DHS is the leading U.S. agency tasked to draft rules and regulations that will implement U.S. Public Law 110-229 or the Consolidated and Natural Resources Act.
Fitial said it takes time to negotiate for changes in regulations.
“I think that all the affected parties in the commonwealth agree that it would be helpful if the Department of Homeland Security moves promptly to publish draft regulations relating to investor visas and foreign worker permits as soon as possible,” he said in last week’s congressional hearing.
The regulations must be published in the Federal Register for at least 60 days.
As of last year, the CNMI Department of Labor reported that the islands were hosting more than 16,000 documented foreign workers.
“The commonwealth believes that its exemption from the caps on H visas should be of indefinite duration in recognition of the commonwealth’s continued need for foreign workers in future years,” said Fitial.
He asked the U.S. Congress to defer any action on a proposal to grant long-term migrant workers residency status until after the Department of the Interior has made its report and recommendations on the impact of the federalization law.
The law mandates the report to be submitted next year.
“By that time, the overall review of immigration policy promised by President Obama may well be underway. Such a review certainly will be addressing the claims of large groups of aliens in the United States for an improved status and it is in that context that we believe the commonwealth’s situation should be evaluated,” he added.
