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Entering the CNMI
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Posted on Nov 03 2006
[B]Q: What are the requirements for a nonresident worker to enter the CNMI to work?[/B]
[B]Q: What should an employer do if his or her alien employee has failed to enter the CNMI after 90 days from the date of issuance of the authorization for entry?[/B]
A: An alien worker may enter the Commonwealth to work only if he or she has a valid Labor and Immigration Identification Documentation System (LIIDS) card, entry permit, and certificate of freedom from communicable disease. This certificate of freedom from communicable disease must be executed and validated not more than 30 days preceding the date of entry into the CNMI by a doctor licensed to practice medicine in the country of the worker’s origin.
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A: According to the CNMI Alien Labor Rules and Regulations, if after 90 days from the date of issuance of the authorization for entry but less than 180 days from the date of issuance, the employee has not yet entered the Commonwealth, the employer may petition the Labor Secretary for permission to enter. The petition shall include an updated police clearance, an updated health certification, and a $100 late fee. The petition will be granted at the Labor Secretary’s discretion.
Now if an alien worker fails to enter the CNMI after 180 days from the date of issuance of the authorization for entry, he or she will not be allowed entry into the Commonwealth without applying for a new employment application.
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[B]Q: Who should shoulder the cost of physical examinations that are needed days after the arrival of an alien worker in the CNMI?[/B]A: Within 10 days after authorized entry into the CNMI for employment, the nonresident worker should present himself or herself to the Department of Public Health Services for a physical examination. The employer should pay the cost of such physical examinations.
Submit questions on labor issues to [I]Saipan Tribune[/I] via e-mail at editor@saipantribune.com, or by calling 235-6397, 235-2440, or 235-8747 and leaving a message at Ext. 133 or 135. You may also submit questions in person by writing it down and dropping it off at the [I]Saipan Tribune[/I]’s office on the second floor of the CIC Centre on Beach Road, Garapan.
