Foreign students were being made to pay for health insurance coverage that ranged from $150 to $300 per month.
The absence of student health/medical insurance coverage necessitated that Commerce amend the regulations to allow foreign students to provide foreign student bonds and/or $1,000 cash deposit with the CNMI Treasury in lieu of student health/medical insurance coverage.
The amendment to the regulation took some time because Commerce had to assemble all interested surety companies in the CNMI and work on creating a foreign student bond that will be available and affordable to all foreign students.
The foreign student community, students and educational institutions, understood the reasoning behind the foreign student bond.
Everyone is aware that the bond is only temporary or an alternative for a foreign student without health or medical insurance.
As of late last month, StayWell completed its form filings with Commerce and is now offering foreign student health/medical insurance.
The coverage is meant for students only with limited coverage.
Commerce Secretary Mike Ada would like to inform the general public that foreign student health insurance is now available.
Effective Monday, Nov. 2, 2009, foreign student health insurance is now required and mandatory pursuant to regulation.
The special power of attorney requirement surfaced on one of the checklists on Commerce’s Web site and created confusion among institutions.
The issue was with respect to regulation requirements on legal guardian of an alien or a foreign student under the age of 18, and the type of document that will be sufficient as proof of legal guardianship: whether it should be an affidavit; a power of attorney for legal guardianship; or a court-sanctioned legal guardianship.
Effective immediately, at a minimum, power of attorney for legal guardianship should be sufficient for submission on application.
For more information, contact the Foreign Student Office at 664-3018 or e-mail [email protected].
