THERE’S no guarantee that overstayers can get their two-year transition conditional permit or umbrella permit, acting deputy Labor Director Barry Hirshbein said yesterday.
Last week, Labor started issuing waivers to guest workers whose names are already on the overstayers list.
But Hirshbein said the waiver is only a request for an umbrella permit.
Labor is issuing the two-year permit because the federalization law that takes effect on Nov. 28 specifically provides that any CNMI-issued permit in existence during the transition period will be honored for at least two years.
Some overstayers said they got their waivers last week and were told to return to Labor on Monday.
Yesterday, they said they were expecting to get their umbrella permit but Labor sent them home.
Hirshbein said they cannot attend to the requested of the overstayers until they are done with the concerns of the legitimate guest workers.
He said Labor is expected to publish the names of overstayers who can avail of the umbrella permit.
But they have no date yet for the publication of the names.
Boni Sagana, a guest worker advocate, said Labor should come up with the criteria for overstayers qualified to get the umbrella permit.
Currently, to get a waiver, overstayers have to submit a letter or petition to Labor stating why they should be granted an umbrella permit.
If granted an umbrella permit they are required to pay for their repatriation ticket and their medical expenses.
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