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DHS/USCBP

RIN: 1651-AA77

Publication ID: Spring 2014

Title: Implementation of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program(Section 610 Review)
Abstract: The IFR (or the final rule planned for the coming year) rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations to implement section 702 of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA). This law extends the immigration laws of the United States to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and provides for a joint visa waiver program for travel to Guam and the CNMI. This rule implements section 702 of the CNRA by amending the regulations to replace the current Guam Visa Waiver Program with a new Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. The amended regulations set forth the requirements for nonimmigrant visitors who seek admission for business or pleasure and solely for entry into and stay on Guam or the CNMI without a visa. This rule also establishes six ports of entry in the CNMI for purposes of administering and enforcing the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. Section 702 of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), subject to a transition period, extends the immigration laws of the United States to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and provides for a visa waiver program for travel to Guam and/or the CNMI. On January 16, 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), issued an interim final rule in the Federal Register replacing the then-existing Guam Visa Waiver Program with the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and setting forth the requirements for nonimmigrant visitors seeking admission into Guam and/or the CNMI under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. As of November 28, 2009, the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program is operational. This program allows nonimmigrant visitors from eligible countries to seek admission for business or pleasure for entry into Guam and/or the CNMI without a visa for a period of authorized stay not to exceed forty-five days. This rulemaking would finalize the January 2009 interim final rule.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security(DHS)	Priority: Other Significant
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda	Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage
Major: Yes	Unfunded Mandates: No
RFA Section 610 Review: Section 610 Review
CFR Citation: 8 CFR 100.4 8 CFR 212.1 8 CFR 233.5 8 CFR 235.5 19 CFR 4.7b 19 CFR 122.49a
Legal Authority: PL 110-229, sec 702

Legal Deadline:

Action	Source	Description	Date
Final	Statutory	PL 110-229	11/04/2008

Timetable:

Action	Date	FR Cite
Interim Final Rule	01/16/2009	74 FR 2824
Interim Final Rule Effective	01/16/2009
Interim Final Rule Comment Period End	03/17/2009
Technical Amendment; Change of Implementation Date	05/28/2009	74 FR 25387
Final Action	02/00/2015

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No	Government Levels Affected: None
Federalism: No
Included in the Regulatory Plan: Yes
International Impacts: This regulatory action will be likely to have international trade and investment effects, or otherwise be of international interest.
RIN Information URL: www.regulations.gov	Public Comment URL: www.regulations.gov
RIN Data Printed in the FR: Yes
Related RINs: Related to 1651-AA81
Agency Contact: Paul Minton Program Manager, Enforcement Programs Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20229 Phone:202 344-1581 Email: paul.a.minton@cbp.dhs.gov