Work permit revenue collected by Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) was CI$6.5 million short of its target in the first eight months of 2026.
The total stood at $75.7m as of 31 August, or 7.9% below the year-to-date budget of $82.2m, according to figures tabled before the Parliament of the Cayman Islands on 1 October.
Caymanian employment and immigration minister Michael Myles revealed the shortfall in a written answer to a parliamentary question from deputy opposition leader Kenneth Bryan.
The ministry’s total year-to-date revenue for the period was $103m, against a budgeted $105.6m, a shortfall of $2.6m, according to the minister.
His answer did not say what had caused the work permit shortfall, or what revenue streams the $103m total covers.
The gap represents a setback for the government in its efforts to establish new revenue streams, set out in the 2026-2027 Budget.
When the budget passed in November 2025, the government said new immigration revenue measures were expected to raise an additional $15.4m in 2026 and $17.1m in 2027.
It listed increased work permit-related fees among the sources.
In an address to the Finance Committee in November, finance minister Rolston Anglin highlighted the additional revenue streams as a necessary part of balancing public finances.
As of June, work permit fees had already fallen $3.7m below estimates for the year and $0.8m below the same period of 2025, according to the government’s financial reporting.
