New Immigration Policies for OFWs in Mariana Island

A new policy for foreign workers who wants to work in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) was released to ease the immigration problems in the country.

Through Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) site, Labor secretary Marianito Roque said that Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that Philippine diplomats in Saipan hosted a forum last October with Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) labor officials to discuss the latest developments relative to the federalization of CNMI immigration rules.

Assistant DFA Sec. Lourdes O. Yparraguirre indicated that the Philippine Consulate General in Saipan met with a delegation headed by Acting Labor Secretary Barry Hirschbein on October 15, 2009 at the Filipino Worker’s Resource Center, where the proposal for the issuance of a two-year umbrella permit to all foreign workers was presented as an effort by the CNMI government to address concerns of foreign workers.

Among others, it was proposed that all foreign workers in the labor system will receive an Umbrella Permit, which includes 240K permit holders (for guest workers), and those persons whose applications are currently in process, such as those in the deficiency, transfer and denial categories and who have pending labor cases filed in court or on appeal.

It was reported that the umbrella permits will not serve as work permits but will only give legal status for the workers’ continued stay in the CNMI. They will not be issued to persons on the overstaying list and to those who hold entry permits other than the 240K such as students, investors, diplomats, journalists, immediate relatives and other categories in the Commonwealth’s immigration system.

Workers, it was proposed, are free to transition from the CNMI permit system to the federal system of immigration.

To date, it was added, the guidelines of the transitional worker program and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the federalization law (Public Law 110-229) from the Department of Homeland Security have not been released.

There are about 10,000 Filipino workers in Saipan, the capital of Mariana Island. Most of the jobs offered to OFWs in Saipan are in entertainment and restaurant industry such as singers, band members, waiters, hotel workers and nurses.

If you have any questions you may call at the Office of American Affairs office of the DFA at telephone number 8344330.