Parole extensions start trickling in

Marites Balingit Hosain, 43, and her husband Md. Billal Hosain could well be among the first few to get a parole valid until Dec. 31, 2012, that is available to certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and certain “stateless” individuals in the CNMI.

Thousands of mostly parents of minor U.S. citizens are believed to have applied for such type of parole since November, but worker group leaders and members said they know of only a few who have so far been granted parole that’s valid until the end of the year.

“We’re happy to finally get our parole. Now my husband can file employment authorization so that he could start working again. It’s been tough especially the past few months. We are hoping Kilili’s HR 1466 will become law,” Mrs. Hosain, originally from the Philippines, told Saipan Tribune. Her husband is from Bangladesh.

The Hosain couple has two U.S. citizen daughters—a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old.

Mrs. Hosain said they applied for parole because they are among those covered by Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan’s H.R. 1466, which seeks a grant of CNMI-only resident status for four groups of people including immediate relatives of minor U.S. citizens.

Mrs. Hosain, however, said they have asked United Workers Movement-NMI president Rabby Syed to help them request the federal government to waive the $380 fee for the employment authorization document.

“We’re both jobless and we can’t afford to pay those. That’s why we’re asking for waiver,” she added.

Mrs. Hossain said she and her husband have been in the CNMI for years but recently lost their jobs because of the economic downturn. She used to be a house worker, while her husband is a former construction worker and auto mechanic. Her husband came to Saipan in 1995.

“We used to be on Rota and we have moved to Saipan. A friend offered his house to us in Garapan. It would be great if my husband gets employment authorization,” she added.

At present, their U.S. citizen children receive $109 in food stamp a month and another $70 from the Women, Infants and Children Program, which help them survive.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced in November that it is considering, on a case-by-case basis, applications for parole for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and certain “stateless” individuals to allow them to lawfully remain in the CNMI.

Syed, Marianas Advocates for Humanitarian Affairs Ltd. president Rene Reyes, and Dekada Movement president Bonifacio Sagana said they have heard of only a few who have already gotten their so-called immediate relative or IR parole that’s valid until the end of 2012.

“But I am optimistic that most if not all of those who applied for IR parole or humanitarian parole will be granted. We haven’t heard of denials or rejections,” said Syed, who left for New York and Washington, D.C. to continue to press the U.S. government to grant legal, long-term foreign workers in the CNMI “green card” or pathway to citizenship.

Sagana, for his part, said the lack of decision on most applications for parole is putting a lot of foreigners in limbo.

“Those who are applying for renewal of their children’s food stamp for example don’t have anything to show the food stamp office because their umbrella permit is no longer valid, they don’t have a CW receipt because no CW permit was applied for, and they don’t have any humanitarian or IR parole yet,” Sagana said.

Those who have already been granted parole and would like to work need to apply for an employment authorization document or EAD, which has a filing fee of $380.

Rogelio Cada, 79, said yesterday his application for humanitarian parole was denied and he’s appealing that denial.

He said he applied for parole not because he has a minor U.S. child but because he has been a legal worker in the CNMI for over 30 years who just recently lost his job and has a pending EEOC labor case. He said a mediation date has been set for March 14.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding because in the letter I received, they said I can’t be a beneficiary of nonimmigrant visa and improved status. So I wrote a letter telling them that there might be a misunderstanding. I didn’t apply for IR parole, I applied for humanitarian parole but I omitted the word ‘humanitarian’ in the parole application so I had to clarify it with USCIS. I hope they will reconsider. My EEOC case is also moving,” said Cada.