That was not the first time that a guest worker left island due to an emergency situation without getting the necessary document from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement president.
The advance parole allows guest workers to return to the CNMI as guest workers.
Syed said worker Bencel Nely Gabriel had no money to pay for the $305 advance parole fee.
“It is very hard to obtain an advance parole for taking an off-island trip for an emergency purpose like attending the funeral service of immediate relatives or medical purposes,” Syed said.
He said several nonresident workers had to leave the CNMI without getting an advance parole.
Citing the bad economic situation here, he is again asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to waive the advance parole fee for individuals who have to leave the CNMI due to an emergency.
In his letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Syed said it was their understanding that DHS set the advance parole fee based on U.S. standard earnings.
“Many workers in the CNMI work below the standard working hours and are paid the minimum wage rate of $5.05 an hour,” he said.
He said most guest workers are paying for their own off-island medication and travel expenses, which are “very unaffordable.”
“We would like to bring to your attention the individuals that need emergency off-island medical care due to the lack of locally available sophisticated medical facilities,” he told Napolitano.
