I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 560 
To amend section 6 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 America, 
and for other purposes’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2021 
Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend section 6 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 America, and 
for other purposes’’. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Mariana Is-
lands Legal Residents Relief Act of 2021’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. LONG-TERM LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE COMMON-
WEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA IS-
LANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(e)(6) of the Joint Reso-
lution entitled ‘‘A Joint Resolution to approve the Cov-
enant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States 
of America, and for other purposes’’, approved March 24, 
1976 (48 U.S.C. 1806; Public Law 94–241), is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in clause (ii)— 
(i) in subclause (I), by inserting 
‘‘(aa)’’ before ‘‘shall establish a process’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
‘‘or during the 180-day period beginning 
on the date that is 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of the Northern Mariana 
Islands Legal Residents Relief Act of 
2021;’’; 
(iii) by adding the following: 
‘‘(bb) WAIVER
OF
APPLICATION 
DEADLINE.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security may accept an applica-
tion for CNMI Resident Status sub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
mitted after the application deadline 
if— 
‘‘(AA) the applicant is eligi-
ble for CNMI Resident Status; 
and 
‘‘(BB) the applicant timely 
filed an application for CNMI 
Resident Status and made a good 
faith effort to comply with the 
application requirements as de-
termined by the Secretary.’’; 
(iv) in subclause (II), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(v) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(III) in the case of an alien who 
has nonimmigrant status on the date 
on which the alien applies for CNMI 
Resident Status, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall extend such 
nonimmigrant status and work au-
thorization, if applicable, through the 
end of the 180-day period described in 
subclause (I)(aa) or the date of adju-
dication of the alien’s application for 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
CNMI Resident Status, whichever is 
later.’’; and 
(B) in clause (iii), by inserting after the 
period at the end the following: ‘‘An alien 
granted status under this paragraph shall be 
deemed a qualified alien under section 431 of 
the Personal Responsibility and Work Oppor-
tunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
1641) for purposes of receiving relief or assist-
ance available in connection with— 
‘‘(I) a presidentially declared 
major disaster or emergency under 
section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 
or 5191); or 
‘‘(II) a presidentially declared na-
tional emergency under section 201 of 
the National Emergencies Act (50 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘on June 25, 
2019, or on December 31, 2018,’’ and inserting 
‘‘on December 31, 2020, June 25, 2019, or De-
cember 31, 2018,’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
(B) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘except in 
the case of an alien who meets the requirements 
of subclause (III) or (VI) of clause (v),’’ before 
‘‘resided continuously and lawfully’’; and 
(C) in clause (v)— 
(i) in subclause (III), by striking 
‘‘subclause (I) or (II)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
clause (I), (II), (IV), (V), (VI), (VII), or 
(VIII)’’; 
(ii) in subclause (IV), by striking ‘‘; 
or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(iii) in subclause (V), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting a semi-
colon; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(VI) was admitted to the Com-
monwealth as a Commonwealth Only 
Transitional Worker during fiscal year 
2015, and during every subsequent 
fiscal year beginning before the date 
of the enactment of the Northern 
Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act 
of 2018 (Public Law 115–218); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(VII) resided in the Northern 
Mariana Islands as an investor under 
Commonwealth immigration law, and 
is presently a resident classified as a 
CNMI-only nonimmigrant under sec-
tion 101(a)(15)(E)(ii) of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)(E)(ii)); or 
‘‘(VIII) resided in the Northern 
Mariana Islands as a guestworker 
under 
Commonwealth 
immigration 
law for at least 5 years prior to May 
8, 2008, and is presently a resident 
classified as a Commonwealth Only 
Transitional Worker.’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ‘‘180- 
period’’ and inserting ‘‘180-day period’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CNMI 
RESIDENTS.—An alien with CNMI Resident 
Status may adjust his or her status to that of 
an alien lawfully admitted for permanent resi-
dence 5 years after the date of enactment of the 
Northern Mariana Islands Legal Residents Re-
lief Act of 2021 or 5 years after the date on 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
which CNMI Resident Status is granted, which-
ever is later.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Section 6(b)(1) of 
Public Law 94–241 (48 U.S.C. 1806(b)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(8 USC 1101(a)(15)(H))’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H))’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘(8 USC 1184(g))’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(8 U.S.C. 1184(g))’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ‘‘con-
tact’’ and inserting ‘‘contract’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 3. TEMPORARY LABOR CERTIFICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(d)(2) of Public Law 
94–241 (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(2)) is amended in subpara-
graph (B), by striking ‘‘an annual’’ and inserting ‘‘a bien-
nial’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL TIME FOR RECEIPT OF VISA. 
Section 6(d)(3)(D)(iii) of Public Law 94–241 (48 
U.S.C. 1806(d)(3)(D)(iii)) is amended in subclause 
(I)(bb) by striking ‘‘10 days’’ and inserting ‘‘90 days’’. 
SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO THE REQUIREMENT TO REMAIN 
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(d)(7) of Public Law 
94–241 (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(7)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
inserting ‘‘and (C)’’ after ‘‘subparagraph (B)’’; 
and 
(B) in clause (ii)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘at any time after the 
expiration of the first renewal period’’ 
after ‘‘30 days’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘third’’ after ‘‘sub-
mission of a’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) 
DEFERRAL.—IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary of Homeland Security may defer the 
requirement to remain outside of the United 
States during or in connection to— 
‘‘(i) a presidentially declared major 
disaster or emergency under section 401 or 
501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5170 or 5191); or 
‘‘(ii) a presidentially declared national 
emergency under section 201 of the Na-
tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 
seq.).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect as if included in the enact-
ment of Public Law 115–218. 
SEC. 6. QUALIFIED ALIEN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(d) of Public Law 94– 
241 (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)) is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) QUALIFIED ALIEN.—An alien granted sta-
tus under this subsection shall be deemed a qualified 
alien under section 431 of the Personal Responsi-
bility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
1996 (8 U.S.C. 1641) for purposes of receiving re-
lief or assistance available in connection with— 
‘‘(A) a presidentially declared major dis-
aster or emergency under section 401 or 501 of 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 or 
5191); or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) a presidentially declared national 
emergency under section 201 of the National 
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:23 Mar 30, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H560.IH
H560
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS