Employer-petitioned transitional work status for a CNMI position where the worker is ineligible for another US employment-based nonimmigrant classification.
Micronesia · Immigration
Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands sits in Micronesia. Its immigration system runs 6 distinct routes — led by short stay & visit, work and investment, each set out in official law. All 6 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 6across 5 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 6 of 6cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Short stay & visit2 of the 6 routes — see them under Short stay & visit below
- Region
- Micronesia
- Capital
- Saipan
- Population
- 43,541
- Official language
- Carolinian, Chamorro · +1
- Currency
- USD
- Time zone
- UTC+10:00
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 6 routes, grouped by purpose — 6 of 6 cite an official government source directly.
Work
1 route
Investment
1 route
Legacy renewal status for a long-term CNMI investor admitted under CNMI law before 28 November 2009 who filed the initial federal petition by 18 January 2013.
Can bring: spouse, children, parents-in-law
Official government source: uscis.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Family
1 route
Dependent CNMI-only status for the spouse or unmarried child under eighteen of a CW-1 worker.
Can bring: spouse, children
Residence-based status
1 route
Existing long-term CNMI status created for specified stateless persons, former CNMI permanent residents, qualifying immediate relatives and in-home caregivers.
Official government source: uscis.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Short stay & visit
2 routes
CNMI-only visitor authorization for eligible nationals of the People's Republic of China travelling for business or pleasure without a US visa.
Official government source: cbp.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Visa-free business, pleasure or transit admission for up to forty-five days for nationals of the designated G-CNMI countries with an approved electronic travel authorization.
Official government source: g-cnmi-eta.cbp.dhs.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Official sources
See which Northern Mariana Islands routes you actually qualify for.
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