DFS executive confident Marianas will get visa waivers

A ranking official of the DFS Pacific Division, U.S. Group is optimistic that the CNMI and Guam will eventually be granted visa waivers for Chinese and Russian tourists.

Managing director Jim Beighley, who is also chairman of the Guam Visitors Bureau’s strategic planning committee, said in Saturday’s Saipan Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner that he believes the Marianas region will be successful in securing the visa waivers.

“Most people thought there is absolutely now way the Department of Homeland Security, under a Bush administration, could be convinced to allow Chinese and Russian travelers to come to the CNMI and also Guam under a federalized immigration administered by DHS, especially with an impending regional military buildup. I must admit that I definitely had my doubts but I believe we will be successful in this. I remain very optimistic about the regulations that will be published by the visiting officials,” he said in his keynote speech.

Two groups of officials from DHS will be on island today to meet with members of the community to discuss the impending federal takeover of local immigration.

The first group is made up of representatives from the policy division, and is headed by Alex Hartman, who, as policy advisor at the DHS’ Office of Policy, is responsible for coordinating all policy initiatives between DHS and agencies to implement the new immigration law and the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.

The officials in the second visiting group, including David Gulick of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Walter Haith, Guam field office director for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Marie Sebrechts, the regional media director for DHS from California, will meet with community members in order to build working relationships.

Both groups will meet with representatives from the business community at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce. Those in attendance will include officials from the Marianas Visitors Authority, Marianas Immigration Task Force, Chamber officers, the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Strategic Economic Development Council.

Meantime, a Pacific News Center report quotes Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo as saying that the new regional visa waiver program for the CNMI and Guam will include Hong Kong but does not include China—as yet.

“The new regional visa waiver program is off to a good start,” she said, according to the PNC report. “We have been working on adding Hong Kong to the visa waiver program for some time, and its inclusion will be good news for our visitor industry. The Department of Homeland Security is making the necessary plans toward the timely implementation of the new program.

“We also have an opportunity to continue to work toward the addition of China under the new visa waiver program. While the rule is not expected to add China to the program at this time, I am informed that the rule will provide an opportunity for future inclusion of China if certain security measures are met. This is a good opportunity to enhance security by using new biometric technology, and the inclusion of Hong Kong is a good basis for expanding to new markets in China,” she said.

Bordallo was briefed by DHS officials yesterday, according to the PNC report.

Beighley, meanwhile, said that if the Marianas ultimately get visa waivers for China and Russia it will be because everyone pitched in and approached DHS as one.

“If we’re successful, it will be for one simple reason that we approached DHS with a unified voice—the Governor’s Office, the Legislature, members of Congress involved in this, and the business community—all approached DHS with a unified voice. I believe we will find a solution with DHS and we will only be successful because we did this. We did our homework, we understood everyone’s concern, we offered solutions to address these concerns, and we did it together. We did it together with a unified voice,” he said.

He, however, said the effort to include China and Russian to the new regional visa waiver program for the CNMI and Guam will only be the first of many challenges the Commonwealth will face this year due to federalization.

“The visa waiver will only be the first of a number of issues that are going to be addressed. Guest workers, labor provisions, related immigration provisions, foreign investors provisions are all incredibly important. All these issues will be taking on more urgency in 2009 as the deadlines and timetables under Public Law 110-229 continue to move forward,” he said.

The PNC report says that the new rules are expected to increase security around the current Guam-only visa waiver program. It further said countries participating in the Guam-only program with high visa refusal rates may be omitted from the new program. This would include Indonesia, Vanuatu, and Western Samoa, “all known to be of minimal economic benefit to the current travel and tourism base for both Guam and the CNMI. Additionally, it is expected that the Solomon Islands will be removed from participating in the new program due to its current political instability.”

PNC noted that all countries otherwise currently eligible under the Guam-only program are expected to become program participants under the new regional visa waiver program. The Guam market will benefit from the addition of Hong Kong under the new program. Under the proposed new program, travelers holding valid Hong Kong passports will be admitted to Guam without a visa.