What This Bill Does
This bill amends a 1976 agreement between the United States and the Northern Mariana Islands. It changes the rules for certain foreign workers to stay permanently in the Northern Mariana Islands and become classified as long-term legal residents.
Who It Affects
This bill directly affects foreign workers (called aliens in the bill) who were admitted as Commonwealth Only Transitional Workers or as investors under Northern Mariana Islands immigration law.
Key Provisions
• The bill allows certain foreign workers admitted as Commonwealth Only Transitional Workers during 2015 and every year after to become long-term legal residents without meeting the usual requirement of continuously and lawfully residing in the territory (Sec. 2)
• The bill allows certain foreign investors currently classified as "CNMI-only nonimmigrants" under federal immigration law to become long-term legal residents (Sec. 2)
• The bill requires the House Budget Committee to submit a statement about the financial effects of this law to comply with budget rules (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The law removes the standard continuous residence requirement for two specific groups of foreign workers, allowing them to qualify as long-term legal residents under different criteria than previously required.
Important Definitions
"Commonwealth Only Transitional Worker" - A foreign worker admitted to work in the Northern Mariana Islands under a specific program. "CNMI-only nonimmigrant" - A foreign investor classified under federal immigration law as permitted to stay in the Northern Mariana Islands only.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 560
To amend section 6 of the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘A Joint Resolution
to approve the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America,
and for other purposes’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on the
Judiciary, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend section 6 of the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘A
Joint Resolution to approve the Covenant To Establish
a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in
Political Union with the United States of America, and
for other purposes’’.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Marianas
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Population Stabilization Act’’.
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•HR 560 IH
SEC. 2. LONG-TERM LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE COMMON-
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WEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA IS-
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LANDS.
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Section 6(e)(6)(B) of the Joint Resolution entitled
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‘‘A Joint Resolution to approve the Covenant To Establish
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a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Po-
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litical Union with the United States of America, and for
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other purposes’’, approved March 24, 1976 (48 U.S.C.
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1806), is amended—
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(1) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘except in the
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case of an alien who meets the requirements of sub-
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clause (VI) of clause (v),’’ before ‘‘resided continu-
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ously and lawfully’’; and
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(2) in clause (v)—
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(A) in subclause (IV), by striking ‘‘; or’’
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and inserting a semicolon;
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(B) in subclause (V), by striking the period
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at the end and inserting ‘‘;’’; and
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(C) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(VI) was admitted to the Com-
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monwealth as a Commonwealth Only
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Transitional Worker during fiscal year
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2015, and during every subsequent
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fiscal year beginning before the date
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of the enactment of the Northern
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•HR 560 IH
Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act
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of 2018 (Public Law 115–218); or
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‘‘(VII) resided in the Northern
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Mariana Islands as an investor under
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Commonwealth immigration law, and
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is presently a resident classified as a
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CNMI-only nonimmigrant under sec-
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tion 101(a)(15)(E)(ii) of the Immigra-
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tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
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1101(a)(15)(E)(ii)).’’.
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SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
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The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
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complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010,
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shall be determined by reference to the latest statement
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titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this
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Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record
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by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
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vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the
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vote on passage.
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Æ
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