No decision yet on grace period for those with pending CW renewals

There is decision yet on the proposal to allow Commonwealth-only workers to continue working for up to 240 days or eight months while their CW permit renewal applications are being processed.

Marie Thérèse Sebrechts of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the 60-day comment period for the proposal closed on July 11, 2014, and USCIS received many comments, which it has reviewed.

“USCIS will publish a final rule expeditiously,” she said in an email.

The proposed rule change would allow E-3, H-1B1, and CW-1 nonimmigrant workers up to 240 days of continued work authorization beyond the expiration date on their Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, while the extension request is pending.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Marianas Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands have all asked USCIS as early as 2012 to authorize continuing employment for those with pending CW renewal applications.