The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reinstated yesterday the Philippines on its the list of countries allowed to participate in the H-2B visa program, soon after Gov. Ralph DLG Torres appealed to DHS to allow the reinstatement, citing the CNMI\u2019s \u201csevere\u201d demand for Filipino construction workers.<\/p>\n
This new ruling would allow the CNMI to bring in construction workers under the H-2B visa program. In his letter to DHS on Monday, Torres said the CNMI economy needs more workers to develop and rebuild the community after a series of disasters. Torres originally appealed for the reinstatement of the Philippines in both H-2A and H-2B visa programs; DHS only approved the H-2B request.<\/p>\n
Torres thanked acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf yesterday for supporting the needs of the CNMI community and responding to his request before the start of the next administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next several years, the CNMI will see large construction projects that will bring new jobs for our people, new developments for our local economy, and a stronger, more resilient Marianas. Labor is a critical need for our islands, and this announcement is welcome news for our community,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In its announcement yesterday, DHS said Mongolia and the Philippines are now eligible to participate in the H-2B program effective Jan. 19, but not in the H-2A program.<\/p>\n
There are 83 countries, including the Philippines, in DHS\u2019 list of countries that are eligible to receive H-2B and H-2A visas.<\/p>\n
The H-2A and H-2B visa programs allow U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural and nonagricultural jobs, respectively.<\/p>\n
In his letter to Wolf, Torres requested consideration of once more including the Philippines on the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2B visa program as a critical component of the CNMI\u2019s ongoing efforts to support a vibrant and viable economy and rebuild from the devastation of recent natural disasters.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaking adequate and timely progress on both these fronts would ensure our resiliency against future disasters and help keep the many residents of these islands safe in the years ahead,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n
DHS removed the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and Ethiopia from the H-2B visa program last Jan. 19, 2019, due to the potential for abuse, overstay rates, fraud, human trafficking, and other forms of non-compliance. <\/p>\n
On Feb. 14, 2019, Torres wrote to then-DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen about the CNMI\u2019s concern about this, citing the significance of the Philippines for the CNMI\u2019s workforce needs, especially in light of the CNMI\u2019s severe demand for construction labor to support the mobilization of federal relief funds following the widespread damage caused by Super Typhoon Yutu. <\/p>\n
Since that initial letter to Nielsen, Torres said, many large-scale projects have been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a host of other federal agencies for the CNMI that will require a substantial construction workforce to accomplish in coming years.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven our geographic proximity to Asia and the limitations on sourcing labor in other non-listed countries in the region, the Philippines remains a key source country for skilled and able construction laborers to fill our urgent needs,\u201d the governor said.<\/p>\n
In its announcement yesterday, DHS also stated that Mongolia is no longer designated as an eligible country for the H-2A visa program because \u201cit no longer meets the regulatory standards\u201d for that program. The DHS statement did not clarify this point.<\/p>\n
Citing the same reason, Samoa and Tonga are also no longer eligible for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.<\/p>\n
Factors that could result in the exclusion of a country or the removal of a country from the DHS list include fraud, abuse, denial rates, overstay rates, human trafficking concerns, and other forms of noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the H-2 visa programs.<\/p>\n
Typically, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approves H-2A and H-2B petitions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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