Uncertainty of visa waiver dooms CNMI bid

 Besides economics, Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association also pointed to the Guam-CNMI visa-waiver program as one of the deciding factors in the selection of the host nation for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games.

Vanuatu won the bid, beating the CNMI and Nauru during the election last month in New Caledonia. Norfolk Island also submitted a bid but withdrew four months before the selection.

Before the selection during the Pacific Games Council General Assembly in Noumea on Sept. 4, NMASA president Michael White said several countries from the 22-member Pacific Games Association inquired about the visa-waiver program.

“Countries like Fiji and Samoa asked if we can guarantee they will be given waivers in case the CNMI wins the bid and they get to come here to compete. Of course, I could not give them that guarantee. So besides economics, I think, future problems in securing a visa made these countries choose Vanuatu over us,” White said during the group’s monthly meeting last week.

Under the Guam-CNMI visa-waiver program, only the citizens of the following countries are allowed to enter Guam and the CNMI without a visa for up to 45 days: Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The visa-waiver program is part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, signed into law by President George W. Bush last May 2009, extending federal immigration laws to the CNMI.

Only Nauru and PNG are the PGA members on the visa-waiver program list.

As for the economics factor, White said most of PGA members found it easier and cheaper to travel to Vanuatu than the CNMI although the Commonwealth offered a much lower per diem at $30 per day against the former’s $50.

Vanuatu defeated the CNMI in the second round of the bid contest, 13-9. In the first round, the two countries were tied with eight votes apiece, while Nauru got six.

Twelve of the 22 votes are required for the majority win in the first round of election, but since neither the CNMI nor Vanuatu got it, a second of selection was needed. In the tiebreaker, Vanuatu got five from Nauru’s vote, while the CNMI gained only one.

Vanuatu is offering 14 sports for the 2011 Mini Games. The list includes athletics, beach volleyball, football, golf, rugby, table tennis, weight lifting, archery, boxing, cricket, judo, karate, and netball.