Survey gauges impact of ‘touchback’ rule on NMI businesses

The Department of Labor in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is conducting a survey to understand how the CW visa “touchback policy” is affecting businesses in the region.

This is a requirement outlined in U.S Public Law 115 – 218 – Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018.  This federal law was passed to “incentivize the hiring of U.S. workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other purposes.”  The specific language that references the departure requirement is as follows:

From Title 48-TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS CHAPTER 17-NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS SUBCHAPTER I-APPROVAL OF COVENANT AND SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS

(A) In general.-Except as provided in subparagraph (B)-

(i) a permit for a Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker-

(I) shall remain valid for a period that may not exceed 1 year; and

(II) may be renewed for not more than two consecutive, 1-year periods; and

(ii) at the expiration of the second renewal period, an alien may not again be eligible for such a permit until after the alien has remained outside of the United States for a continuous period of at least 30 days prior to the submission of a renewal petition on their behalf.

(B) Long-term workers.-An alien who was admitted to the Commonwealth as a Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker during fiscal year 2015, and during every subsequent fiscal year beginning before July 24, 2018, may receive a permit for a Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker that is valid for a period that may not exceed 3 years and may be renewed for additional 3-year periods during the transition period. A permit issued under this subparagraph shall be counted toward the numerical cap for each fiscal year within the period of petition validity.

The purpose of this survey is to gather essential information about the impact of this policy on businesses, including the number of affected employees, the positions they hold, anticipated departure months, and other relevant info.

The survey aims to identify challenges faced by businesses, assess the potential disruptions in operations, and explore strategies to mitigate the adverse effects this will have on our economy and workforce needs.

The feedback received from this survey will help inform CNMI DOL efforts to address the concerns and needs of businesses during this transition period.

You can find the survey here or use the QR code: https://bit.ly/3OW0QxV    Note: the address is case sensitive. (PR)