LocalSaturday, January 26, 2008
By Ferdie de la Torre, Reporter
The CNMI government will phase out the moratorium on the hiring of foreign national workers within a four-year period starting this year.
According to the Employment Rules and Regulations under Public Law 15-108, the hiring moratorium will no longer apply to the visitor industry as of Jan. 1, 2008. The visitor industry covers hotels, airlines, aircraft services, tour packagers, tour guides, tourist transportation, and tourist sports, charters, and recreation services.
The regulations were submitted by Labor Secretary Gil M. San Nicolas last Tuesday to the Commonwealth Registrar. The Employment Rules and Regulations completely replace the Alien Labor Rules and Regulations.
Next year, Jan. 1, 2009, the moratorium will no longer apply to the services industry. Under the services industry are accountants, lawyers, banks and financial services, medical and health care services, and maintenance, repair, and rental services. The services industry also includes restaurants and catering services, retail and wholesale sales and services, bakeries with retail outlets, freight and shipping services, appraisal and surveying services, and education services.
As of Jan. 1, 2010, the moratorium will not apply to agricultural, fishing and fisheries, forestry, and grounds-keeping positions.
Finally, as of Jan. 1, 2011, the moratorium expires with respect to all remaining positions, according to the Regulations.
While the moratorium is being phased out, the Regulations say that there are, however, six exemptions to the moratorium.
The exemptions, the Regulations state, are “defined areas of economic growth and development and areas set aside for the preservation of the tax base of the Commonwealth.”
Exemptions, the Regulations say, are claimed on a standard form and that these will be either granted or denied by the Labor director.
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