Discover for yourself what it's like to live, work, do business, invest, vacation, or retire on the Pacific island of Saipan, CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), a US territory.

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Saipan Living 2018 Updated for 2020! The Relocation Guide!

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RECENT NEWS FROM SAIPAN

These are the topics, conversations, latest developments, pending legislation and stuff that will affect life, business and tourism on Saipan, Tinian, Rota and the rest of the CNMI "Super Typhoon Yutu hit the Northern Mariana islands of Saipan and Tinian on October 25, 2018. With winds of over 180 miles per hour, there was tremendous devastation that has left hundreds of men women and children homeless. However, beyond the homelessness, there is also a unique loss that many are experiencing--and that is the loss of a hopeful future. I was inspired to launch this campaign after a brief two minute meeting with..." READ MORE AND please consider CONTRIBUTING ANY AMOUNT to the campaign: MORE.. Despite historical opposition by the general population voiced in public referanda over the years, local lawmakers pushed through an approval of allowing a company to build and operate a casino on Saipan. Construction continues to be slow and the project seems to be languishing. MORE.. This is likely the most urgent situation in the CNMI. The Consolidated Natural Resources Act (CNRA) of 2008 requires that Saipan's Contract Worker ("CW") program be gradually phased out and was scheduled for complete elimination by 2019. The cap--the maximum number of contract workers allowed in the CNMI--is being reduced each year. According to a Nov 2017 article in the Saipan Tribune: "After several weeks’ delay, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services finally set the CW-1 cap for fiscal year 2018 last night, establishing the number of slots at 9,998—a reduction of 3,000 slots.
The CNMI has historically managed its own immigration and labor laws separate from US law. For many years, the CNMI economy has relied on a foreign labor force. During the garment factory era of the 80s to 2009, thousands of workers--primarily from China--worked in the 36 factories throughout the island and, during its height, generated 1 billion dollars in revenue.
2011: 22,417
2013: 15,000
2014: 14,000
2015: 13,999
2016: 12,999
2017: 12,998
2018: 9,998
2019: 4,999 back up to 13,000 per new law (see below)*
2020: 13,000 (not including an additional 3,000 were approved for 2020-2022 for Typhoon recovery)

*According to this 2018 news alert at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/new-law-extends-cnmi-cw-1-program-mandates-new-fraud-fee-and-will-require-e-verify-participation:

On July 24, 2018, President Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 (the Workforce Act), extending the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker program (the CW-1 program) through 2029 and increasing the CW-1 cap for fiscal year (FY) 2019. The CW-1 program allows employers within the CNMI to apply for permission to employ foreign (nonimmigrant) workers who are otherwise ineligible to work in the CNMI under other nonimmigrant worker categories.

The thousands of non-citizen Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Bangladeshis, etc., who now comprise the workforce will be forced to leave and employers on island--hotels, tour companies, etc--will be required to hire and train a "local" labor force--American citizens within the CNMI. With the new figures, any CW who misses the filing deadline will not be renewed regardless of years in the CNMI, and regardless of the number of dependent family members living in the CNMI, and they will be forced to leave the island and reapply if they wish to return as part of next year's allotment. This situation has already started to have dire consequences for employers, spouses and children of contract workers on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. MORE..

The current minimum wage on Saipan is $7.25/hour (as of Jan 2020). Per the Fair Minimum Wage Act of May 2007, it was mandated to increase 50 cents each year until it was in line with the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour. A number of companies are already paying higher than average wages in an effort to compete with the higher wages that Best Sunshine Casino is paying.
As of February 12, 2020, the Corona virus situation has definitely affected tourism here in the CNM. Airlines that have canceled or suspended flights are Hong Kong Express, China Eastern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Beijing Capital Airlines. .The streets and hotels are practically empty of Chinese tourists. (i.e. There are very few pink Ford Mustangs on the road! ) However, flights from Korea (Asiana) are still arriving. Many in the local community are simply going about their daily lives. However, there is a certain amount of apprehension given how dependent Saipan is on tourism. In addition, while there have been no cases of infection on the island, some people have been seen wearing masks as they go about their days. Stay tuned to the home page of the saipantribune.com, mvariety.com and also my own saipanliving.com for updates.
This is likely the most urgent situation in the CNMI. With the total number of allowable contract worker contracts decreasing each year towards the goal of a total phaseout by the USCIS recently announced that this year's "cap" of 12,999 CNMI work permits has been reached. Consequently, any contract worker with a CW1 visa whose renewal application was not filed, will not be renewed regardless of years in the CNMI, regardless of the number of dependent family members living in the CNMI. This decision has already started to have dire consequences for employers, spouses and children of contract workers on Saipan, Tinian and Rota....
The minimum wage in the CNMI is now $7.55/hour. Here's what you need to know if you are looking for a job here. MORE..

The Visa Waiver Program that allows citizens of Russia and China to visit the CNMI without securing a visa in advance has been modified. The Russian waiver is no longer in existence as of September 2019. The length of time Chinese passport holders are allowed to stay on island has been reduced from 45 days to 14 days as of October 2019. MORE.. Article XII (12), the section of the CNMI constitution that limits land ownership to those of Northern Mariana descent only is up for re-evaluation. MORE.. Both Tinian and Pagan have been subjects of debate MORE.. What's the voting situation? What's the cost of living? Read what other people have frequently asked over the years...!MORE.. Jetskiing, trekking tours, submarine rides, parasailing, wakeboarding and much more!MORE..