A comprehensive immigration reform bill crafted by a group of US Senators will allow six groups of long-term foreigners to apply for permanent residency in the Northern Marianas.
The bill will cover people who have legally been working since at least 2003 and will allow the right of entry and exit from the territory.
Currently, non-residents living in the Northern Marianas need to apply for travel documents every time they go off-island.
People with the proposed CNMI-only permanent resident status could be able to apply for US permanent residency after a five-year waiting period before being able to apply for US citizenship.
The US Senate has yet to act on the bill while the House of Representatives in Washington has yet to release its own version.