Updates on EVS-TAP and Annex VI

During their monthly meeting, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce was informed of the new updates as the CNMI’s Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program, or EVS-TAP, gains support and pushes to the next level toward implementation. This discussion took place during the SCC meeting Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency in Garapan.

Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s Alex Sablan shared the updates to the business representatives “I want to thank SBC board members, as well as HANMI board members, and their members, membership, for their efforts in joining and collaborating with us to write a series of letters, which you can download. I believe there would be in a QR code. Those letters have the availability of the information that we provided.

I wanted to stipulate that we encourage the administration and the concerns they have with PRC citizens traveling into the CNMI, and within the letters, we address many of those concerns. Within the EDS-TAP, I want to play out that the rule publication was, I believe, moved forward in large part to a letter from Congressman Kilili. I want to thank him, and as well as the joint group. I want to thank him in his effort in writing to Homeland Security on the effort to pursue the movement forward of the regulatory process to the final rule for EDS-TAP, and those can be found, within the QR code…”

Sablan further iterated that after addressing their concerns members Saipan legislature along with Kilili have helped to push forward “Responsibile promotion of the Chinese tourism Market” as reps named it.

“The benefits, as was not touted in the regulation, over $6 million in processing costs for manpower and supplies and what not.” said Sablan “For CVT, PRC tourists have a year to travel upon receipt of an EVS permit to board. They have two years to utilize an EVS permit. So, we’re hopeful that we will see regular arrivals of Chinese citizens into the CNMI, and repeat travel like we once saw with the other market, Japan, over the years. Over 40% of Japan’s market in the recent past were repeat Travelers and we’re hopeful we can see this through again…. with EVS TAP and PRC citizens.”

“So, in a nutshell, the possibilities that are put forward, there’s no fees for this permit at this stage. There was offered in the discussion through 902 consultationd to put up bonding as a requirement, and as we’ve seen in the recent regulations, they do not require bonding at this stage, but could do so if the rate of individuals remaining behind, overstaying, and or the idea of an abuse of the system, there could be bonding implemented. As it was the case pre-CNMI, Federal takeover, we used to have a bonding program within the CNMI immigration system.”

Discussing the issue of overstays, Sablan said “Now, the issue of the overstays in contrast to what has been much heralded in conversation about the H2B program. Even Within that program, we have significant overstays. Significant, I reflect on, is roughly 22,000 on average overstays under the H2B program. I want to bring this up because there has been a moment of contention over the idea that discretionary parole and EVSTAP will somehow be an abuse of the program, and it has not been that case. In fact, our numbers of overstays are negligible in comparison to the overstays, even under what is conceivably a legitimate program under H2B, and so I guess the point I want to make is no system is perfect, but I do want to stipulate that, again, EVSTAP was vetted. It was run through every agency in government that has purview over this particular… system, and there was found to be no national security implication and no threat to the region by virtue of the dissentation of CNMI’s PRC tourists and business persons.

And so I kind of want to reflect on that because of recent media thats come out in conversations about the implications of having people come in under the EVS TAP.”

“And again, no specific issues related to national security concerns permitted through all the agencies of the government, federal and or local.” he said

He also updated the members on the Annex VI “I want to quickly update you on Annex VI I first want to watch this bill work. While the travel agency and travel industry within our key markets like Japan, Korea, and China have in the past negotiated with airlines for special charters during peak periods and events, since 2007, our CNMI annex VI for scheduled service has since this timeline up until pre-COVID-19, Chinese airlines have been operating scheduled service into the CNMI. Like Korea, Japan, and in the past, China, the carriers work with travel tour partners, In large part, the hard blocks, a lot of the seat are blocks mean they’re reserving a good percentage of the airline seats on these carriers. And that’s to ensure the success of the movement of aircraft into the region. Many tour groups do this. I’ll give you an example. Just this past week, JTB used to charter and hard block Japan Airlines’ seats. As an example into Rota, which at one time had 27,000 visitors into that island. You can believe it or not. It’s been a long time. But that was in large part due to these hard blocking efforts. And it’s done with every single market. Every single market has such a charter. But I want to emphasize that in 2007, and under a treaty negotiation, an infinite wisdom of the George Bush administration, they saw that federalization possibly would impact us. And somebody in their infinite wisdom negotiated a treaty tool for the CNMI only to be provided an exemption to the National quota of movement of aircraft between countries” said Sablan

He encouraged the members to back up and show support for the venture.