This was stipulated in the proposed amendments to the immigration rules and regulations of the Division of Immigration.
The new rules, which were published in the Commonwealth Register, state that application for a two-year permit is applicable for the entry permit of immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, foreign investors, foreign students and foreign workers upon the Labor director’s finding that a two-year permit is in the interest of the commonwealth.
The Labor director will make available two-year permits for permanent residents of the CNMI should permitting be required for any reason.
Irene N. Tantiado, United Workers Movement, NMI president, said the proposed amendment will give immediate residents sufficient time to adjust their status when the federalization law is implemented in June 2009.
But Tantiado said Labor should give two-year permits to the immediate residents of Freely Association States citizens, who will be affected adversely by the federalization law.
Tantiado also urged FAS immediate resident to come up with a united position to address their concerns.
At least four lawyers are willing to help FAS immediate relatives find ways to ensure that their immigration status will not be severely affected since most of them will not qualify for U.S. permanent residency, she said.
Tantiado said one option is for the FAS immediate residents to convert their citizenship to FAS, but this means they have to comply with the residency requirement.
Tantiado said the FAS immediate relatives can ask the country of their spouses to waive the residency requirement so they may continue to leave and work in the CNMI while their status is being processed.
The FAS are Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federates States of Micronesia — Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap.
There are at least 300 FAS immediate relatives in the CNMI, Tantiado said.
This coming Sunday, Tantiado said they will conduct another forum for guest workers at American Memorial Center at 2 p.m. regarding the proposed amendments to entry permit rules.
After the meeting, she said, their group will meet with FAS citizens.
