On Friday, the Office of Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan issued a statement saying the regulations governing the workers in the Northern Marianas are now for final review of the Office of Management and Budget prior to release.
“It’s about time,” said Sablan in a media statement, who has been urging the department to get the regulations completed since they were shot down in 2009 following a lawsuit by the commonwealth government.
Sablan said the draft regulations are still not available. “But at least we know they are now moving forward. DHS isn’t holding on to them anymore.
The Department has sent the regulations out for comment by OMB and other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Interior, and Labor, that have an interest in CNMI immigration.”
Sablan credited Dr. John Fleming, R-La. and chairman of the House subcommittee with responsibilities for insular affairs, for the DHS action.
One employer who refused to be identified in this report said, “I welcomed the good news from Sablan. I appreciate his pushing for this issue in Washington D.C. for the longest time and it is now bearing fruit. Hopefully we get the regulations soon and one that is favorable to the CNMI.”
Joseph Corrella, general manager, Spectrum Electric Inc. told Variety, “Finally!”
He said, as far as expectations go, after all this time, “I would like to think the regs will be in favor of the workers being able to stay and having improved status, which I am all for. My thought is the reason it took so long is simply they were tweaking the details of how they would get improved status, how to implement and control it. I can’t see it taking so long otherwise.”
Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, said it has been a long wait. “We were waiting for that like six months ago. We have to see what the White House has to say. They should have done this a year ago.”
He told Variety it is barely six months before the deadline. “We should have been processing our employment needs a year ago.”
Frank Gibson, an HR practitioner and consultant, said, “I think everyone has been waiting for it anxiously. I hope it goes well in moving along. I think they have 90 days at the maximum.”
He also hoped the agency could have moved faster than that as he said, “we don’t have much time left.”
Many nonresident workers welcomed the news but also expressed apprehension.
Longtime contract worker Lota Leynes said, “I hope it is worth the wait although we waited too long.”
“Yes it has been a long wait. Many Filipinos are going home. As of now, in our company, they are not waiting for the regulations. For the employees, that is the only hope that we have,” said Jhie Vallo.
She said, just last week, five of her friends lost their jobs and they have been in the company for 20 years and they were replaced by green card holders and U.S. citizens.
“That is sad,” she said.
Another nonresident worker, Alex P. Acebo of CNMI Global Logistics, said, “Perhaps what took them so long was they were trying to check all loopholes of the regulations and seeing what’s best for all concerned. They wanted to make sure they do it right.”
Lyn Rivera, moreover, said the regulations should have been issued a long time ago “so workers know what to expect.”
Beng Cepeda, who has also been waiting for the regulations, said, “Will there be regulations? It has been a long while. It has been affecting the economy. Many have lost their jobs already.”
According to Congressman Sablan, the internal comment period is generally the last step before regulations are published for public scrutiny.
Sablan acknowledged that it had helped that the Saipan Chamber of Commerce had become outspoken on the issue. Echoing chamber president Doug Brennan’s statement on the long-overdue regulations before the U.S. House of Representatives, Sablan said, “It’s putting the brakes on our economy.”
The regulations governing workers in the CNMI will provide a visa classification for non-U.S. citizens who are not eligible for any other U.S. visa category. The regulations are expected to allow the nonresident workers to continue working in the CNMI through the immigration transition period ending in 2014.
