‘CNMI economic growth is at risk’
A collective howl of dismay went up yesterday after U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services announced early Wednesday morning its plan to zero out the foreign worker program in the CNMI, with many saying that the move puts at risk the economic resurgence of the Commonwealth.
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, which has been front and center in calling for a minimal reduction of foreign workers in the CNMI, said the Commonwealth needs a sufficient workforce to sustain its economy.
Chamber president Velma Palacios said the CNMI economy is currently experiencing tremendous growth, but that growth has now been put at risk.
“We wrote to USCIS and Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, requesting a minimal reduction of the fiscal year 2018 cap of not more than one. The response from USCIS and DHS stated only that a reduction would take into account the provision of the law that requires an end to the program in 2019,” she said.
USCIS announced last Tuesday the cap for the final three fiscal years of the CNMI-Only Transition Worker program, starting with reducing 3,000 slots for fiscal year 2018.
Palacios said this will have a significant adverse effect, adding that the delay of the announcement compounds the negative effects, as the CNMI has been waiting several months for the fiscal year 2018 cap to be announced.
She pointed out that when the cap was reached in fiscal year 2017, many businesses had to close down for several months, reduce hours, or find other ways to maintain business operations.
“The current proposed reduction, which is about 76 percent of what was available in fiscal year 2017, will have an even more pronounced negative effect on our economy,” she said.
A U.S. Government Accountability Office report in May 2017 stated that, with current and planned development, the available number of U.S. qualified workers in the CNMI is insufficient for business operations.
“This fact is readily apparent to many struggling businesses in the CNMI which require specialized, skilled non-construction workers who are not eligible for visa categories other than CW-1. The logical conclusion is clear: the CNMI will require continued assistance with its workforce capacity through the CW-1 program,” Palacios added.
According to Palacios, the current proposed reduction will greatly affect all businesses, regardless of whether they hire U.S. qualified workers or nonresident workers through the CW-1 program, as the total pool of available workers remains the same.
“As our nonresident workers are forced to leave island, our businesses will strain to keep our existing workers and keep their businesses operational. These nonresident workers and their families are an integral part of the fabric of our society and have made significant contributions to our community and the CNMI economy,” she said
“Again, this reduction will negatively impact our economy and the community at large. The Chamber, along with other organizations like [the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands], the Society for Human Resources Management, Social Economic Development Council and Northern Marianas Business Alliance Corp., will continue to collaborate with [Gov. Ralph DLG Torres] and [Delegate Gregorio] Kilili Sablan in the development of legislation and administrative actions to resolve our workforce issues,” Palacios added.
The only solution to the problem is for Congress to repeal the amendment to the 2008 Natural Resources Act that took control over immigration away from the CNMI. It was a knee-jerk reaction in support of garment factory lobbyists from American textile industries who painted a bad picture of the CNMI, wanting to shut down the Saipan garment industry. Most members of Congress probably had no briefing on the amendment when they voted on the bill. Now, their votes, whether they know it or not, will hurt the American economy and jobs in their home towns. Today, America makes money from Asia through the CNMI, a positive gold flow, returning American money from China, Korea and other Asian destinations to America. No doubt, Congress is unaware that they are cutting off their own noses to spite their faces by inhibiting economic development in the CNMI. Return control over immigration into the CNMI to the CNMI, leaving U.S. immigration authorities to control entry points, only.
In agreement in that it is the only way for the NMI to work using both hands. As it is, one arm is tied behind its back. Shortsighted and whimsical federal policy!
If the reduction in numbers had of been done as it should have been over the years since this CW extension, it would have forced these business to adjust rather than only a few number dropped.
Now we see the end on the horizon and drastic numbers need to be dropped to get back on course.
We went snoozing since nine years ago. So why would this be new to the so-called leadership? Moreover, could a departmental order trump federal law?
hello all non resident workers get ready to go home let chomorrow and carolinians take care them island.you must all one time leave them islands.
good for you your health will boosted. do not stay the place where you abused ans harassed. for chinese your china is one of the class economy you have no worries. for hardworking philipinos your country is one of the labor heart of the world you got lots of opportunity to go anywhere your amazing life is awaits for you. All my aliens brother and sister do not worry and go home only lazy people can only stay there…..common guys get out from pond ocean is waiting for you.
go home go home all aliens amen.
Can’t help but think this is mostly politics. The numbers don’t add up to all the hype. According to news articles here 4000 construction workers used CW visas last year. Now this has been stopped and there are unlimited H-visas for construction in 2018. At the same time 3000 CW-1 visas have been cut for next year. Basically that means that without all the contruction workers illegally using up CW-1 slots we are getting an additional 1000 CW visas for next year .
Also, this year, 2017 the cap was ‘temprarily’ lifted to 339 so depending on when these special extension visa holders apply it is possible they get to stay again in 2018 which still leaves 661 new slots for new contract workers to come in on 2018. So what is the fuss about? Oh yes, the CW cap ends in 2019…. we’ve known that for a really, really long time.
Ten years later and the same corruption with a different name. A decade ago people were here without visas, overstaying visas, working without pay, living in bad conditions, bribing ‘local residents’ for US citizenship. Same thing now. Corruption, Corruption Corruption! We have a lot of the same problems but this time foreign investors are the ones collecting the bribe money, bringing in and keeping people illegally.
For the workers the only difference is unpaid workers have a stage to stand on to collect back wages and they are basically making more money. For residents less money is seen here as these bribes and profits are sent overseas. But we also now have a problem of constantly draining tax payers money. We expect free medical care, schooling, sometimes housing and sometimes foodstamps for one contract worker who works for a low wage and all the extended family and friends they bring in. A typical contract worker with 3 family members makes 22 thousand a year pays around 2000 in taxes and gets that back if 2 of those members are younger than 18. The same worker and ‘family’ costs the local and federal govt between 50 to 60+ thousand a year in school + other benefits and services. Losing 40 or 30 thousand a year per CW1 visa given. Yet, our leadership acts like we are just doing better and better!?!
I can’t see how our local government can successfully argue that us taking over control of immigration is a good idea. We don’t make tourists leave or overstayers leave-and we give away 3x what is earned in Federal and local benefits and services to keep CW here. I’ve got nothing against Cw but how is it smart to pay out a lot more than they would every be taxed even those with life-time or long term residency.
Our leaders have fought to keep the wages low but asked for more and more money from the US to maintain the life style of a few and to susidise the low salaries we pay. We now have more foreign babies born than residents babies here. WE have foreigners lying about their overseas incomes and living in our low income housing and filling up our public schools . We have hundreds of pregnant female tourists marching around the island and ice traffickers selling to our young people and keeping the money overseas. Yes those connected to the casino are making money and some of that is keeping us afloat. But its still really corrupt. Crime and Corruption have just gotten more sophisticated.