This article provides an update on the efforts of Guam and CNMI lawmakers to push for the establishment of a Marianas Visa Program to replace the CNMI-Only Workers Program. The Mariana Islands Legislature Association unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the U.S. Congress to repeal the CNMI-Only Workers Program and replace it with a Marianas Visa Program. The proposed program would authorize the hiring of non-U.S. workers for Guam and the CNMI and retain the fees collected from the program to fund workforce training programs [0c2738ea].
The CNMI-Only Workers Program, established under the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, currently caps the number of CW permits issued to foreign workers in the CNMI at 13,000 and reduces it by 1,000 annually. However, the program is set to terminate in December 2029. Guam, on the other hand, has over 5,500 H-2B workers but needs approximately 15,000 foreign workers or more to meet the demands of the local construction industry, tourism industry, the military buildup, and the development of new industries [0c2738ea].
The resolution also recommended the creation of a federal Marianas Regional Commission to streamline federal programs focusing on infrastructure, local construction industry, transportation, workforce development, military buildup, climate and environmental risks, and other regional priority concerns. CNMI Sen. Celina Babauta expressed concern about the recent actions of the federal government in the implementation of CNRA and the touchback provision that requires CW workers to exit the CNMI every three years [0c2738ea].
