AGO clarifies travel regs amendments

All companies organizing travel from locations which require a visitor entry permit must be duly licensed and conducting business in the Commonwealth, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The AGO made this clarification, as it proposed the adoption of comprehensive immigration regulations that include all amendments made to the rules since 1985.

The modification amends Section 703(L)(1) of the immigration regulations, which currently reads: “Only travel agencies certified by the United States under the visa program or [National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX] agencies are eligible to apply for status as authorized agencies.”

AGO seeks to rewrite the provision to read: “Only companies duly licensed and conducting business in the Commonwealth are eligible to apply for status as authorized agencies.”

Under the immigration policy, any travel agency seeking to arrange travel or process documents for persons required of VEP should secure written authorization from the AGO.

Some of the countries whose nationals cannot enter the CNMI without VEP are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

To enter the CNMI, Japanese, South Korean, and European nationals need only a passport that is valid for at least 60 days from the date of entry and an onward ticket and visa to their next destination, if not returning home, and cash equivalent of $100 per day while in the Commonwealth.

Aside from the amendment, the AGO seeks to restate and adopt an updated, comprehensive set of immigration regulations.

The immigration rules and regulations were initially adopted as permanent on May 20, 1985. Numerous amendments have been made to the policy since then.

“The proposed amendments to, and comprehensive restatement of, the immigration regulations will bring the regulatory code into compliance with existing law, policy, and practice, and will provide a single source of reference for government and private practitioners,” attorney general Pamela Brown said in a public notice.

The proposal removes or amends outdated terms and references in the regulations, as well as outdated provisions to comply with existing policy or practice. It also corrects typographical and grammatical errors.