In discussing the status of long-term residents Bermudians will have to consider several options -- including doing nothing.

But a relaxation of the Status law for people who arrived in Bermuda before August 1, 1989 appears not to be an option for the Progressive Labour Party Government.

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox said it was "not prepared'' to relax the law, but recognises such people came to Bermuda with an expectation they would get Status eventually.

A Permanent Resident's Certificate to give employment and domicile security is under consideration, to replace the current Working Resident's Certificate.

Other general proposals for the problem are relaxation of Status law for all long-term residents and a relaxation for those Commonwealth Citizens who were eligible to vote in Bermuda before 1976.

Government says it is not "of a mind'' to relax the law generally until the "full impact'' of the presence of long-term residents is known.

The Green Paper reports that day will come when "Bermuda ultimately decides its future constitutional position''.

Many of the 300 Commonwealth citizens who are not Status Bermudians but can vote under a 1960s agreement already have the Working Resident's Certificate, and as such have almost all of the rights of Bermudians except the right to buy all but the most expensive houses.

Of 551 people who have applied for a Working Resident's Certificate, 447 have it, while 91 have been refused.

Bermuda Immigration is currently working on 12 of the remaining applications while a further one has been withdrawn.

Based on the 1991 Census, there are "potentially'' 1,400 people who could be eligible for the WRC.

The current Census will compile statistics on this group and these statistics are expected to assist the debate further.

Government is also considering the plight of "special cases'' who fall outside of the WRC.

Such people are no different from other aliens who have a high hurdle to jump to become Bermudian "through no fault of their own''.

Special Cases include: spouses of Permanent Residents; siblings of Bermudians; "natural parents'' of Bermudians; and the adult children of Bermudians who have grown up in Bermuda but arrived after a cut off point.

Options for Special Case long term Bermudians include allowing spouses to get a Permanent Resident Certificate, or a PRC on condition of certain length of marriage and residence requirements.

Siblings of Bermudian children who are too old to be eligible for Bermuda Status could also get a PRC to alleviate hardship that would result from splitting up a family.

Government also puts forward the option of doing nothing in the case of natural parents, women who have given birth out of wedlock.

The Green Paper claims "there appears to be no compelling reason'' to treat them differently beyond what could be given to long term residents in general.

For divorcees, an option for consideration is they could get PRCs if ten years have elapsed since marriage and there was at least seven years of residency here.

Sixty two percent of WRC holders or 447 people have a total of 458 children, of whom almost exactly half are Bermudian and 146 are not. Eighty-five children cannot qualify for Status currently.

Government is also considering the plight of long term residents and their ability to own property.

Among the options being considered are allowing non-Bermudians to own condominiums anywhere in the Island either with or without Annual Rental Value controls above the minimum rate for purchase by foreigners.

But Permanent Residents could also get the chance to buy a house below the ARV of $126,000 with a suggested level of the top 20 percent of the housing market.

This would give them the chance to buy any one of 1,500 houses, all of them selling above $800,000.