Federal Labor Ombudsman Jim Benedetto said under the CNMI’s labor and immigration laws, if a guest worker can’t find a job within 30 days after registering with the Department of Labor, he or she must leave the islands.
“If you have a reason to appeal your case then you can stay here longer,” he said. “But if you exhausted your chance to transfer without finding an employer then you have to depart and that won’t change when the federal government takes over,” he told participants of a guest workers forum at the Kilili Beach pavilion
Benedetto said that federal government might do something different with the registration rules.
“They may be willing, at some point, even if you are illegal, if you come in and register then they forget it and give you a chance find another job,” he said, but added, “I can’t speak for them — I can’t say that’s what they will do; I can’t even say that they will do that but I can say possibly they might do that.”
Benedetto said guest workers who can find better opportunities elsewhere can leave CNMI and may come back when the economy starts to improve.
“It’s no secret that there are not enough workers in the commonwealth,” he said. “The businesses need alien workers and the policy behind the new law is the same policy behind the local law — they all say the same thing: we need alien workers but make sure local workers are hired first and the alien workers are used as long as we need them.”
Rep. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, also spoke during the forum.
She said the governor or the CNMI’s congressional delegate can ask the federal government to improve the immigration status of qualified nonresident guest workers, especially those who have been here legally for a long time.
She said guest workers should ask Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to include their concerns when he meets again with the federal officials.
Fitial remains opposed to the federalization law.
According to Sablan, the guest workers group may also hold dialogues with the CNMI congressional delegate candidates to discuss their concerns.
