An immigration reform bill before the United States Senate allows certain long-term foreign workers in the Northern Marianas to apply for green card status five years after the proposal is signed into law.
The legislation adds two more groups of foreign workers to Congressman Gregorio Kilili Sablan's original proposal, which covered only four groups.
The fifth new group covers those who have lived in the CNMI as guest workers under CNMI immigration law for at least five years before May 8, 2008, and have temporary residential status.
The sixth new group includes the spouse or children of such long-term foreign workers withhas temporary status.
Mr Sablan's original bill sought to grant CNMI-only resident status to CNMI permanent residents, born in the territory between 1974 and Jan the 9th in 1978, and immediate relatives of US and Freely Associated States citizens.
