If there is the slightest possibility that you or your spouse might have a baby during your period of employment in Cayman it is essential that you read this section. In this section we describe in detail what is involved in having a baby in the Cayman Islands; we give an overview of the general environment, how to choose a hospital, we list all the OB/GYNs, pediatricians, pre and post natal classes etc. Most importantly we describe the legal requirements for registering your child with the Cayman Islands Government, how to go about it, how to get a passport (essential especially if the child is born during hurricane season), the law surrounding maternity leave, and finally how to go about getting your newborn named as a dependant on your work permit. If your child is not added as a named dependant to your work permit you will not be allowed to keep your child on the Island with you.
PREPARING TO HAVE A BABY
The General Environment Anyone who has ever had a baby in Cayman will tell you it is a nice place to be pregnant: people are generally very considerate; you can float in the sea and feel weightless; the midwives are fabulous and Caribbean men are protective and thoughtful. There are also lots of young families, so even if you are far from home, the community is very supportive and there are many opportunities for playgroups, help from nannies or helpers and support from many other sources.
Cayman is a very child-friendly place. Children are welcome almost everywhere and highchairs can be found at most restaurants and coffee shops. Helpers are readily available part-time through local agencies, or you have the option of applying for a work permit for a full-time helper or nanny. Such help is very economical compared to other countries. Residential and work districts are within easy driving distances so dads or working mums can conveniently pop home for lunch with the kids.
Prenatal medical care is also excellent on Cayman. Parents-to-be have the enviable opportunity of first-class ultrasound scans right in the doctor’s office. Most obstetricians, Cayman Islands Imaging and KY Imaging have 3D and 4D scanning equipment, which will show the baby’s features clearly when the foetus is between 24 to 28 weeks.
Obstetricians Upon discovering one is pregnant, the first thing to do is to choose either a private doctor (OB/GYN) or register at the Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital for antenatal care. The following is a list of all the Obstetricians on the Island:
Dr. Edward Caudeiron MD Suite 33, Pasadora Place, Smith Road Tel: (345) 949 9090 Fax: (345) 946 7917
Dr. Sarath De Alwis FRCS FRCOG MRCP FFSRH(UK) MRCS LRCP(UK) The Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital 19 Middle Road, off Walkers Road, George Town Tel: (345) 945 6066 Fax: (345) 945 0161
Dr. Rommel El-Madany MB BCh FRCS(GYN)(Edin), HDGO(Dublin) DM MD RCSI/IPA(Dublin) Diploma of Advanced Obstetrics Ultrasound RCOG/RCR (London) Island Medical (OB/GYN) Office, 9 Smith Road Plaza, Smith Road Tel: (345) 94 OBGYN (946 2496) Fax: (345) 946 4329 Urgent after Hours: (345) 926 2911 Email: islandobgyn@candw.ky Consultant/specialist OB/GYN including infertility; traditional and advanced surgery including: advanced laparoscopic surgery and minimal invasive surgery for heavy periods, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, sterilisation and prolapse; advanced equipment including: 4D, 3D and coloured ultrasound; electronic urodynamics; digital colposcope and LEEP procedures. One stop cancer screen; foetal anomaly scan; nuchal translucency and amniocentesis tests; packages for pregnancy care and delivery.
Dr. Gregory Richmond-Peck MB BS LRCP MRCS LMCC FRCS(C) 247 Smith Road, George Town Tel: (345) 945 7044 Fax: (345) 945 7033
Doula Services A doula is a woman experienced in childbirth who may be hired privately to provide physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and after childbirth. A doula is especially popular as a birth coach during labour. Jacqui Smith (Tel: (345) 949 6024) offers doula services on the Island assisted by her back-up Tana Walters, both of whom are trained and certified by DONA International.
Hospitals There are currently two major hospitals on Grand Cayman: The Cayman Islands Hospital (CIH), part of the government’s Health Services Authority, formerly known as the George Town Hospital, and the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital. Both are located in George Town. Most private OB/GYNs will offer to deliver your baby at either hospital, although some have their own preference. If you are using a private doctor, you can leave the decision about the hospital right up until the end of your pregnancy. If you decide on midwife care, you should register at the Women’s Health Centre in the Cayman Islands Hospital as soon as possible. We suggest you visit both facilities so you can ask questions and decide where you will feel most comfortable delivering your baby.
Another option may be to deliver the baby at the Miami Baptist Health Hospital (Call (345) 749 3404 for more information). Make sure you enquire about all related immigration issues, visas, citizenship, healthcare insurance coverage, accommodations, transportation and local laws before you even dream about it. Once the mother reaches seven months of pregnancy the airlines will demand to see a letter signed by the OB/GYN stating the mother is fit to travel. Otherwise they have the right to deny boarding. A brief overview of both local hospitals’ maternity units follows.
The Cayman Islands Hospital (CIH) 95 Hospital Road, George Town Maternity Unit Tel: (345) 244 2842/2841 The CIH Maternity Unit caters to about 600 births a year and is located on the ground floor of Building 3. It is well signed from the main entrance. The facility has five double and three single rooms providing a total of 13 beds, plus three labour/delivery rooms. All rooms have en-suite toilet and shower facilities. This hospital caters to both low and high-risk mothers and babies, offering services in antenatal care, labour and delivery, postnatal care (including normal births, twin births, breech, vacuum and forceps) and caesarean section deliveries.
The maternity ward staff consists of well-qualified and fully trained professionals, including 14 midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians, neonatal nurses, nursing assistants and ancillary support staff. If you are a private patient, a midwife or your OB/GYN will monitor you throughout your labour and your OB/GYN will be present for the birth of your baby. If you are a patient of the Women’s Health Centre, a midwife will deliver your baby and a doctor will only be called if there is reason for them to intervene. Epidural services are available for both private and midwives’ patients. There is also a small level two nursery neonatal unit with six spaces, catering for pre-term or premature babies 28 weeks and older, or for those who have a medical condition that requires more intensive management. If the newborn requires level three nursery then it has to be airlifted to a bigger centre, normally in the United States.
Discharged mothers and babies will also be visited, if desired, by community health nurses for a couple of weeks after their discharge. This visit is usually once a week, or more regularly if needed. It is a great resource for new mothers who may be far from home and need a little reassurance once home alone with a newborn.
The Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital (CTMH) 19 Middle Road, off Walkers Road, GT Tel: (345) 949 6066 Fax: (345) 945 1695 The CTMH Maternity Ward handles approximately 125 births each year and has four private en-suite birthing suites equipped for labour, delivery and recovery, so you do not have to move between rooms. There are six midwives, an obstetrician, a paediatrician on staff and a paediatrician with a neonatology interest who can be called to assist. The birthing centre is fully equipped with neonatal ventilators, CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), incubator and phototherapy equipment.
Other services include Lamaze childbirth preparation classes (which run on an on-going eight-week cycle), infant and child CPR, antenatal and postnatal doula services, lactation consultant services and a postnatal mother-to-mother support group.
Visiting hours at CTMH are very flexible and fathers are allowed to overnight alongside their wives/partners.
There are also plans for construction to begin in late 2011 on a third hospital which will be located on 600 acres in East End. The Narayana Cayman University Medical Centre (locally known as the Shetty Hospital) will be a medical tourism facility built over the next 15 years and will consist of a 2,000 bed tertiary-care hospital, an educational facility, a biotech park and an assisted living community. The first phase will consist of a 140 bed facility.
Overseas Hospitals Baptist Health International Cayman Islands Office Governors Square, Suite 4-101 Tel: (345) 749 3304 Fax: (345) 749 3305 24 Hour US Tel: (786) 596 2373 24 Hour US Fax: (786) 596 3648 Email: international@baptisthealth.net Baptist Hospital and South Miami Hospital provide outstanding care for parents and their newborns. Their easy pre-admission process guarantees that they will be ready for your visit, and that your baby will be born in a comfortable, home-like setting. Obstetricians, anesthesiologists, pediatricians and nurses are there to help mom and baby every step of the way. Plus, neonatologists and Neonatal Intensive Care Units are always available to care for babies born prematurely or with special needs.
For couples who are having difficulty conceiving, Board-certified specialists in reproductive endocrinology and infertility can help determine the causes and most effective treatments for infertility.
Miami Children’s Hospital - Global Health 3100 SW 62nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33155 It is located between Red Road (SW 57th Avenue) and 62nd Avenue at 30th Street near Coral Gables. Tel: (305) 666 6511 or (305) 662 8281 In the US, toll free on: (888) 797 6010 Email: globalhealth@mch.com The Miami Children’s Hospital may be particularly important as an option especially when there are complications involved with high risk pregnancies or high risk deliveries. Its neonatal intensive care unit receives premature babies who are critically ill, have been victims of trauma, are in respiratory distress, have serious infections, congenital anomalies or seizures. Normally, local hospitals will facilitate the process to get the infant airlifted to the hospital in Miami.
Miami Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 paediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of paediatric medicine with several specialty programs and is home to the region’s only freestanding paediatric Trauma Centre.
Costs of Having a Baby On-Island Once you have considered a doctor and hospital, be sure to call your insurance provider and discuss the fees in relation to your insurance coverage.
You will want to ask about your prenatal care, the cost of the delivery and the immediate care of your newborn baby. The amount of coverage will depend on your insurance plan; it may be anything from 100% to nothing at all. Some insurance plans require a 10-month waiting period before they will cover your pregnancy, and some have a limit on prenatal care, e.g., CI$500 at 100%. Some plans state you need pre-authorization for obstetrical ultrasound exceeding two per pregnancy. It is also advisable to find out about adding your new baby to your insurance policy from the moment of the birth.
Having a baby in Cayman is expensive and there is no free healthcare. The cost of a normal midwife delivery with a three-night stay in the Cayman Islands Hospital (CIH) and the use of the facilities is approximately CI$3,700. A normal delivery at the CIH with a private OB/GYN costs approximately CI$3,000 (the hospital fees) and then the OB/GYN will charge you CI$2,500. Insurance coverage will vary between 80-100%. For an elective c-section the cost is between CI$4,000 to CI$5,000 for the hospital fee, and your private doctor will charge between CI$3,250-$3,500 (but the insurance company will cover only part of that according to existing pre-agreed rates). Call Carene Osborne of the Cayman Islands Hospital on (345) 244 2597 for more information on patient financial services.
Prenatal Education Classes The Cayman Islands Hospital offers an eight-week educational series called ‘Parent Craft.’ It is held on Monday evenings 5.30pm-7.30pm in the Women’s Health Centre. There is no charge or need to register in advance. Call the Antenatal Services Department on (345) 244 2649, or get a schedule of class dates from the Women’s Health Centre. If you miss classes, you may make them up during a subsequent eight-week course cycle. You may find it more comfortable to bring a cushion for your back, particularly if you have already been sitting all day at work or have a lower backache.
Jacqui Smith along with her assistant, Tana Walters (both of whom are Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators), run a six-week series of Childbirth Education (Lamaze) classes at the CTMH on Tuesday nights at 6pm. You have to pre-register as classes are limited to 12 couples and the cost is CI$175 per couple. Call (345) 949 6024 for registration information. These classes are a great way to meet other pregnant women and establish a support network you will appreciate long after your baby is delivered.
Pregnant and new adolescent mothers are encouraged to enroll in the Family Resource Centre’s Adolescent Parent Services. Tel: (345) 949 0006.
Massage for Pregnancy Make sure you get full approval from your doctor before you engage in any type of exercise or massage therapies. There are many options on-Island such as the Da Vinci Centre (Tel: (345) 943 2002), Touch of Thai (Tel: (345) 949 8989), The Retreat at Tips n’ Toes (Tel: (345) 943 8637), Beyond Basics Medical Day Spa (Tel: (345) 945 2737) and Body Works (Tel: (345) 945 6485). The hotels also have excellent spa facilities and qualified massage therapists.
Therapies during Pregnancy A holistic way to take care of yourself during pregnancy is through therapies which include chiropractic treatments, physiotherapy, massage and acupuncture. Since the body is ever changing during pregnancy it is important that the body maintains its optimum level of efficiency and health. For example, the Webster Technique, a chiropractic procedure, is applied to correct or reduce in-utero constraints. For additional information check the Health Chapter.
Yoga, Pilates & Exercises Current classes for pregnant as well as new mothers include:
Bliss Living Yoga The Marquee Plaza, off West Bay Road Tel/Fax: (345) 949 9642 Offers yoga classes seven days per week and drop-ins are welcome.
Body Now for Mums and Kids (BN4MK) Tel: (345) 949 8687 Email: caymaninfo@bodynow4mums.com An award winning company specialising in pre and postnatal fitness. They offer pre-natal strength and yoga training sessions, power stride for both pre and post-natal mums and 1 to 1 personal training. All trainers are fully certified and experts in their field ensuring that all training is safe and beneficial, leaving mums feeling educated and empowered. Pre-natal classes focus on specific muscle conditioning, core strength, stretching and relaxation needed to decrease some of the discomforts of pregnancy. Postnatal training will prepare all mums for the physical challenges of having a new baby and expedite their journey to ‘better than ever’ personal fitness. Group personal training sessions give mums an opportunity to share experiences in a safe environment and meet new people.
Body Works Queens Court Plaza, West Bay Road Tel: (345) 945 6485 Fax: (345) 945 1234
Beyond Basics Medical Day Spa Smith Road Plaza, Smith Road, George Town Tel: (345) 945 2737 They offer a ‘Body after Baby’ solution called Velashape.
Da Vinci Centre Park Place, West Bay Road Tel: (345) 943 2002 Fax: (345) 943 1002 Offers a customized fitness routine.
ENERGY/Colleen Brummer 171 Elgin Avenue, Cricket Square Tel: (345) 946 6006 Specialises in personal training and group classes, and also has a fully stocked apparatus studio with reformers and other pilates equipment. Check details about personal training in the Activities for Adults chapter.
Maternity Clothes & Bras The selection of maternity wear on the Island is slim. Your best option is Expectations (Tel: (345) 946 6667) just off Crewe Road. Bliss Yoga in the Marquee Plaza sells Lululemon yoga clothes which are wonderfully comfortable and can be worn all the way through pregnancy. Alternatively you can order lots of maternity clothes online and have it sent in.
Maternity Leave You will need to ask your employer what their policy is on maternity and paternity leave, as some can be more flexible than others. However, Cayman Islands law on the matter is as follows: every female employee shall be entitled to 12 calendar weeks of maternity leave in any 12-month period. If she has not completed twelve months of employment, then her maternity leave shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis for the time she has worked. Her employer is legally required to offer her 20 days leave on full pay, 20 days leave on half pay and 20 days leave on no pay or six weeks paid and six weeks unpaid. Leave may be taken in whatever proportions before and after actual childbirth that the employee wishes.
A female employee who adopts a child under three years of age shall be entitled to nine calendar weeks of leave, of which 15 working days are on full pay. Adoption leave may be granted once in any thirty-six month period.
At present there is no provision in the law for paternity leave, however, some companies are flexible and will allow a new father to take a few days off. There have been proposals to amend the law, but as yet nothing has been legislated.
Domestic Help, Nannies & Baby Sitters Close to the end of your pregnancy or once the baby has arrived you may need some help with the work load at home, the care of other siblings and giving you an extra pair of hands so you can get some rest. A good idea may be to hire someone from a reliable and well respected agency.
One that we do recommend is AAA Caregivers (Tel: (345) 926 5925 or email: aaacaregivers@candw.ky). They are a housekeeping/childcare agency whose staff are trained in first aid/CPR, safety and basic childcare and all staff have on-going training. The staff member specifically assigned to each family is selected based on suitability and your family’s needs. The cost of the service is dependent on the amount of cleaning/childcare to be done and whether it is part-time or full-time.
Alternatively, domestic help can often be found via word of mouth. See the Running your Home chapter for more information.
AFTER HAVING A BABY
Paediatricians Dr. Cecily Abraham MBBS DCH DM Alexander Place, Unit 7, Dorcy Drive Tel: (345) 945 7050 Fax: (345) 949 9823
Dr. Dirk Belfonte MB BS MRCP (UK) DCH Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital 19 Middle Road, off Walkers Road Tel: (345) 326 5741 Fax: (345) 946 2624
Dr. Christine Chen MBBS DABP FAAP The Children’s Clinic, Windward Centre 93 Smith Road, George Town Tel: (345) 949 2970 Fax: (345) 946 2768 Second Language: Conversational Spanish
Dr. Shirley Cridland MB BS DCH (London) 247 Smith Road, George Town Tel: (345) 949 5225 Fax: (345) 945 7040 Urgent After Hours: Tel: (345) 949 7223 Practicing in Cayman for over 30 years, providing care for newborns to teens, including child health supervision, immunisations, sick visits and consultations. Office hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Saturday appointments and walk-ins are available.
Dr. Sarah Newton MB ChB DCH (NZ) The Children’s Clinic, Windward Centre 93 Smith Rd, George Town, Grand Cayman Tel: (345) 949 2970 Fax: (345) 946 2768
Dr. James L Robertson MB ChB MRCP Paed Trincay Medical Clinic, Suite 1204 65 Market Street, Jasmine Court, Camana Bay Tel: (345) 943 4633 Fax: (345) 946 4634
Dr. Gordon Smith MB ChB MRCP (UK) MRCGP DRCOG The Children’s Clinic, Windward Centre 93 Smith Road, George Town Tel: (345) 949 2970 Fax: (345) 946 2768 Second Language: French
Cayman Islands Hospital Dr. Marilyn McIntyre and Dr. Earl Robinson 95 Hospital Road, George Town Tel: (345) 244 2531 or (345) 244 2530 Languages: English (but hospital staff may be able to assist with translating to or from other languages)
Immunisations Immunisations are carried out by, and schedules are available from, private paediatricians, the Public Health Clinic of the Cayman Islands Hospital or the district clinics. Should you choose to use the Public Health Clinic (Tel: (345) 244 2648) you should make your appointment well in advance. Shots vary in price from as little as CI$20 and as much as CI$156. Prices also vary (in some cases significantly) between clinics for the same immunisation. You may find that the schedule and specific shots vary slightly from your home country. Please note that schools will request to see your child’s immunisation record and require a Health Screening Report filled out by a Cayman doctor before enrolment.
Postnatal Groups & Babies and Toddlers Activities There is a volunteer breastfeeding support group, as well as hospital nurses and midwives, who help mothers with the art of breastfeeding. Call the Women’s Health Centre on (345) 244 2649 for contacts. Jacqui Smith, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, also offers lactation consultancy services through Nurturing Birth Experience to all parents, no matter which hospital they deliver at. She is also available for at home breastfeeding help. For information call (345) 949 6024.
There are a number of ‘home grown’ playgroups for mothers and babies which meet on a weekly basis. Once you begin talking to people, you will soon find out relevant names and contact details. A really good way to meet other mums and kids is at the playgroup that meets on Monday mornings at 9.30am for two hours at the South Sound Community Centre (except bank holiday Mondays). All two-week-old babies to four-year-old children are welcome. Refreshments are served and the cost is CI$6 per family. Call (345) 526 2632 or 943 6556 or email: southsoundplaygroup@gmail.com.
A few more excellent ways to meet people are Wednesday’s 10.30am story telling time for children at Books & Books at Camana Bay, followed by a 10-minute medical talk at 10.45am, offered by a local paediatrician who will gladly cover topics chosen by parents. For working parents, the paediatrician also offers these medical talks on Saturdays (the first and third of each month) at 10.30am, just before Story & Craft Time. For children aged 12 months to five years old, Motions Unlimited (Tel: (345) 749 8365) offers a toddler’s play-day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10.30am-12 noon and also on Fridays from 2.30pm-4pm. These are hugely popular and cost CI$15 per child. Kindermusik is a musical programme for newborn babies and toddlers up to 5 years of age and it is taught at Smyles Indoor Play Centre (Tel: (345) 946 5800).
Baby and Toddler Equipment & Clothes Baby and toddler clothes can be bought from Atlantic Kids at Paddington Place (Tel: (345) 949 2296), The Baby Shop (Tel: (345) 949 2229) in Alissta Towers and Little Darlings on Shedden Road (Tel: (345) 949 2580). They have a good selection, display gifts for baby showers in a very organized way and you will be pleasantly surprised at the quantity and quality. Another option where you may be surprised to find some adorable outfits, especially beach wear, is in the hotel boutiques.
New baby equipment, especially cots and car seats, can be bought at The Baby Shoppe and Little Darlings. There is quite a lot of choice and prices are refreshingly reasonable. Second-hand baby equipment can be bought at garage sales or on ecaytrade.com. If you need to rent baby equipment due to space constraints or for a visiting baby or toddler, contact Tourin’ Tots Furniture rental on (345) 947 8409. They offer cribs, strollers, bassinets, pack and play and more, and offer special rates for residents.
Baby Food Many people wonder, before they come to Cayman, if they can get the major brands of baby food and products they are used to at home. Nearly everything you would expect to find in a large Canadian or US supermarket can also be found here. People from Europe might not be able to find exactly what they are used to at home, but there will be something similar and the grocery stores are happy to order specific items for you, especially if you have the product name, UPC label or barcode number. Examples of what is carried here include the Earth’s Best and Gerber baby food lines; Enfamil and Similac formula lines; and Johnson & Johnson, Pampers and Huggies general product lines. Most of the stores also carry some organic produce, but choice and quantity is limited. You really need to shop around. The produce line in the stores that do try to carry more organic produce often includes carrots, apples, oranges, celery, onions, potatoes, broccoli and salad. Kirk Supermarket and Foster’s (Strand location) also have a good line of frozen organic vegetables, fruits, soy-based, lactose-free and goat’s milk products for those with food intolerances and allergies. Kirk Supermarket also offers the Niman Ranch brand of all natural beef, pork, lamb and poultry; they are free of antibiotics and hormones. You can always ask supermarket managers to place special orders on your behalf. If you tell others to buy these products as well, it enhances the chance of having these special dietary foods available on a more permanent basis.
Baby Massage There is a four week interactive class where mums get trained by a qualified baby massage therapist, learning about wind colic routines, over stimulation, self-calming techniques, body-mind awareness and coordination. Classes are taught at the Da Vinci Centre (Tel: (345) 943 2002) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings (this one with limited availability).
Physical Therapies In addition to massage, babies can benefit greatly from chiropractic, physiotherapy and acupuncture in regards to tight muscles, soft tissue injuries, chest congestion and delayed development. Since the birth process is a traumatic event for a baby and the primary cause of a spinal misalignment, parents could consider having their newborn examined by a chiropractor for subluxation after birth. For information on professionals in these areas, please check the Health Chapter.
Passport & Immigration
Registering the Birth of Your Child After you give birth to your child the hospital will issue a Live Birth Notification Form. The parents will be given a copy of this and the original is sent by the hospital to the Registrar of Births. The next step requires one of the parents, if married, or both parents, if you are not married, to go to the Registrar of Births, ground floor, Citrus Grove Building, Goring Avenue (Tel: (345) 244 3101/3103 or email: cigenreg@gov.ky) with the completed Live Birth Form, a marriage certificate (if married overseas) and your passports. Residents of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman can register their children at the District Commissioner’s Office on Cayman Brac. By law, you must register your child within three months of birth, regardless of your nationality. There is no charge to register your child; however, you may obtain extra copies of your child’s birth certificate from the Registrar of Births at a cost of CI$10 each. Extra copies can also be ordered online at any time after registration on the Registry’s web site www.ciregistry.gov.ky.
Getting a Passport and Visas for your Child You must obtain a birth certificate for your child (and most likely also present the mother’s birth certificate) prior to making an application for a passport. Much more information on getting a passport for your child is listed in the Immigration chapter under the section on passports. Parents are encouraged to apply for the passport as well as visas as soon as possible after birth. You do not want the added complication of trying to arrange these documents in a hurry should you need to leave for a medical emergency or, during hurricane season, due to the threat of a storm.
American Passports: The US Consular Agency is located at the Cayman Centre, Unit B1, 118 Dorcy Drive, across from the Airport Post Office (Tel: (345) 945 8173). They are open for passport matters and notary services on Monday through Friday, 8am–2pm. Leave a message or go in person for inquiries. They assist with passports and emergency services for US citizens only. Details of what you need to take to the US Consular Agency to complete the passport process can be found in the Immigration chapter. They do not deal with visas. It is advisable to apply for a US Visitors Visa if your child’s citizenship requires this for entry into the United States. The US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, now only accepts online visa applications through http://kingston.usembassy.gov.
Australian Passports: Apparently the process of obtaining an Australian passport for a child born in the Cayman Islands (to at least one Australian national) is long and very complicated. Thankfully someone who went through the process explained it to us and we have repeated their directions, in great detail, on our website under the Passport & Visas chapter. British Passports: Application forms for British passports (renewals or new passports) can be downloaded from www.ukinusa.fco.gov.uk, along with a list of what needs to be submitted. You can no longer go through the Cayman Islands Passport Office for British Passports; it now goes through the Passport Service for the Americas and Caribbean at the British Embassy in Washington. For any other nationalities: The Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs of the Cayman Islands Government and the Office of the Governor have assembled contact details for the consular representatives of the following 13 countries: Austria, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Honduras, India, Jamaica, the Philippines, Spain, Switzerland and the US. Please visit www.gov.ky (under Document Library) for a full list of the consular representatives for these countries and their contact details, or see a list in the Immigration chapter.
Dependant Permit Children born on the Island to expats are not automatically entitled to citizenship unless one or both of their parents are either Caymanian or have been granted status. If you are on a work permit, your baby must be added as a dependant on your work permit. To make this application, you must submit the following documents to the Immigration Board: a) Cover letter from work permit holder requesting addition of dependant b) Child’s birth certificate c) Parents’ marriage certificate (if foreign, must be translated into English) d) Letter from either/both parents’ employers authorising the addition of a dependant to the work permit and proof of income (such as a bank statement) e) CI$100 application fee f) Fill out an amendment form (can be downloaded from the ‘working here’ section of the Government’s immigration website: www.immigration.gov.ky). In order for your dependant to reside legally in Cayman, your minimum monthly base salary for a family of three must be in the region of CI$3,500. Add CI$500-$1,000 for each additional dependant. Once all requirements are met, your child’s passport will get a stamp with a date on it. Remember to get each new passport re-stamped as airlines may not allow passengers to board planes back to Cayman without an up-to-date dependant permit stamp. If you have questions, call the Department of Immigration (Tel: (345) 949 8344). They are open Monday through Friday from 8.30am-4pm

Copyright 2011 The Resident Magazine 2012. All rights reserved. Acorn Publishing Co, PO Box 31403, Grand Cayman KY1-1206, Cayman Islands, Tel: (345) 946 3200 Fax: (345) 946 2830 Email:info@acorn.ky
