,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #efj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ae1 #bjai  
,mr4 ,sablan introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and  
in addition to the ,committee on the    
,judiciary1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend section #f of the  
,joint ,resolution entitled ,a ,joint   
,resolution to approve the ,covenant ,to
 ,establish a ,commonwealth of the      
,northern ,mariana ,islands in          
,political ,union with the ,united      
,states of ,america1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,northern ,mariana  
,islands ,residents ,relief ,act4  #b4  
,long-term legal residents of the       
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands ,section #f7;e7 of the ,joint  

,resolution entitled ,a ,joint          
,resolution to approve the ,covenant ,to
 ,establish a ,commonwealth of the      
,northern ,mariana ,islands in          
,political ,union with the ,united      
,states of ,america1 and for other      
purposes1 approved ,march #bd1 #aigf    
7#dh ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjf71 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  7#f7  
,special provision regarding long-term  
residents of the ,commonwealth  7,a7    
,,cnmi resident status ,an alien        
described in subparagraph 7,b7 may1 upon
 the application of the alien1 be       
admitted in ,,cnmi ,resident status to  
the ,commonwealth subject to the        
following rules3  7i7 ,the alien shall  
be treated as an alien lawfully admitted
 to the ,commonwealth only1 including   
permitting entry to and exit from the   
,commonwealth1 until the earlier of the 
date on which--  7,i7 the alien ceases  
to reside in the ,commonwealth2 or      
7,,ii7 the alien's status is adjusted   
under section #bde of the ,immigration  

and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#abee7 to that of an alien lawfully     
admitted for permanent residence in     
accordance with all applicable          
eligibility requirements4  7ii7 ,the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security-- 7,i7
 shall establish a process for such     
alien to apply for ,,cnmi ,resident     
status during the #ahj-;day period      
beginning on a date determined by the   
,secretary but not later than the first 
day of the sixth month after the date of
 the enactment of this paragraph2 and   
7,,ii7 may1 in the ,secretary's         
discretion1 authorize deferred action or
 parole1 as appropriate1 with work      
authorization1 for such alien beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this    
paragraph and continuing through the end
 of such #ahj-;day period or the date of
 adjudication of the alien's application
 for ,,cnmi ,resident status1 whichever 
is later4  7iii7 ,nothing in this       
subparagraph may be construed to provide
 any alien granted status under this    

subparagraph with public assistance to  
which the alien is not otherwise        
entitled4  7iv7 ,an alien granted status
 under this paragraph-- 7,i7 is subject 
to all grounds of deportability under   
section #bcg of the ,immigration and    
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abbg72 
7,,ii7 is subject to all grounds of     
inadmissibility under section #bab of   
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7 if seeking         
admission to the ,united ,states at a   
port of entry in the ,commonwealth2     
7,,iii7 is inadmissible to the ,united  
,states at any port of entry outside the
 ,commonwealth1 except that the         
,secretary of ,homeland ,security may in
 the ,secretary's discretion authorize  
admission of such alien at a port of    
entry in ,guam for the purpose of direct
 transit to the ,commonwealth1 which    
admission shall be considered an        
admission to the ,commonwealth2  7,,iv7 
automatically shall lose such status if 
the alien travels from the ,commonwealth

 to any other place in the ,united      
,states1 except that the ,secretary of  
,homeland ,security may in the          
,secretary's discretion establish       
procedures for the advance approval on a
 case-by-case basis of such travel for a
 temporary and legitimate purpose1 and  
the ,secretary may in the ,secretary's  
discretion authorize the direct transit 
of aliens with ,,cnmi ,resident status  
through ,guam to a foreign place2  7,v7 
shall be authorized to work in the      
,commonwealth incident to status2 and   
7,,vi7 shall be issued appropriate      
travel documentation and evidence of    
work authorization by the ,secretary4   
7,b7 ,aliens described ,an alien is     
described in this subparagraph if the   
alien-- 7i7 was lawfully present on the 
date of the enactment of this paragraph 
or on ,december #ca1 #bjah1 in the      
,commonwealth under the immigration laws
 of the ,united ,states1 including      
pursuant to a grant of parole under     
section #bab7;d77#e7 of the ,immigration

 and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4    
#aahb7;d77#e77 or deferred action2  7ii7
 is admissible as an immigrant to the   
,united ,states under the ,immigration  
and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#aaja et seq471 except that no immigrant
 visa is required2  7iii7 resided       
continuously and lawfully in the        
,commonwealth from ,november #bh1 #bjji1
 through the date of the enactment of   
this paragraph2  7iv7 is not a citizen  
of the ,republic of the ,marshall       
,islands1 the ,federated ,states of     
,micronesia1 or the ,republic of ,palau2
 and  7v7 in addition-- 7,i7 was born in
 the ,northern ,mariana ,islands between
 ,january #a1 #aigd1 and ,january #i1   
#aigh2  7,,ii7 was1 on ,november #bg1   
#bjji1 a permanent resident of the      
,commonwealth 7as defined in section    
#dcjc of title #c of the ,northern      
,mariana ,islands ,commonwealth ,code1  
in effect on ,may #h1 #bjjh72  7,,iii7  
is the spouse or child 7as defined in   
section #aja7;b77#a7 of the ,immigration

 and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4    
#aaja7;b77#a777 of an alien described in
 subclause 7,i7 or 7,,ii72  7,,iv7 was1 
on ,november #bg1 #bjaa1 a spouse1      
child1 or parent of a ,united ,states   
citizen1 notwithstanding the age of the 
,united ,states citizen1 and continues  
to have such family relationship with   
the citizen on the date of the          
application described in subparagraph   
7,a72  7,v7 had a grant of parole under 
section #bab7;d77#e7 of the ,immigration
 and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4    
#aahb7;d77#e77 on ,december #ca1 #bjah1 
under the former parole program for     
certain in-home caregivers administered 
by ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration 
,services2  7,,vi7 was admitted to the  
,commonwealth as a ,commonwealth ,only  
,transitional ,worker during fiscal year
 #bjae1 and during every subsequent     
fiscal year beginning before the date of
 the enactment of the ,northern ,mariana
 ,islands ,u4,s4 ,workforce ,act of     
#bjah 7,public ,law #aae-bah72 or       

7,,vii7 resided in the ,northern        
,mariana ,islands as an investor under  
,commonwealth immigration law1 and is   
presently resident under ,e-#b ,,cnmi   
,investor ,status 7,e#b;,c74  4