Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement, NMI acting president, said the petition signing will continue to accommodate other IRs from Rota and Tinian.
This Saturday, Syed said their group will conduct a signature drive at the Sabalu Market to get support not only from the IRs but from other members of the community.
“I am encouraging community members to help support the cause of the IRs,” he said.
The signature drive will start at 8 a.m. and end at 12 noon.
He said they expect to get more support which will add “impact” to the petition they plan to present to the federal government.
Syed said most of the IRs eligible to apply for a green card can barely meet the minimum income requirement set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The fee to petition an alien relative is $355; an adjustment to permanent status application costs $930; and the fingerprinting fee amounts to $80, for a total of $1,365.
The costs in the CNMI include a medical examination, $800; estimated attorney’s fee, $1,000; estimated airfare for two — applicant and sponsor — $272.
Hence, the total cost of a green card application reaches $2,072.
Aside from waiving the application fees, the federal government should also waive the minimum income requirement, Syed said.
He noted that the CNMI’s current minimum wage rate is only $4.05 per hour.
But under the rules, a green card applicant with two household members should have an annual income of at least $17,500, he said.
A “green card” allows an individual to live and work permanently in the United States. A holder of a “green card” is eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Syed has requested Congressional Delegate Gregorio Sablan to relay to the federal government the concerns of long-term guest workers who are seeking an improved immigration status and for the application fee waivers for the IRs.
Once the federalization law is enforced on June 1, 2009 the IR status will no longer be recognized by the federal government.
Like guest workers, the IRs must look for work in order to remain in the CNMI.
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