The U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary, Tony Babauta, says it won't be doomsday when the umbrella permits issued in the Northern Marianas expire.
Last November, the US federalised the CNMI's immigration system, giving the territory a transition period with temporary measures.
CNMI businesses and nonresident workers have been asking the federal government to issue the regulations on foreign investor and foreign worker visa programme since the federalisation of local immigration.
Mr Babauta says the federal government would like to think that it is doing all it can for the CNMI economy.
Mr Babauta says all this will not result in the mass exit of legal foreign workers needed for the economy.
