    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 116-24
    116th Congress

    An Act

    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 Representatives of the
    United States of America in Congress assembled, <>
    SECTION 1. <>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term
    Legal Residents Relief Act''.
    SEC. 2. LONG-TERM LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE
    NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

    Section 6(e) 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'', approved March 24, 1976 (48 U.S.C. 1806), is
    amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(6) Special provision regarding long-term residents of the
    commonwealth.--
    ``(A) CNMI resident status.--An alien described in
    subparagraph (B) may, upon the application of the alien,
    be admitted in CNMI Resident status to the Commonwealth
    subject to the following rules:
    ``(i) The alien shall be treated as an alien
    lawfully admitted to the Commonwealth only,
    including permitting entry to and exit from the
    Commonwealth, until the earlier of the date on
    which--
    ``(I) the alien ceases to reside in
    the Commonwealth; or
    ``(II) the alien's status is
    adjusted under section 245 of the
    Immigration and Nationality Act (8
    U.S.C. 1255) to that of an alien
    lawfully admitted for permanent
    residence in accordance with all
    applicable eligibility requirements.
    ``(ii) <>  The Secretary of Homeland Security--
    ``(I) shall establish a process for
    such alien to apply for CNMI Resident
    status <> during the
    180-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 paragraph; and
    ``(II) may, in the Secretary's
    discretion, authorize deferred action or
    parole, as appropriate, with work
    authorization, for such alien beginning

    [[Page 978]]

    on the date of the enactment of this
    paragraph and continuing through the end
    of such 180-day period or the date of
    adjudication of the alien's application
    for CNMI Resident status, whichever is
    later.
    ``(iii) 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 entitled.
    ``(iv) An alien granted status under this
    paragraph--
    ``(I) is subject to all grounds of
    deportability under section 237 of the
    Immigration and Nationality Act (8
    U.S.C. 1227);
    ``(II) is subject to all grounds of
    inadmissibility under section 212 of the
    Immigration and Nationality Act (8
    U.S.C. 1182) if seeking admission to the
    United States at a port of entry in the
    Commonwealth;
    ``(III) is inadmissible to the
    United States at any port of entry
    outside the Commonwealth, 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 Commonwealth, which
    admission shall be considered an
    admission to the Commonwealth;
    ``(IV) automatically shall lose such
    status if the alien travels from the
    Commonwealth to any other place in the
    United States, 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 purpose, and
    the Secretary may in the Secretary's
    discretion authorize the direct transit
    of aliens with CNMI Resident status
    through Guam to a foreign place;
    ``(V) shall be authorized to work in
    the Commonwealth incident to status; and
    ``(VI) shall be issued appropriate
    travel documentation and evidence of
    work authorization by the Secretary.
    ``(B) Aliens described.--An alien is described in
    this subparagraph if the alien--
    ``(i) was lawfully present on the date of the
    enactment of this paragraph or on December 31,
    2018, in the Commonwealth under the immigration
    laws of the United States, including pursuant to a
    grant of parole under section 212(d)(5) of the
    Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
    1182(d)(5)) or deferred action;
    ``(ii) is admissible as an immigrant to the
    United States under the Immigration and
    Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), except
    that no immigrant visa is required;
    ``(iii) <>  resided
    continuously and lawfully in the Commonwealth from
    November 28, 2009, through the date of the
    enactment of this paragraph;

    [[Page 979]]

    ``(iv) is not a citizen of the Republic of the
    Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
    Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and
    ``(v) in addition--
    ``(I) <>  was
    born in the Northern Mariana Islands
    between January 1, 1974, and January 9,
    1978;
    ``(II) was, on November 27, 2009, a
    permanent resident of the Commonwealth
    (as defined in section 4303 of title 3
    of the Northern Mariana Islands
    Commonwealth Code, in effect on May 8,
    2008);
    ``(III) is the spouse or child (as
    defined in section 101(b)(1) of the
    Immigration and Nationality Act (8
    U.S.C. 1101(b)(1))) of an alien
    described in subclause (I) or (II);
    ``(IV) was, on November 27, 2011, a
    spouse, child, or parent of a United
    States citizen, notwithstanding the age
    of the United States citizen, and
    continues to have such family
    relationship with the citizen on the
    date of the application described in
    subparagraph (A); or
    ``(V) had a grant of parole under
    section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and
    Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) on
    December 31, 2018, under the former
    parole program for certain in-home
    caregivers administered by United States
    Citizenship and Immigration Services.
    ``(C) <>  Authority of
    attorney general.--Beginning on the first day of the
    180-day period established by the Secretary of Homeland
    Security under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I), the Attorney
    General may accept and adjudicate an application for
    CNMI Resident status under this paragraph by an alien
    who is in removal proceedings before the Attorney
    General if the alien--
    ``(i) makes an initial application to the
    Attorney General within such 180-day period; or
    ``(ii) applied to the Secretary of Homeland
    Security during such 180-period and before being
    placed in removal proceedings, and the Secretary
    denied the application.
    ``(D) Judicial review.--Notwithstanding any other
    law, no court shall have jurisdiction to review any
    decision of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the
    Attorney General on an application under this paragraph
    or any other action or determination of the Secretary of
    Homeland Security or the Attorney General to implement,
    administer, or enforce this paragraph.
    ``(E) Procedure.--The requirements of chapter 5 of
    title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the
    Administrative Procedure Act), or any other law relating
    to rulemaking, information collection or publication in
    the Federal Register shall not apply to any action to
    implement, administer or enforce this paragraph.''.
    SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with
    the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined

    [[Page 980]]

    by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
    Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
    Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
    statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

    Approved June 25, 2019.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 559:
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    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
    June 3, considered and passed House.
    June 20, considered and passed Senate.