American Samoa's Attorney General, Fepuleai Afa Ripley, has been urged to ensure that quota limits for foreigners allowed to reside in the territory are complied with.
The chairman of the Judiciary committee, Taotasi Archie Soliai, says it's obvious that jobs which do not require any special skills are taken by foreigners.
Taotasi says for example local stores seemed to be owned and operated by a foreigner, the cashier is a foreigner and the person stocking shelves is also a foreigner.
But Fepuleai clarified that the annual quota for people approved by the Immigration Board to reside in the Territory for one year is 250 for citizens of Samoa, and 100 for all other nationalities.
However under special provisions, businesses can bring in their own workers who are exempt from the quota.
Taotasi says it was his understanding that the special provision applied only to the type of expertise that's not found locally, but he says that's not how the law is applied.
He told Fepuleai that this is a loophole that must be addressed urgently.
