. I probably know what the work is, but the term is new to me. Thanks.

Suzanne. OK, thanks. The local importers and distributors who hire people like that always go through recruitment agencies, and almost never deal directly with applicants, in the first instance.

Hi my name is Sarah.
I'm from germany and just arrived in Cayman a week ago.

I'm a Hairdresser since almost 10 years and used to work in different countries before.
My last adventure was to spend a year in the Maldives to work there in a nice holiday resort.

would love to meet new people here.
(Moderated: no free ad on the forum pls + register your business in the business directory)

Sarah

Hi from Beautiful BC Canada. Hubby Allen and I are looking at moving South in 2 years. He is in sales and can turn around any failing business. He has the encouragement in spades. I am retired hairdresser, now receptionist at busy transit office. A real people person who likes to encourage greatness in others. We both have that gift. He likes to dive while I snorkel. Both have excellent health for our ages. Him 55, me 59. Kids are grown and out of the country, one in Haiti, one in Africa and one is commercial diver so is everywhere. No pets, no smoking, social drinkers. Need work fior expences. Lou

Hi all, I am moving to the Cayman Island with my Husband in the next few weeks...just getting all of the paperwork in order.  Looks like my dogs, two little Shih Tzus, will take the most work and the longest amount of time to get into the country!
I am sitting in -27 degree celsius weather today with a wind chill of -37 degrees celsius!  That's - 35 degrees F....so happy to be heading to the Caribbean!
Our kids are grown so it will just be the two of us.  So excited to be coming. My Husband will be working for the Gov. and we hope to be able to stay for a nice long time!

Hi all

My wife and I first visited Grand Cayman for a whole 5 hours on a shore excursion from our cruise in Fall 2012, and just absolutely adored the place. We returned a year later, staying for a whole week, and started looking for a condo to purchase. We closed on our condo in Fall 2014, staying for two weeks, returning in Spring 2015 for another two weeks. We plan on returning twice a year until we retire, which may be only 6 years away. At that point we plan to retire to our condo almost full time, so we're keeping an eye on the residency requirements.

Just moved here from BC Canada.  We are looking to make new friends and enjoy our new home.

Samantha Bonner here,
I need to find a certified practical nursing job in the Cayman islands. But it seems impossible. I've typed up my application form and resume but I am afraid if I post it I wouldn't be able to get there for the job because I have no passport.

SamanthaBonner wrote:

I need to find a certified practical nursing job in the Cayman islands. But it seems impossible. I've typed up my application form and resume but I am afraid if I post it I wouldn't be able to get there for the job because I have no passport.

Samantha. There is absolutely no chance you will get a job anywhere outside Jamaica without a passport. Sorry to be the one to have to tell you that!

I understand but I will have to do something quick in order to get my passport. I am already on the verge of saving, I just need a lil bit more. Thanks anyways for informing me.

Hi , Martin here.
Looking to re-locate to the Caymens
Writer/Filmmakers /College Profs
loving the outdoors, world travelled.
We currently Live in S Fl which is getting
overwhelmingly crowded. Looking to
escape that... So many questions to ask .
First mainly about healthcare as we are
retirees now on American Medicare.
Secondly to explore we'd like to spend some time going back and forth to the states.. looking for longer term sublet digs and if anyone knows of a commuter flight or boat going over ...great.
**

bf137. The first thing you need to do is to check your Medicare coverage outside the USA.
For general information about Cayman, check out "Cayman New Resident", and for social background etc read relevant items on my personal blog: barlowscayman.blogspot.com . In the beginning, my posts targeted a local audience: later ones, not so much.

Also, some of my "columns" on the Expat Focus website will be useful.

I see this post is from 2015 but I'm hoping you can tell me how things are working out? I'm new to the forum. I'm Canadian and my husband and I would like to relocate to the Cayman Islands.
Any thoughts you can share on the past year for you would be great! Advice and tips are appreciated.
PS. .. we will also be movin with pets. Yikes... 3 cats!

First, what kind of jobs do you have lined up - and in what line of business?

As for pets, "Cayman New Resident" has all the answers. For other information, it's best to ask specific questions. They're easier to answer!

Hi Gordon. Thanks for the response. I've been doing a lot of research which includes starting to read  your blogs.

My husband works in IT so he'll be looking for a job that fits his skillset in that area. We don't have a job lined up yet but just doing the research to find out if this is possible for us.

I have read all of the info about transporting pets. It seems that will be fine. No quarantine for cats so that's good.

I noticed only yesterday that work permits require a medical exam. My hustand is in remission and stable for a kidney disease. We're concerned that this may be a barrier for him getting approved. Do you have any info or insight on that? I am thinking to phone the government department t that approves permits and ask them.  The whole idea will be a moot point if he's not eligible.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Booky. As far as I'm aware, the medical certificate is intended to prevent HIV+ve people from coming to live here. Your husband's condition will be of more interest to prospective employers than to the government. Our local insurers generally don't cover pre-existing conditions, so he would have to bear all expenses himself, relating to the kidney disease. If he ever needed the dialysis machine, for instance, it would cost him a small fortune. Prospective employers might well be put off by any likelihood of other ailments - but maybe not; I really don't know. I have no idea of government's immigration policy re pre-existing conditions. If you do want to phone the relevant government Department, it is the NWDA (National Workforce Development Agency), but I think it would be far better to let his employer deal with them.

Cayman is not a place where you can relocate to and then look for a job; you have to find a job first - as a visitor, perhaps - before even thinking of relocating. It's a super place to live, but it's depressingly bureaucratic. I hope you find something here, and I'm sorry that I don't have any useful advice on the kidney thing. But it really will all be up to the employer!

Thanks for that info Gordon. We're Canadian so not being covered for pre-existing conditions is new to us. We figure that if he ever needs dialysis we would return to Canada. His specialist said the remission can last for an indefinite time. All said, it's a bit scary to think of owning a home in Cayman and having to leave suddenly due to illness. Something for us to think about.

Are other Caribbean islands the same with healthcare?

Booklvr wrote:

Are other Caribbean islands the same with healthcare?

I've no idea! What your husband might consider is getting a job with government, here. Its employees have some amazing privileges - total medical coverage, for one, whereas the private-sector employees have to pay for their own insurance. Employers have group plans, of course, but their premiums vary according to claims; so naturally they don't want to hire people whose excessive claims might raise the premiums for everybody. As my wife has discovered, old people find it extremely hard to get employment here at all, because the statistics are against them. We pay US$9000 a year for coverage of hospital in-patient costs alone.

Hi all!

My name is Esther.  I'm moving to the Cayman's later this month and need to find a place to live when I arrive. Does anyone know of someone that will be renting or moving out of their one bedroom apartment?

Thanks!

Hi we are Ray and Sharon and will be moving to Grand Cayman to live for at least three years as of 12 October next month. Ray has secured a position in the power company there as the Engineering & Development Manager and I hope to continue my small business Journey Expressions NZ there.
We are still pinching ourselves that we will be living in the Caribbean and are really look forward to it.
We would love to meet other Kiwis living there so do contact us after October 12th.

Hi we are Ray and Sharon are will be living in Grand Cayman from October 12th onwards for at least three years. Ray has been offered a contract with the local power company as the Manager of Engineering and Development, hopefully succeeding in developing renewable energy in the islands.
I have my little business Journey Expressions NZ and have 7 retailers over here in NZ and in Tonga and would love to expand over in Cayman.

We will have our 26 year old daughter Amy come over with us until Christmas. We are all still pinching ourselves that we get to come to a tropical paradise and live there too.

We would love to get in touch with any other Kiwis over there once we have arrived.

Thanks
Sharon & Ray

Hello! Just wanted to introduce myself ! i have been in Cayman for few months now. I have started to explore all the activies in area and learn about culture .

Founder and Owner of parrotfishjourney.com travel website that currently focuses on Cayman , because this is my current location right now

Hi everyone, my name is Sally, after 30 years in Canada of minus 20 winter's,lol, I have broken away looking for a job in warmer climates, originally born in Kenya, East Africa so never got used to the cold, brrrrr!! After putting my resume out everywhere (I am a Medical Estheticia/ Holistic Massage Therapist) a Spa in the Caymens contacted me and are very interested in my CV, they take care of the work visas. The pay is not great but it would be doing what I love and I would be warm again:)
They sent me the cost of living there again it seems incredibly expensive, I only want to rent a room, and I am very low maintenance !
I have been divorced for a year, my Daughter's are grown and have their own lives and encouraging me to better things.
If I get accepted for the job I need to know that I can afford to live there also being on my own at 56 I would love to meet other people my age as I do love company.
Can anyone help in any way with some good pointers please, I would be very grateful.
Most appreciated
Sally

Hi everyone, my name is Sally, after 30 years in Canada of minus 20 winter's,lol, I have broken away looking for a job in warmer climates, originally born in Kenya, East Africa so never got used to the cold, brrrrr!! After putting my resume out everywhere (I am a Medical Estheticia/ Holistic Massage Therapist) a Spa in the Caymens contacted me and are very interested in my CV, they take care of the work visas. The pay is not great but it would be doing what I love and I would be warm again:)
They sent me the cost of living there again it seems incredibly expensive, I only want to rent a room, and I am very low maintenance !
I have been divorced for a year, my Daughter's are grown and have their own lives and encouraging me to better things.
If I get accepted for the job I need to know that I can afford to live there also being on my own at 56 I would love to meet other people my age as I do love company.
Can anyone help in any way with some good pointers please, I would be very grateful.
Most appreciated
Sally

Hello Sally, my wife and I moved here last year for many of the same reasons. We had enough of Canadian winters and have now adjusted to life in the tropics. One thing to bear in mind is that you do not pay any taxes on your income, but that is is reflected in what you pay for retail goods due to duties.. We are in our 50's as well. Cayman is a melting pot of cultures and feel free to ask us questions. Terry & Kim

Thank you and it's great to be in touch:)

Sally. By now you'll have read the online "Cayman Resident" magazine, which contains a whole lot of information about this place. A couple of assurances: first, no matter how much they pay you, it's sure to be enough. Businesses go through a lot of hassle to get Work Permits for employees, and they're unlikely to try to swindle them! Second, ask your employer to see if he can find you a temporary place to live that's near to where you work. Third, don't worry about meeting people. Two thirds of the population here are expats of all ages, shapes and sizes, including maybe a thousand Canadians. (The major nationalities are Jamaican, British, Latino, Filipino, USA and Canadian - not necessarily in that order.)

One thing that newcomers don't always take into account is the expense of settling into a new place. Deposits are required by landlords (two months' rent, usually) and utilities; a second-hand car might cost at least $2000 (local dollars; US$2400) plus third-party insurance of anything up to $1000 (might be less if you can prove an accident-free record); and of course normal cost of living until you get your first pay-cheque.

For general information, you might like to check some essays I posted to another website
http://www.expatfocus.com/Forums/search … donBarlow/
- and besides those there is my personal blog, containing my opinions on a wide variety of topics, especially the earliest postings.

Thanks Gordon you are a big help. A quick question, so if a company wants to pay you $7.50 per hour( + 20% commission of products sold) in Cayman dollars that would be $12 per hour Canadian am I right. This is why I was wondering weather one can live on that.

Yes, your exchange-rate is right. Certainly $7.50 is not much of a wage (the legal minimum wage here is $6!), but I have no idea at all how much someone in your job could make in commissions and tips. I'm guessing it would be roughly the same as you make now. It's all tax-free, of course, as Terry told you; there is no income tax at all here, but the cost of living is high because there's a 22% Import Duty on everything. In your shoes, I would ask my prospective boss how much he thinks the commissions and tips would come to. If the Spa is at a hotel, that would be good. If it's in the boonies, not so good.

Thanks:)

Hi everybody,

my name is Zsolt and I'm considering leaving good (c)old Europe behind, by starting a new life on a warmer climate. I've found the perfect business for a "beach life", and I'm ready to invest. I'm looking for an optimal location for this business, and Cayman could be a possible choice. There is nothing like this business on Cayman, and if the local authorities give a licence and a green light, it would be a huge attraction for all the tourists looking for something new and thrilling.
I've been collecting information, and so far it seems that only a local company could get a licence for this. That means, 60% caymanian owned, 60% of the assets and 60% of the profit for somebody who would only give his name and citizenship for the company.
Is it possible for a foreign investor, to estabilish a local business, with a caymanian, a legally regulated one, with correct and clear conditions (by not passing over 60% of the assets and 60% of profit)?
Cayman would be a great location for this business, and the tax and duty free business environment is appealing. I would be willing to share the profits (but not 60%), everything in this world has it's price, and if it's the only way of doing it, so be it.. but I'm not willing to do anything illegal or shady. Everything must be legal, clear, and in writing.
There is a very good business plan, I'm ready to invest, could anybody with deep insight into local caymanian business tell me how to proceed?

The strict letter of the law is as you say. However, I have heard of many arrangements by which a manager (who is also the foreign investor) has a contract giving him 80% or 90% of the profits as a bonus. The remainder is then split 60-40 as the law requires.

Dear Mr.Barlow,

first of all thank you for the quick reply.

Would such an arrangement be legal? I mean, I wouldn't want to do anything unlawful. But if such a thing could be written down and valid before court...?

Still, even in this case, all the assets of the company would be divided 60-40.

I was thinking about forming a company in USA or Cayman, which would be the sole owner of the assets, and would lease the assets to the local caymanian company. However, most of the assets would be boats, and I don't know if a leased boat could be registered and used for commercial activities.

One last question: a local business (holding a valid business licence) is for sale, and the seller informed me, that I, as a foreign investor, buying his company, will be able the continue business activities, even if the company won't be owned by Caymanians. Is this true? And on the long term... would the local authorities renew that business licence once it's due?

Best regards,
Zsolt

Would such an arrangement be legal? I mean, I wouldn't want to do anything unlawful. But if such a thing could be written down and valid before court...?

Still, even in this case, all the assets of the company would be divided 60-40.

I was thinking about forming a company in USA or Cayman, which would be the sole owner of the assets, and would lease the assets to the local caymanian company. However, most of the assets would be boats, and I don't know if a leased boat could be registered and used for commercial activities.

One last question: a local business (holding a valid business licence) is for sale, and the seller informed me, that I, as a foreign investor, buying his company, will be able the continue business activities, even if the company won't be owned by Caymanians. Is this true? And on the long term... would the local authorities renew that business licence once it's due?

Zsolt. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you before; I didn't see your reply to mine. I haven't ever actually seen one of those contracts,only heard about them. In any case, you should always hire a local lawyer before getting into too much planning. We have a very powerful and intrusive bureaucracy here. Re buying an existing business: the seller has lied to you. That licence would not be renewed after a change of owner.

franckvanel wrote:

hello
          Expat i am call Rose i am a student in business administration i would like to know how someone can travel while been in Africa to Cayman Island....................please i would really appreciate if you can get back to me..

Rose. You can travel here, with a visa (depending on your nationality), but you can't work here without finding a job first.