8 countries eligible for 90-day stay

The Attorney General’s Office has named eight countries whose senior citizens may be allowed to stay on the islands for up to 90 consecutive days.

Eligible for a comity entry permit are tourists at least 55 years old who hold a passport from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and United Kingdom.

These countries provide a comparable permit to citizens of the Commonwealth.

In an order dated July 22, attorney general Pamela Brown noted that applicants for CEPs must have a passport valid for at least 60 days after the expected date of departure.

The memorandum came pursuant to the adoption of emergency regulations implementing Public Law 14-6. Signed into effect on May 20, the law authorizes the extension of senior tourists’ entry permits from a period of 30 days to 90 days.

On June 29, the regulations were adopted on an emergency basis—or upon fewer than the usual 30 days notice—“to provide the benefit of Public Law 14-6 to aliens seeking to visit the Commonwealth during the 2004 summer season,” according to then acting attorney general Clyde Lemons Jr.

The regulations will be effective for 120 days. After that, the regulations need to be reintroduced for them to become permanent.

Under the rules, the immediate family members of senior citizens may themselves apply for CEPs. Their permits will expire with that of the age-eligible applicant.

CEP holders may stay in the Commonwealth for up to 90 days, but they may not remain outside the CNMI for more than 10 consecutive days. Also, they may not get a CEP renewal, or be issued a CEP within 30 days after the expiration of any other permit.

“Aliens present in the Commonwealth pursuant to a comity entry permit cannot conduct business or perform services during their stay; such activities constitute grounds for immediate revocation,” a portion of the regulations said.

Two other types of visitor permits are the short-term tourist entry permit and the long-term tourist entry permit.

The short-term permit allows a tourist to enter the CNMI for 30 days, while the long-term permit allows a tourist to stay for either an additional period of 60 days after entering on a short-term permit, or a single period of 60 days.

A long-term permit is obtained by submitting proper documents to the Division of Immigration and paying a $100 fee.

It may only be issued after an applicant has been outside the CNMI for at least 30 days, except that one long-term permit may be issued as an extension of a short-term permit. However, a person in the Commonwealth under a long-term permit may immediately obtain a short-term permit before the long-term permit expires.