Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

[ QUOTE ]
Remember now, Ja. folks actually do believe that everyone else in the world is stupid and have no fear in making this known in anyway possible
Speak for yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]


Dr. Dudd:
I once heard this joke that can answer your comment:


Three men were to be executed: An American, a Nigerian and a Jamiacan.
When the American man went into the room, the executioner pulled the switch and ...nothing happened.
The American claimed his rights and said, No second chance...no sir, one pull only."
He left.

The Nigerian went in. Same thing happened. He also claimed his rights. "No second chance; I know my rights. I am outta here!"
He left.

The Jamaican entered the room and sat down.
Click. Nothing happened.
He then said to teh executioner, "Ah how yu soh fool; yu noh sih seh di sinting noh plug een?"
He did not leave.


It's a joke but right on target.
If you can honestly tell me that ranking people according to their perceived mental ability is not a Jamaican characteristic (dropped by those who have a conscience), then you do not argue fairly.

[CeaBee]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

Jamaicans who are working on temporary work permits have no guarantee that they will be granted annual permits on application and given the opportunity to work here on a long term basis.

As employers are being encouraged to look for workers from other places temporary permits may not be converted to permanent ones.

David Ritch, Chairman of the Work Permit Board told Cayman Net News that there are limited circumstances under which the Board can deny an application for the renewal of proper work permits.

However, people on temporary work permits are another matter; as their permits are not considered renewals.

“(We) are encouraging employers to look elsewhere for workers,” Mr Ritch said. He added that persons on temporary work permits are not treated as those who are on a proper work permit, moving from a six month permit to a yearly one is regarded differently from annual renewals.

“We treat them as new applications,” he explained. “Having a temporary work permit does not mean one is entitled to a one year or a multiple year permit,” he said.

He was quick to point out that Jamaicans were not singled out for any adverse treatment. When asked to comment on reports that there is an effort to lower by 3,000 the number of Jamaican workers here in the coming year he said, “there is no policy to reduce the number of Jamaicans here by any predetermined numbers.”

However, it was will take a lot of convincing for Andrew Bevin Thomas to believe that he is not one of the first casualties in the move to reduce the numbers of Jamaican workers here.

His application for a one-year work permit was denied under Provision of Section 42(4)(a) and (c) of the Immigration law.

A letter that he got this month informing him that his application was denied stated that, “it is not in the best interest of the Community as a whole to allow the grant of a permit to a person from this geographical location.”
Mr Thomas worked as an auditor at an accounting firm here for seven months on a temporary work permit before his application was refused by the Work Permit Board.

Mr Thomas, 33, resigned his job at KMPG, a major accounting firm in Jamaica, when he was recruited to come here.

He said that he has never had any brush with the law here or in Jamaica and he wants to get a proper explanation and from the WPB on why he was denied work permit on the grounds of his ‘geographical location’.

“They are out of order. That is so out of order – am I walking around with bombs on me? Am I a suicide bomber?” he said.

“It was on my own initiative that I found out that my work permit was not approved. I had to go back to Jamaica in December to finish my ACCA exams and I knew that my work permit was up for renewal so I went there to find out what was happening,” he said.

He told Cayman Net News that the Work Permit Board met on 25 September but he did not find out about the results until October when he went to Immigration and he did not get a formal letter until 11 November.

Mr Thomas’ temporary work permit would have expired on the 17 November and he believes had he not gone to the Work Permit Board his time might have passed without any word from the organisation.

“Then I’d be listed as one of the 1,500 people here illegally,” he said.

While Mr Ritch said that he could not speak on behalf of a single application, he, however, said that granting a work permit renewal is not influenced by government policies, but employers are being encouraged to look elsewhere for employees according to an existing policy of striving for a balanced work force in the country.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/2005/11/977/permits.shtml

[CeaBee]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

EDITORIAL
A lose – lose situation
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tit for tat, or call it what you will, in reality the imposition by the Jamaican Government of a visa on Caymanians traveling to that country has created a level playing field.

The Cayman Islands Government may cry foul. However, their procrastination over the discussions, the last minute instance that all Jamaicans with or without UK and US visas must have a Caymanian visa and the lack of protocol over the opening of the office in Jamaica, certainly contributed to its introduction.

Now we face a situation where no one wins – the proverbial lose-lose situation.

The Jamaican Government like the Caymanian Government, has imposed the travel restriction with almost immediate effect. Those traveling from here to Jamaica for the holidays to visit family and friends will now like their peers in Jamaica wishing to travel here, have to ensure they secure the documentation before they travel and time is running out.

As the process will be handled and visa issued here it is hopeful however, that the Honorary Consulate maybe able to complete the process far quicker than the two weeks suggested by the Caymanian Government for processing visas for Jamaicans.

At a time of year when the route between the two countries for both our own National flag carrier and Air Jamaica is expected to generate its highest income – there will be some unwelcome bottom lines this season for both airlines.

Moreover this visa imposition is bad news for business here. The extra burden in terms of time, cost, the obvious risk of refusal and of course general inconvenience for those running businesses here that also work in Jamaica is also difficult to calculate and will almost certainly be noticeable.

Even though both countries are as we have noted on many occasions intrinsically linked, historically, socially and economically, this latest move is a further step in the worsening relationship between the two Governments.

It is hard to imagine who will benefit from this imposition of a visa on Caymanians and it has been imposed arguably merely in response to our own imposition, however it is understandable. The Jamaican Government was presented with a fait accompli when the Government here decided to impose the visa on all Jamaicans including those with UK & US documentation.

The lack of real discussion between the two countries and the rather odd way in which the Cayman visa office was opened without going through the normal diplomatic channels no doubt contributed to this unenviable situation.

Ultimately the situation we now find ourselves in is really as a result of a badly imposed travel restriction on our closest neighbor and the country with which most people here have strong ties in one way or another.

As the festive season approaches when families and friends should be getting together many will now be forced to reconsider their holiday plans. The economic implications of our own imposition of a visa on Jamaicans have already raised concerns throughout the private sector. This latest move by the Jamaican authorities will only make matters worse.

It is now time for both Governments, one that administers to less than 25,000 Caymanians and the other- Jamaica - a thousand times that, to get together and reconsider the entire visa question between them before the unintended economic consequences seriously begin to take their toll on this country’s economy. We must seriously consider if the suggested benefits of visa restrictions really do out-weigh what are clearly detrimental impacts on the Cayman Islands business community.

Both the Cayman and the Jamaican governments should do the Christian thing and get together and correct this lose - lose to a win-win for everyone’s sake.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/2005/11/977/editorial.shtml

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

All of this is not new.
It has been a situation waiting for the right time to come into full view of everyone.
Like I always maintain, every living being has to learn how to negotiate their way through life... and... yes, while it is sad that some diplomatic ends in this situation were wittingly or unwittingly allowed to unravel, the bottom line is that the good will suffer for the bad.
However...h o w e v e r...all those whom they wish to be amongst them, will obtain visas.
There is a local saying here in some of the islands that goes like this: "I can show you better than I can tell you!"
We need to include that in our collection of proverbs. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

From the news:

Visas for Cayman Islands residents is wrong and silly

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Jamaica Gleaner, November 30, 2005 – Columnist Delroy Chuck writes that the knee-jerk response of the Jamaican government to retaliate and demand visas for Cayman Islands residents to visit is wrong and silly. Yes, it was also wrong for the Cayman Islands to impose visa restrictions on Jamaicans and, worse, to require police clearance.

How come the Jamaican government did not respond similarly when the United Kingdom imposed visa requirements recently? No doubt, we believe the Caymanians can be forced to change their posture but not the U.K. government.

We have only ourselves to blame. Little Cayman Islands can ruffle our feathers and with justification.

Jamaicans have entered without work permits, overstayed and violate their visitor entry permit.




"We" reacted to them ...all because of how we perceived them, as a people...deep down in "our" soul.

Well, they showed us better than they could tell us.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...


From the news:

290 Entry Visas For Jamaicans Processed


Financial woes are keeping some Jamaicans from visiting Cayman.


11 requests for visas have been denied out of the 290 processed since the requirement was enacted early last month.



Those turned down failed to meet the financial requirements and or to prove they knew someone who could support them during their stay on the islands.



Of the 279 applications approved sixty of those were for children to visit parents and other family for Christmas.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

Any more anti-Jamaican posts??
I can just visualize you salivating and drooling all over yourself.
It nust be fun eh??

[Travellah]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

[ QUOTE ]
Cayman people a call jamaican N word to dem face, and we a tek it, mi find dat hard fi believe cause we very proud and no tek dem sort of behavior from nobody.

Cayman at the mercy of the Patriot Act, if they ever get too big for them briches, the US just slap dem up and seh "money laundering" and mek dem shake in a dem boots.

Also time we stop apologize fi the bad apples, anybody come to yu wid "see how much jamaicans in our prison"...just say "so, and what I had to do with them going to jail", stop tek scraps from people yah man. Dem days deh done, Bogle and Sharpe already walk dem road deh so wi no have to.

[/ QUOTE ]


Well said Kingston.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[Travellah]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

To HELL wid Cayman Islands!!!
Wi really an truly have no use fi cayman cause dem have nuttin to offer us anyway.....mi nuh know a when we jamaicans gwine realize that we are self-sufficient.....stop de henkering and push up push-up pon other countries....

wi tek wi beautiful and bountiful likkle island fi granted a dat rang wid us....

When wi going to realize that we have to want ourselves....nobaddy else nuh want us in dem country, from a piece a fawt island like cayman to de fridge canada,,,,nobaddy want us....everybaddy have dem stereotypes well built and hanging on to dem....

JAMAICANS LETS UNITE....LET US UNITE....THERE IS STRENGTH IN UNITY....

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

Dr. Dudd:
How can it be anti-Jamaican when I am trying to show both sides of a story?

One has to very objective to live in today's world or else dawg eat yu suppa.

Look at the situation wholesomely and don't get so uptight.

Try to be objective.

It's commendable to be patriotic but I think it is much more patriotic to be fair.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

[ QUOTE ]
To HELL wid Cayman Islands!!!
Wi really an truly have no use fi cayman cause dem have nuttin to offer us anyway.....mi nuh know a when we jamaicans gwine realize that we are self-sufficient.....stop de henkering and push up push-up pon other countries....

wi tek wi beautiful and bountiful likkle island fi granted a dat rang wid us....

When wi going to realize that we have to want ourselves....nobaddy else nuh want us in dem country, from a piece a fawt island like cayman to de fridge canada,,,,nobaddy want us....everybaddy have dem stereotypes well built and hanging on to dem....

JAMAICANS LETS UNITE....LET US UNITE....THERE IS STRENGTH IN UNITY....

[/ QUOTE ]


Exactly...but why would so many go to ...where... there is nothing?

But you are right; we need to stop hankering after people's things and make ours work for us.

I agree with you.

<font color="red">BTW, there is a place in Grand Cayman called "Hell" and it looks the part to a tee. MAny tourists mail letters from there just to get the postmarks. </font>

[jah_yout]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

wow i got a stern warning for saying less than this...

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

jah yout:

[ QUOTE ]
Any more anti-Jamaican posts??
I can just visualize you salivating and drooling all over yourself.
It nust be fun eh??

[/ QUOTE ]

Or Pehsa speaks... "To Hell..."

Where do you see the comparison with what you said?
They are expressing an opinion;you straight out cursed...on the decent people dem board...c'mon now!
Let's talk about the i s s u e s...okay? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70402-thinking.gif[/img]

[jah_yout]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

[ QUOTE ]
jah yout:

[ QUOTE ]
Any more anti-Jamaican posts??
I can just visualize you salivating and drooling all over yourself.
It nust be fun eh??

[/ QUOTE ]

Or Pehsa speaks... "To Hell..."

Where do you see the comparison with what you said?
They are expressing an opinion;you straight out cursed...on the decent people dem board...c'mon now!
Let's talk about the i s s u e s...okay? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70402-thinking.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

in other words it's not what you say but how you say it...

[little pepper]

Re: Visa for The Cayman Islands...hmmm...

I mentioned in a different thread I'm applying for work in Caymans. A while ago I had a phone interview and even for me who doesn't need a visa (Australian) there still are procedures to get work - apart from the job offer needed, I also have to get police clearances, from both here in Jamaica where I've been living + Australia, plus other clearances. It's not just waltz in and make $

Also, just as a general observation, the last I officially heard in Australia (from Immigration some years back) was that Jamaicans were not frowned on as a group. Ok, it's hard for them (&amp; others) to get into Australia but they're not up on the high crime-committers list, they don't like going on welfare and so on. I was told that personally, and I haven't heard it's changed.