NMC and DOLI tie up to lure foreign students
In a move to lure more international students into pursuing education at the Northern Marianas College, the Department of Labor and Immigration has pledged more support for NMC’s efforts at expanding its foreign student recruitment market mainly targeting students from Japan and South Korea.
NMC and DOLI officials last week met to establish a better working relationship and review existing immigration requirements for foreign students to enter CNMI’s post-secondary education system.
With close collaboration between the two key agencies, NMC Development and Alumni Relations Director Tony Deleon Guerrero expressed high hopes that bringing in international students will be easier.
Though securing a foreign students’ visa is not that much of an ordeal, according to Mr. Deleon Guerrero, cooperation between NMC and DOLI is highly recommendable to expedite the processing of papers and documents.
The whole process of acquiring students’ visa issued by the Labor and Immigration solely depends on NMC’s approval and supporting papers, Mr. Deleon Guerrero explained.
“Labor relies on NMC for the total review and application requirements. Once a student completes all the paperwork, we issue a letter of acceptance to that particular students which is shown to DOLI and they will issue the student’s visa based on that requirement,” he said.
Foreign students need to show proof that they are enrolled with 12 credits or more in order for them to be granted the students’ visa.
They enter the CNMI initially as tourists and eventually acquire the visa after they have been certified officially enrolled for the regular Fall or Spring semesters.
NMC also sought clearance from the Immigration department regarding foreign students only interested in seeking short-term training programs at the college.
The institution has recently been popular with inquiries on short-term courses that range from one week to eight weeks, according to Mr. Deleon Guerrero.
DOLI officials claim that students interested in short-term programs need not apply for students’ visa.
“They could enter the CNMI as tourists since they are automatically entitled to spend 30 days on the island and still subject to an extension of 60 days which gives them ample time to complete the program,” Mr. Deleon Guerrero said.
With DOLI’s full support, NMC anticipates positive results with regard to the influx of international students in the CNMI in the future.
“I think Immigration is trying to be as flexible as they can in terms of processing international students who want to study here.
I think they recognize that these efforts will not only increase in international students but will boost our local economy,” he added.
There has been a decrease in nonresident student enrollment at the college within the last two academic years.
In academic year 1996-97, 483 foreign enrollees registered at NMC out of the 1,721 total student population. The following year, the figure dropped to 373 and dipped to a mere 225 in AY 1998-99. (MM)
