CLOSE to 500 guest workers and immediate relatives of U.S. citizens headed to the Department of 
Labor yesterday to get the two-year umbrella permit in the hope that it will give them “security” while in the CNMI.
“This umbrella permit they are issuing is only a census of sort,” three IRs told Variety. “Labor can revoke this permit.”
An IR for 14 years now, Muhammad Sayed said he wanted an umbrella permit because “I heard that after Nov. 28 we no longer have status in the CNMI.”
Federal immigration law will apply to the CNMI starting on Nov. 28.
Other IRs said they wanted to upgrade their status but most of them do not meet the salary bracket required by the U.S. government. Besides, they added, the processing fee is too high.
“I hope they will waive the fees and adjust the salary bracket,” one of them said.
A former green card holder Zenaida Castro, who works at Hyatt Regency, said her employer advised her to get an umbrella permit.
Another hotel worker, Haidee Bautista of Marianas Resort, said “there’s no harm if we get the permit.”
“For security reason, I will get the permit,” said housewife Marissa Nakagima, a 29-year IR in the CNMI.
At 11 a.m. the line outside Labor grew longer as guest workers and IRs occupied the entire parking area outside the building.
On the second floor of the building, guest workers with “deficiencies” in their transfer and renewal applications also formed a long line up side by side with those scheduled for a hearing of their administrative cases.
“I just like to secure my stay in the CNMI. I like to get the umbrella permit to make it easier for me if I decided to transfer,” said guest worker Norma Laongalong.
Also yesterday, permits for foreign students, investors, long-term business and retiree investors were issued by the Department of Commerce.
Acting Labor Deputy Secretary Barry Hirshbein administered the screening of the umbrella permit issuance. He refused to be interviewed.
In a media release, the department said it will have the umbrella permits ready for Rota and Tinian on Monday, Nov. 16.
Hirshbein was quoted as saying that the umbrella permits that have been issued for Rota and Tinian cover all workers whose contracts have been approved and all workers whose contracts are in process with Labor, including pending applications, pending deficiencies, and denials that have not yet been appealed to the hearing office.
These umbrella permits cover ministers, missionaries, IRs of U.S. citizens, IRs of aliens, and commonwealth permanent residents.
Foreign workers and persons in the other categories should report to the Tinian Labor office and the Rota Labor office at any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday.
The hours to pick up permits will be extended to Tuesday, Nov. 17, as needed.
Labor said no one will be denied a permit because of time pressure.
Everyone seeking to pick up an umbrella permit should bring their valid permit card as identification.
If the permit card is not available for some reason, bring a passport as identification.
Any person whose umbrella permit is not on the list should fill out the forms that the employees of the Saipan Labor office will have with them.
Those forms will allow the umbrella permits to be issued the following week on Tinian and Rota.
Those who live in family units with minor children are reminded that umbrella permits are available even if immediate relative permits have not been previously available or immediate relatives have failed to register.
Any person who has previously failed to register for an IR permit should apply for an umbrella permit before the Nov. 27 deadline.
