Speaker Demapan: Use CW cap wisely

House Speaker Rafael S. Demapan (R-Saipan) is encouraging the business sector to use the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker nonimmigrant visa cap wisely until U.S. Congress answers the government’s call for an increase in the CW quota and the extension of the 2019 deadline

The administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Delegate Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan (Ind-MP) are pushing to increase the CW-1 cap to 18,000 and this is one of the subjects they pointed out in the House Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs’ oversight hearing early Wednesday morning, CNMI time, in Washington, D.C.

Demapan, who is a former CNMI Immigration officer, said that the CNMI government and local businesses have been communicating to address the current problem about the CW program, which ends on Dec. 31, 2019. He gave the booming construction industry as an example where one company would apply for a 10,000-strong labor force.

“[And] if 10,000 is granted, it would eliminate the other job categories. [That’s why] we should have some sort of categories that is set aside. Like, let’s say for example construction 2,000 and categories other than construction, tourism-related establishment, and so on. It is important we do that, try to take advantage on the numbers available CW on the cap.”

He added that using the CW cap the right way as the CNMI awaits U.S. Congress’ decision with the points they raised would help sustain the Commonwealth’s strengthening economic development.

Demapan said the CNMI would still need the CW program even after 2019. “The way the economy is moving right now, and if this continues, definitely we will be needing additional CWs. Increase the numbers on what we have now to whatever is recommended by the administration.”

The Torres administration, in a separate statement, said it has been their overall policy from the start to ask U.S. Congress for the extension of the CW program and increase the cap as the CNMI would still need the help of foreign workers.

“The administration’s policy is that in the current stage of economic growth the economy is still too fragile to survive without the presence of foreign workers. In order to provide jobs and training for us citizens we need to increase our labor force in the short term,” the administration said.

BSI asks for 18,000

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC is hoping to increase the CW numbers to 18,000. Imperial Pacific is Best Sunshine International, Ltd.’s parent company that acquired the lone casino license here on Saipan.

Imperial Pacific chief executive officer Mark Brown, in a story published on worldcasinodirectory.com, is asking the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to ease visa restrictions for CNMI guest workers.

“There is a cap of 12,999 workers for the Transitional Commonwealth-Only Worker-1 (or CW-1) program. We are dealing with the U.S. federal government, trying to get that lifted to 18,000. We have 3,000 employees for our first building and we are going to have as many as 15,000 employees in future.”

The company currently operates Best Sunshine Live, a temporary facility before the opening of the Grand Mariana Casino Hotel in early January next year. BSI officials target to open the hotel casino on Jan. 28, 2017, the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.