Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act

The Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act (H.R. 559) was signed into law on June 25, 2019, during the 116th Congress. The bill amends the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to create a new 'CNMI Resident' immigration status for certain aliens who have resided continuously and lawfully in the CNMI since November 28, 2009. This status authorizes work in the CNMI and travel documentation but explicitly makes these individuals inadmissible to the United States outside of the CNMI (except Guam in certain cases). The bill does not authorize any federal spending, create any new government programs, or establish any procurement or contracting opportunities. It is a narrowly tailored immigration relief measure for a specific population. There is no money trail for investors to follow. No publicly traded companies are affected by this legislation. The bill has been law for over seven years, so there is no pending legislative action or market-moving potential.