Is the employment authorization of aliens present in the CNMI a matter of federal law or of CNMI territorial law?
A. The employment authorization of aliens in the CNMI is now a matter of federal law. However, for a two-year period following the Nov. 28, 2009, transition to federal immigration law, federal law authorizes aliens to work based on the employment authorization they had received under CNMI law as of the transition date. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with administering and enforcing the immigration laws, fully recognizes employment authorization based on that provision, as further discussed in this guidance. Q. What is an “umbrella permit”? A. An umbrella permit is the common name for several types of Transition Conditional permits issued by the CNMI Department of Labor or the CNMI Department of Commerce in the fall of 2009 shortly before the Nov. 28, 2009, transition to federal immigration law. DHS is currently aware of the following types of umbrella permits: -Category 240K Foreign National Worker Permit -Category 240D Immediate Relative Permit (immediate r
