Kilili: Pacific Islands key to US security

Economic and social stability is truly key to fortifying national security interests and peace in the region, according to Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP)

Sablan said in his e-kilili newsletter over the weekend that a congressional delegation of U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee members, led by chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas), is traveling throughout the Pacific this week.

Last Thursday the committee, in which Sablan is a member, held an oversight field hearing in Guam on the importance of the Pacific territories and the Freely Associated States to U.S.-led global security in the region.

The delegate said that Pacific leaders, including Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, testified before the committee.

He said Palacios stressed the importance of his (Sablan) bills, H.R. 560 and H.R. 1420, to stabilize the Marianas workforce and in turn provide greater stability in the Pacific.

H.R. 560 provides CNMI resident status to certain otherwise qualifying non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who do not meet a current requirement of having resided continuously and lawfully in the CNMI from Nov. 28, 2009, through June 25, 2019.

According to the summary of H.R. 560, an individual shall be exempt from this residency requirement if the individual was admitted as a Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) during Fiscal Year 2025 and every subsequent fiscal year before July 24, 2018.

An individual who has resided in the NMI as an investor and is currently residing as an NMI-only nonimmigrant may receive CNMI resident status upon meeting other requirements.

With respect to H.R. 1420, it seeks to delay for three years the “touchback provision” of the NMI Workforce Act, Public Law 115-218.

The legislation proposes to modify the requirement for foreign workers in the CNMI—called CW1 workers—to exit the Commonwealth while the renewal of their work visa is being processed.

The “touchback” rule is due to go into effect next month. Palacios told the committee that it will adversely impact many businesses in the CNMI when implemented.