According to the new Fiscal Year 2011 budget law of Palau, Guam will continue to have funding but no money has been earmarked for the Saipan office.
In 2010 Guam and on Saipan would have been closed due to funding shortages. However the government said that Guam, as the entry point to the U.S. for Palauan citizens, also is a convenient location for Palauans to seek passport and immigration services, and employment authorization forms. Without the Guam office, Palauans would have to seek consulate services at the Palau Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The government said that the military buildup, she said, is among the reasons to keep the consulate office in Guam open.
Other considerations cited as reason for continued operation of consular functions is the strong Palauan student presence at the University of Guam, the region’s only fully accredited university.
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