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Governor of U.S. commonwealth pushes EB-5 visa program
Benigno R. Fitial, the governor of Saipan, the largest island of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), wants the island to focus on attracting foreign investments through the federal EB-5 visa program.
Through the EB-5 visa program, foreign nationals can obtain U.S. green card eligibility by making an investment of $1 million (or $500,000 in some areas) in an American company or project that creates or maintains at least 10 full-time jobs.
The governor said he has been talking to such potential investors in the recent weeks.
"And these people are serious because the bottom line, they want [a] green card. Because as soon as they have green card for two years and they continue to qualify under the criteria or active investment, then they will be given U.S. citizenship," he added.
Fitial also said recently that he plans to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in the beginning of 2011 to request that CNMI can continue to use its immigration and labor laws until the Department of Homeland Security makes a final rule on its transitional worker program.