Irene Tantiado, president of the Coalition of United Workers (NMI), said they met with federal officials who were on Saipan this week for a fact-finding mission.
The group’s findings is crucial to the yet to be drafted regulations for U.S. Public Law 110-229, which includes the provisions of the CNMI federalization statute.
Tantiado said the group headed by Igor Timofeyev, director of immigration policy and special advisor for asylum and refugee affairs of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, appeared sympathetic to the plight of guest workers in the CNMI.
All foreign workers here will be treated as transitional guest workers when the federalization law takes effect in June 2009.
They must register with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be documented.
Authorities believe thousands of foreign workers are overstaying on the islands.
Tantiado said they appealed to federal authorities to give the “overstayers” the chance to seek lawful employment under the federal guest worker program.
She said they also asked that: “Those who cannot achieve that status and find employment within 12 months of registration, will be allowed to leave the CNMI at their own expense to avoid risking deportation.”
During their meeting, Tantiado said the visiting federal officials asked them if a $1,000 processing fee for each migrant worker’s labor permit during the transition period is reasonable.
They were also asked what they want to see during the transition phase which is expected to be implemented in June next year.
“We mentioned employment at will and privilege to own a business. That we be allowed to pay for our own permits if we don’t have an employer so we can continue to stay here,” said Tantiado.
