‘Despite valid advance parole, alien worker not allowed to board plane’

A long-term nonresident worker with an advance parole valid until Jan. 31, 2012, was not allowed to board a plane from the Philippines to the CNMI via Guam on Jan. 30, leaving her stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and is now in jeopardy of losing her job on Saipan, said a workers’ group leader yesterday.

Rene Reyes, founding president of the Marianas Advocates for Humanitarian Affairs Ltd. or Mahal, said it is disappointing to learn that Continental Micronesia, the federal immigration office in Guam, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “may have not been coordinating” when it comes to honoring valid travel documents held by nonresidents in the CNMI.

Reyes said the stranded alien worker has a pending Commonwealth-only worker petition filed by her employer.

On the night of Jan. 30, Continental in Manila reportedly did not allow the alien worker to board the plane headed for Guam.

“She told Continental her advance parole is still valid until Jan. 31. She was supposed to leave Manila on Jan. 30 evening, arrive in Guam early morning on Jan. 31 and then to Saipan also on Jan. 31. But she said when Continental asked the immigration office in Guam, they told the airline not to allow her to board the plane. She has a valid parole and was not allowed to board the plane. It’s disappointing [as] there may be lack of coordination,” Reyes told Saipan Tribune.

The nonresident worker asked that her name be withheld at this time because it might further jeopardize her employment status in the CNMI, Reyes added.

In December, the nonresident worker had to travel to the Philippines because of a death in the family. Before leaving Saipan, she applied for a $360 advance parole, which was issued on Jan. 19 but she was only able to receive it in Manila on Jan. 24. Because of unavailability of seats, she could only book a Jan. 30 return flight to the CNMI.

“She’s been stranded in Manila. I went to the USCIS office in Garapan Monday and even the officers there were surprised that Continental refused to board the worker even though she has a valid travel document,” Reyes said.

The workers’ group leader said USCIS-Garapan advised him to tell the stranded worker to fill out a Form I-131 or the advance parole form but indicate it’s for humanitarian parole, for submission to the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

“Hopefully that will allow her to return to the CNMI. Right now, her job is in jeopardy because she’s supposed to be back in the CNMI by now but because of what happened, she is stranded in Manila. I hope USCIS will be able to clarify the matter with Continental and with the immigration offices in Guam,” Reyes added.