USCIS extends CNMI parole and employment authorization

USCIS announced today that it will automatically extend parole, and employment authorization for parolees who timely applied for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term resident status.

USCIS stated that this specific extension of parole applies only to current parolees who timely filed Form I-955, Application for CNMI Long-Term Resident Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and whose applications remain pending on Dec. 31, 2020. USCIS will automatically extend their parole (and employment authorization, if applicable) without interruption through June 30, 2021, or the date that USCIS makes a final decision on the parolee’s Form I955 and Form I-765, whichever is earlier.

The notice explained that the CNMI long-term resident status was created by the Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act (Public Law 116-24), signed into law on June 25, 2019. The new law specifically gave the Department of Homeland Security the discretion to authorize parole, with work authorization, for these aliens during the time period needed to implement the new law. USCIS has previously extended this parole twice, once on June 17, and then again on Aug. 11.