Ripple effects from CW1 issue spread to healthcare, tourism

Thirty-six staff of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.—31 of which are nurses—are among those affected when the CNMI-Only Transition Worker nonimmigrant visa or CW program’s numerical limit for fiscal year 2017 was reached. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reduced the cap by one from 12,999 to 12,998 last month.

CHCC chief executive officer Esther L. Muña, MHA, said the 31 nurses are from the hospital’s various units. Saipan Tribune learned that one of the nurses is assigned at the hospital’s intensive care unit while two each are from quality assurance and radiology departments while one is from the laboratory.

Some of the renewals of the CW-1 permits of these 36 CHCC staff are still in April but most of them are in July.

Muña said it was a disappointing to learn that the CW-1 numerical limit has already been reached. “[It’s] disappointing for us here as we were constantly monitoring the situation. We are reviewing all our other options now, including processing the nurses under employment-based visas.”

“CHCC needs these nurses as it will have a devastating effect on the health system overall if we lose them. Our actions to work around this will be based on our commitment to the CNMI community, our patients, and our workers.”

Early this month, Muña said they were hoping a different visa classification would be provided for foreign workers in the health industry that would exempt them from the CW-1 cap. A separate classification for, say, registered nurses, would ensure that they would not be competing for the same CW-1 slots with other industries that also employs foreign workers.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP), in a separate interview, said the hospital is one of the agencies whose operations could not be interrupted, especially with nurses that take care of sick and patients that need special attention. “These are nurses that take care of individuals who are sick and nurses who specialize in some type of field. …Of course I am very concerned about how the cutoff in CW-1 permit renewals this fiscal year might affect our hospital and other critical services. And while I cannot speak of specific cases, I can say that the congressional office will accommodate any constituent with questions or issues dealing with USCIS, or any other federal agency. Every case is different. Where the congressional office can help, we will.”

He said everyone should be reminded that the CW-1 program is only temporary. “It was created to ease the Commonwealth’s transition to U.S. immigration law. We have to be serious about making that transition, because one day, the CW-1 program will end.”

Tourism also affected

Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Chris Concepcion said he is hoping the administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Sablan would continue to push for the suggestions they made to the federal government. “We’re very concerned with the CW-1 issue, realizing that we hit the cap two 1/2 weeks into the fiscal year is very alarming.”

“We are hopeful that our CNMI leadership, in collaboration with Delegate Kilili [Sablan] in the U.S. Congress, are able to push the agenda of the CNMI in Washington, D.C. so they can hear our concerns.”

“The CW-1 issue must be taken cared of immediately. Our economy can’t go into a standstill because of this but this is what it looks like it’s going to come to if the Department of Homeland Security provides no immediate relief,” added Concepcion.

He said that despite hiring and training local and U.S. citizens in the labor force, the CNMI would still face a shortage of able workers that could support the Commonwealth’s recovering economy.

“Hiring local workers that’s always a great thing to do. But at the end of the day, even if you count all the local people that could join the workforce, there’s still not enough people living in the CNMI that would able to staff the industry. The tourism industry is very labor dependent. If we don’t have enough people who are ready, able, and willing to work, what can we do?”

Concepcion said another solution is to recruit workers in the region. “We have to look to other sources to fill our labor needs and that is primarily been how we run things in the CNMI. We look to our neighbors in our region to fill our labor needs.”

He, however, remains hopeful that officials in Washington would hear and act on the concerns of the CNMI. “We hope that people in D.C. that are making this decisions are able to see that. We are at their mercy and it doesn’t comfort me knowing that.

“I want to have our people here make the decisions that would affect our livelihood since we are the ones who are going to benefit or lose from it. It is kind of scary, we are going to feel it, win or lose.”

Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Velma Palacios added that their members have also formed a partnership with the Latte Training Academy and the Northern Marianas Trades Institute. “Businesses continue to use other applicable visa categories as well as work with other partners like NMTI, Latte, and others to help with workforce needs.”

Moratorium on exemptions

Torres said he has already directed the CNMI Department of Labor to issue a moratorium on future exemptions. “Because of the dramatic events following the 2016 cap being reached, I directed the CNMI Department of Labor to place a moratorium on future exemptions.”

“This year has been a wake up call for us all that we must do more to ensure that our growth does not come at the expense of the things that make our islands great, and that is the success of our small and established businesses and everyone here who calls these islands home,” said Torres, who just arrived from a close to two-week trip to Las Vegas to attend several meetings.

Torres attended the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Advisory Committee meeting and also met with Nevada gaming officials. He is the committee’s co-chair for the Pacific Islanders with Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo.

Torres said his administration would continue to work with Sablan for a joint effort that would further strengthen the local economy. “My administration will continue to work alongside our U.S. [[delegate] and USCIS to put forward a joint effort toward transitioning our workforce and growing our economy in a way that benefits all of our people here in the CNMI.”

“The goal of creating a better standard of living for our people is not just a local government issue. It is a Commonwealth issue that requires collaboration with our business leaders and our colleagues on the federal level in D.C.”