Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Immigrant Guide: CW-1, Visa Waiver and Help

The CNMI is a US commonwealth in the western Pacific, just north of Guam. Most people live on Saipan; Tinian and Rota are much smaller. People born in the CNMI are US citizens. The indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian peoples are the largest groups, and Filipinos are the largest immigrant community, followed by Chinese, Korean, Bangladeshi, and Japanese residents. Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau (COFA countries) can live and work in the CNMI without a visa.

Until 2009 the CNMI ran its own immigration system, and many foreign workers came under local permits. Federal law replaced that system, with special transition programs that still exist today. Typhoons are a regular risk. If you are still choosing a route, start with how US immigration works.

Since November 28, 2009, federal immigration law applies in the CNMI, with some CNMI-only programs:

• CW-1 transitional workers: employers who cannot find US workers can hire foreign workers on the CW-1 visa, which is valid only in the CNMI. It needs a Department of Labor labor certification, is limited by a yearly cap, bars most construction jobs, and is set to end on December 31, 2029. Spouses and children get CW-2 status but cannot work.
• CNMI long-term residents: a 2019 federal law created a CNMI-only resident status for certain long-term residents who had no other status. See the USCIS CNMI page for who qualifies.
• Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program: citizens of Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom can visit Guam and the CNMI for up to 45 days without a visa. Since late 2024 you must get an electronic travel authorization (the G-CNMI eTA, Form I-736) online from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before you board, and you need a return or onward ticket. You cannot work, extend your stay, or change status, and you cannot travel on to Hawaii or the mainland. Travelers from countries in the regular US Visa Waiver Program can instead use an ESTA, which allows up to 90 days and travel to the rest of the US.
• China (EVS-TAP): a 2024 federal rule created a restricted sub-program that lets eligible citizens of the People's Republic of China visit the CNMI (not Guam) for up to 14 days. Check with CBP for its current status.

Regular US visas, green cards, and naturalization work as on the mainland, and federal policies such as the travel ban apply. CNMI-only statuses do not let you live or work on Guam or in the rest of the US.

• Tourism: hotels, restaurants, and tour companies on Saipan, serving visitors mainly from Korea and Japan.
• Construction: many construction workers come on the H-2B, because CW-1 workers generally cannot do construction. Federal law exempts H-2B workers in the CNMI from the national H-2B cap through December 31, 2029.
• Health care: the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, which runs the main hospital, hires doctors and nurses from abroad.
• Other jobs: retail, maintenance, and office jobs often use the CW-1.

Professional jobs can also use the H-1B, and some workers move from CW-1 to a green card through PERM and EB-3. The $100,000 payment on some new H-1B petitions is not being collected as of September 2026 while courts review it (current status).

Northern Marianas College on Saipan is the main higher education institution, with associate and some bachelor's degrees. Many local students go to Guam, Hawaii, or the mainland for university. If you plan to study on an F-1 visa, confirm that your school is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (check on Study in the States). See studying in the USA.

Driver's licenses are issued by the CNMI Bureau of Motor Vehicles, part of the Department of Public Safety. Bring your passport or green card, your I-94 and status documents (such as a CW-1 approval notice), your Social Security number (or proof you are not eligible, SSN and ITIN guide), and proof of your CNMI address. On a temporary status, your license usually expires when your authorized stay ends.

Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant card (marked with a star), a passport, a green card, or another accepted ID to board US flights (TSA REAL ID page). Most non-citizens travel with their passport.

The CNMI Health Care Professions Licensing Board licenses doctors, nurses, and other health workers.

Alternative pathway for doctors: yes. A 2025 CNMI law lets the Board issue a provisional license to an internationally trained physician who can live and work in the CNMI, graduated from a medical school in the World Directory of Medical Schools, completed at least three years of postgraduate training in an accredited or Board-approved program, passed the national specialty exam in the country where they are licensed, holds an unrestricted license with at least two years of practice, and proves English proficiency. The provisional license lasts three years, can be renewed, requires supervision, and requires employment with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation or another approved facility. The Board proposed rules in 2025, so check with it for the current process.

Conrad 30 waivers (lapsed, pending reauthorization): doctors who trained in the US on a J-1 visa usually must spend two years in their home country unless they get a waiver. Conrad 30 let each state recommend up to 30 waivers a year for doctors who agreed to work full time for three years in an underserved area. Its authorization lapsed on September 30, 2025, and USCIS says doctors admitted in or acquiring J-1 status on or after October 1, 2025 cannot get a Conrad 30 waiver unless Congress reauthorizes it. In the CNMI, ask the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation about the state's J-1 waiver program, and check the USCIS Conrad 30 page before you count on this route.

Nurses trained abroad usually need a credential review and the NCLEX-RN. Teachers are certified through the CNMI Public School System, and other professions have their own boards.

The CNMI Medicaid program is run by the territorial government, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) runs the main hospital on Saipan (CHCC). Serious cases are often sent off-island to Guam, Hawaii, or Asia.

How it differs from the states: Medicaid in the territories gets a capped amount of federal money each year, so eligibility and benefits can differ from the states. The HealthCare.gov marketplace and its premium tax credits do not operate in the territories; private insurance comes through employers or directly from local insurers.

Federal immigrant rules still apply (as of September 2026):

• Green card holders usually wait 5 years before federally funded Medicaid covers them. Former refugees and some others are exempt.
• From October 1, 2026, a 2025 federal law (H.R. 1) limits federal Medicaid and CHIP to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants (citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau). Refugees, asylees, and other lawfully present people without a green card lose federal eligibility.
• Students and exchange visitors usually must carry their own insurance; J-1 visitors must meet State Department rules.

Benefits can matter in immigration cases, and a new public charge rule took effect on September 18, 2026. Read our public charge guide and what changed before you apply.

The CNMI does not have an Office of New Americans. Filipino, Bangladeshi, Chinese, and Korean community groups and churches help many workers and families.

Free legal help: only licensed attorneys and accredited representatives at recognized nonprofits can give immigration legal advice. Check the Justice Department's roster of recognized organizations and accredited representatives and its list of pro bono providers. Avoid notarios (how to spot notario fraud, how to check a lawyer). If you have a criminal record, a past refusal, an overstay, or a pending asylum case, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before you file anything. The CNMI has few immigration lawyers, so some people work with lawyers on Guam or in Hawaii.

USCIS: USCIS has an office in Garapan, Saipan, that takes fingerprints and photos. Your interview location is on your appointment notice (USCIS field office locator).

Rent on Saipan is moderate, but imported food, fuel, and electricity are expensive, and wages are lower than on the mainland.

• Income tax: the CNMI has its own territorial income tax system based on the US federal tax code, plus a local wage and salary tax. Residents file with the CNMI Division of Revenue and Taxation, not the IRS.
• Other taxes: a business gross revenue tax and excise taxes on imported goods raise prices.

CW-1 workers pay the same taxes as other workers (SSN and ITIN guide).