USCIS has provided guidance regarding the Department of Labor’s announcement to extend the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) program for five years. This extension extends the program until December 31, 2019 and will allow CNMI businesses to continue to hire CW-1 workers to meet their needs for foreign workers.
USCIS provided extensions of status and grants of new CW-1 statuses until December 31, 2014, the previous end date of the program. USCIS will continue to approve petitions in periods of up to one year with end dates now able to extend past the previous sunset date.