CEP eyed for Korean seniors

Plans are underway to include Korea in the list of countries whose senior citizens may be allowed to stay in the islands for up to 90 consecutive days.

Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Vicky I. Benavente announced in a recent MVA board meeting that Korean tourists would soon be eligible for the comity entry permit.

She said attorney general Pamela Brown, who had verbally informed MVA of the development, was expected to issue a memorandum to formalize Korea’s inclusion.

Currently, only senior citizens from eight countries are eligible for the comity entry permit. These countries—Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom—provide a comparable permit to citizens of the Commonwealth.

Those who may receive a comity entry permit are tourists at least 55 years old, as well as their immediate family members.

CEP holders may enter and exit the Commonwealth within 90 days, but they may not remain outside the CNMI for more than 10 consecutive days during this period.

Last February, the AGO proposed regulations that would allow CEP holders to receive a long-term tourist entry permit as an extension to their 90-day permit.

Existing regulations prohibit CEP holders to renew their permit, or receive a CEP within 30 days after the expiration of any other permit. To be able to stay in the islands longer than 90 days, a person has to depart the CNMI before the CEP expires and immediately return on a 30-day short-term tourist entry permit. Then, a visitor can further extend his stay by another 60 days by paying a $100 fee for a long-term tourist entry permit.

With the proposed regulation, a CEP holder would no longer have to exit the CNMI before his initial 90-day permit expires. Rather, he would simply need to pay the $100 fee extend his stay to 150 days.

Aside from the comity entry permit, the two other types of visitor permits are the short-term tourist entry permit and the long-term tourist entry permit.

The STTEP allows a tourist to enter the CNMI for 30 days, while the LTTEP allows a tourist to stay for either an additional period of 60 days after entering on an STTEP, or a single period of 60 days.

An LTTEP 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 LTTEP may be issued as an extension of an STTEP. However, a person in the Commonwealth under an LTTEP may immediately obtain an STTEP after the Commonwealth before the LTTEP expires.