By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE U.S. Department of Homeland Security has informed U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds that CNMI employers can request an exemption from the $100,000 H-1B visa application fee that President Donald Trump imposed via executive order last year.
In October, King-Hinds asked DHS to exempt the CNMI, noting that the situation in U.S. territories is different. She told DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that territories like the Commonwealth “face persistent challenges with economic development and workforce availability to meet even basic demands.”
In her e-newsletter on Friday, King-Hinds said her office received a response from DHS “outlining the Department of Homeland Security’s position and the limited process available for exemptions.”
The congresswoman said DHS confirmed “that exemptions to the $100,000 payment requirement are considered extremely rare, but that a formal pathway does exist for employers to request one.” She urged that employers seeking an exemption must submit a request along with supporting documentation to H1BExceptions@hq.dhs.gov
King-Hinds added that DHS also provided additional guidance on how Proclamation 10973 is being implemented. “We will continue tracking how these changes affect employers and workers in the Marianas and sharing updates as more information becomes available,” she said.
In her request letter to Noem last year, King-Hinds provided data on H-1B applications and approvals in the CNMI. In fiscal year 2025, all five U.S. territories combined received only 425 H-1B visa approvals — less than 1% of those issued in California. Yet, she noted, the workers filling these limited roles provide critical services that cannot go unfilled.
In the CNMI, 22% of approved H-1B petitions in FY 2024 were for physicians and specialists at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, the islands’ only hospital, and 15% were for the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, which maintains the CNMI’s power and water systems. Without these H-1B workers, she said, the basic welfare of the community is at risk.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
