The CNMI Department of Labor does not have an accurate picture of the impact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ “touchback” policy has had on the CNMI because only a number of local businesses have participated in the department’s recent survey.
Back in June, to gain a clear perspective on what the actual impact of the USCIS’ “touchback” provision would be for the CNMI as a whole, the CNMI Department of Labor launched a CW-1 survey.
The survey was essentially meant to measure the impact of the implementation of the “touchback” provision by having local businesses provide the number of CW-1 employees they had that would be required to leave the CNMI this year in compliance with said provision.
However, according to DOL Secretary Leila Staffler, as of yesterday no new businesses participated in the survey.
To be more specific, based on a document acquired by the Saipan Tribune, only 18 local businesses/agencies participated in the survey.
In addition, based on the number of surveys submitted, among these 18 businesses/agencies alone, about 80 contract workers are scheduled to leave the island this month and more in the months to follow.
The department has been urging CNMI businesses who employ foreign workers to fill out the survey to give DOL an idea of how it can fill in the gaps in the CNMI workforce now that the “touchback” provision is being enforced in the CNMI.
According to a previous article on the Saipan Tribune, touchback refers to the requirement for foreign workers to leave the CNMI before their work visas could be renewed for a third consecutive time. That departure requirement also means they will have to stay away until a new permit is approved, which could take months.
View the full Saipan Tribune Article here:
https://www.saipantribune.com/news/local/dol-doesn-t-have-accurate-picture-of-touchback-impact/article_c4a347c6-5797-11ee-9537-7fde927d429f.html
