USCIS Clarifies Transitional Worker Rule Summary Published in the December 2010 Semiannual Unified Agenda

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is clarifying a regulation summary, published in the fall 2010 Unified Agenda on Dec. 20, 2010 in the Federal Register (75 FR 79550), regarding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Transitional Worker final rule. 

Under the Anticipated Costs and Benefits heading, the summary stated that "Each of the estimated 22,000 CNMI transitional workers will be required to pay a $320 fee per year, for an annualized cost to the affected public of $7 million." However, this actually referred to the fee that would be paid by an employer seeking approval to employ a transitional worker. The transitional worker would not pay this fee. It also referenced an incorrect fee.

The Unified Agenda was corrected on Dec. 23, 2010. It now reads, "The employers/petitioners for each of the estimated 22,000 CNMI transitional workers will be required to pay a $325 fee per year, for an annualized cost to the affected public of $7 million."

The CNMI Transitional Worker program is not currently in effect. USCIS plans to publish the final rule to implement the program in the spring of 2011, and will provide further information on the rule, including applicable fees, at that time.

For more information and announcements regarding to the CNMI, please visit the CNMI webpage at www.uscis.gov/cnmi.