USA NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS SAIPAN FOREIGN WORKERS QUOTA REDUCED TO 14000 FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1,2013 LAST YEAR IT WAS 15000 24TH SEPTEMBER 2013 Saipan, MP — The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has sent word to Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan of the decision to reduce the number of Commonwealth-Only Transitional -- CW -- workers to 14,000 for the fiscal year beginning October 1. This cuts 1,000 permits from the 15,000 allowed in fiscal 2013; and is 8,417 fewer than allowed in 2012. Sablan said that he was satisfied with the number. “This cut will increase the pressure to give jobs to qualified U.S. workers, which is our long-term goal. “Businesses will have to do more to recruit local workers. And our government and educational system will have to do more to train local workers for jobs in the Northern Mariana Islands economy. “At the same time, USCIS is continuing to provide some room for economic growth. With visitor arrivals increasing, hotel occupancy rates high, resort renovations on the drawing boards, and a new commitment from the local government to spend the backlog of federal capital improvement grants, there will be new jobs created; and local workers may not be available or want every job.” In announcing the cap for 2014 the agency said it based its decision in part on the need to accommodate the expected extension of permits for 12,247 CW workers granted during 2012. The 14,000 limit “will also accommodate possible economic growth that might lead to a need for additional nonimmigrant workers during FY 2014,” according to the notice to be published in the Federal Register. Congressman Sablan said he remains concerned about striking the right balance that puts local workers into jobs and still allows the economy to grow. For that reason he has written to USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, asking for an update on efforts the agency announced last year to step up investigations of employers who are alleged to be hiring CW workers while turning away U.S. workers who are qualified for jobs.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:33:09 +0000
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