DHS grants visa waiver for Russians visiting Guam

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP) see bright prospects related to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s granting of parole authority for Russian tourists visiting Guam for up to 45 days. They said this is an opportune time to promote the CNMI and Guam as a “Marianas destination.”

Napolitano has long-granted a visa waiver for Chinese and Russian tourists visiting the CNMI.

Guam has long been asking for a visa waiver for these same two markets.

Fitial, according to press secretary Angel Demapan, has discussed with Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo the viability of promoting the CNMI and Guam as a “Marianas” destination.

“Through this approach, both governments would be able to maximize promotion efforts and market travel packages that would include visits to both the CNMI and Guam. Now that Guam will be given parole authority for Russian tourists, this concerted approach can also be used to beef up travel promotions to Russian tourists,” Demapan said.

Sablan, in an interview, said he sees an “opportunity for us to wok together with Guam,” and congratulates Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, the Guam governor, elected officials, the business community, and the rest of the Guam community for pushing for the visa waiver program.

“My recommendation is that we need to market the Marianas – Guam, Saipan, Luta, and Tinian as a destination… We need to market this together,” he said.

Sablan also said the CNMI continues to benefit from the parole authority for Chinese tourists visiting the CNMI. China and Russia are the CNMI’s emerging tourism markets.

Bordallo, in a statement, said President Barack Obama personally informed her that Russia will be added to those countries that can visit Guam without a visa, under parole authority, during a meeting on board Air Force One.

Obama had invited Bordallo to accompany him back to Washington, D.C. following the president’s trip to the Asia-Pacific region for the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation meeting last week.

The extension of parole authority will permit, on a case-by-case basis, eligible Russian nationals to travel to either the CNMI or Guam for purposes of tourism.

Russian nationals who wish to visit other parts of the U.S. will still be required to obtain visas in advance of their trips.

These individuals may not engage in local employment or labor for hire. DHS has not announced a timeline for implementing this change to parole authority in Guam.

DHS has also not made any final decision on granting parole authority for Chinese nationals to travel to Guam. However, DHS has committed to working with Bordallo and Guam stakeholders.

“I appreciate Secretary Napolitano’s decision to grant Guam parole authority for Russian tourists, and I thank President Obama for his leadership in pressing DHS to move forward with this process,” Bordallo said.

She said she had hoped that the DHS decision would include China as it seemed that the recent visit of Guam stakeholders to Washington, D.C. made progress in addressing concerns pertaining to parole authority for Chinese visitors.

“However, President Obama informed me that while they can move on Russia now, China remains an open issue. While I am disappointed that this announcement did not include parole authority for Chinese visitors, I will continue to work with this administration to address any concerns. We will build off this positive step forward and continue to press hard for inclusion of Chinese visitors,” Bordallo said.

She also said she looks forward to the Guam economy benefiting from increased visitors from the Russian Federation, and it can now work with the visitor industries in Guam and the CNMI to start to develop a regional marketing approach to drawing visitors from Russia.