24 Feb 2010

American Samoa's Attorney General says immigration law needs to be reviewed

12:00 pm on 24 February 2010

American Samoa's Attorney General Fepulea'i Afa Ripley has told a House hearing that a special provision in the immigration law which allows businesses to bring in workers, outside of the quota needs to be reviewed.

The Attorney General was testifying on a bill to overhaul the territory's immigration law.

One provision of the proposed law requires businesses to obtain a certificate of labour from the Department of Commerce to verify that the services they seek cannot be filled by a local.

Fepulea'i says the special provision in the current law is one reason why there's a lot more foreigners in the territory than the quota system allows.

"It's businesses who are making applications for various foreigners they need, at least they feel they need, to be brought in to the territory to fulfill their business needs and they come in outside of the quota, there is no limitations, once the board of immigration approves it."

Attorney General Fepulea'i Afa Ripley