USCIS remits $22K to NMI

Acting governor Eloy S. Inos said yesterday that the government received Monday some $22,000 in initial “$150 CNMI education funding fee” that employers hiring foreign workers paid to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service starting October.

But with only 2,759 petitioned as of Nov. 25 for a transitional worker status, the CNMI won’t be able to meet its earlier target of $2 million to $3 million to help fund its vocational education programs.

The $22,000 that the Fitial administration received from USCIS covers only at least 146 foreign workers.

The money is supposed to be used by the CNMI to train U.S. workers who will fill the void left by foreign workers who left or will leave the Commonwealth. Most private sector jobs are held by foreign workers, while government jobs are mostly held by U.S. workers.

As of Nov. 25, there were 2,759 foreign workers petitioned by employers for a Commonwealth-only worker status. This means there’s at least $413,850 in CNMI education funding fee so far paid but only $22,000 have so far been remitted to the CNMI.

Inos said the initial money received will go to vocational education programs as required by U.S. Public Law 110-229, the law the placed CNMI immigration under federal control.

During an interview, Inos said the money will go to Northern Marianas College’s vocational education program.

But a clarification from the Fitial administration last night stated that the funding will go to the Public School System.

Page 36 of the fiscal year 2012 budget law specifically says the governor is authorized to transfer at least $500,000 to PSS for its vocational education and program development, from funds received from petitions filed pursuant to PL 110-229.

Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan) introduced a bill seeking to allocate over $3 million in expected money from the employers’ education funding fee. But Yumul got this estimate from the 22,416 in numerical cap for foreign workers in fiscal year 2012.

Yumul said yesterday that, given the number of petitions filed so far, it would be impossible to reach the $3 million goal. He added that his bill is still with the House Ways and Means Committee.

Inos said USCIS district director David Gulick informed them about the $22,000 check during a meeting of the Strategic Economic Development Council on Capital Hill.

“It’s in our bank account…but there’s going to be more,” Inos said yesterday morning on Capital Hill.

Inos, who oversees government finances, said the frequency of the remittance depends on USCIS.

He said if the CNMI government does not get its earlier projection of $3 million, then they have to make adjustments on the vocational education programs.

Inos also said there will be auditing of such funds received by the CNMI from USCIS.

A businessman interviewed yesterday said he has reservations about all government spending habits—federal or local.

“I suppose less so with [schools receiving the funds] than the central government. The money transfer is to train the local workforce as foreign nationals are phased out. How money gets administered and spent is no better than those spending it,” he said.

USCIS has yet to release data on the number of petitions received and beneficiaries covered from Nov. 25 to Nov. 28.

A total of just 1,458 CW petitions for 2,759 foreign workers were received as of Nov. 25, barely three days before the Nov. 28 cutoff. This is only 21 percent of the 13,399 foreign workers in the CNMI who are “potentially eligible” for Form I-129CW petitions, as stated in the final worker rule published in September.

Moreover, this number is surpassed by the over 3,000 paroles that USCIS granted to individuals in the CNMI.