Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries
Categories
Unreasonable time limit
Early Resolution | 12 October 2018
Department of Immigration (DOI)
An elderly woman visited our office at the end of June 2018 because she was told her immigration status did not permit her to stay. Her husband had permanent resident status but when he died in 2006, she was no longer entitled to live in the Cayman Islands because she did not have permanent resident status herself. She was unaware of this issue and continued to reside in Cayman for the following 18 years. The DOI notified her she was required to leave by 1 August 2018 and the Chief Immigration Officer told her that he had no authority to extend her stay. She sought our assistance, citing a lack of fairness. She said that she needed more time to organise her personal affairs prior to departure. This included leasing her home, selling her vehicle and cancelling upcoming scheduled surgery. Additionally, she advised us that she was awaiting the outcome of an appeal in relation to her application for permanent residence which had been submitted earlier in the year.
We contacted the Department’s Internal Complaints Process Manager to gain a greater understanding of the situation and determine potential options for informal resolution of the complaint. The Department met with the complainant and she was granted an extension permitting her to remain on Island until December 2018, pending her appeal.