Form I-129CW is necessary for an
employer to petition for an alien to enter the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) temporarily to perform services or
labor as a CNMI-Only nonimmigrant transition worker (CW). This form
is also necessary for an employer to petition for an extension of
stay or change of status for an alien as CW nonimmigrant. Form
I-129CWR is necessary to verify the continuing employment and
payment of such workers under the terms and conditions set forth in
the CW-1 petition that the employer filed on the workers behalf.
Pub. L. 115-218, sec. 3(a)(3)(C).
USCIS is submitting an
Interim Final Rule.
PL:
Pub.L. 115 - 218 3 Name of Law: Northern Mariana Islands U.S.
Workforce Act of 2018
PL:
Pub.L. 110 - 229 702 Name of Law: Consolidated Natural
Resources Act of 2008
PL: Pub.L. 115 - 218 3 Name of Law: Northern
Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018
USCIS is adding new data
elements to Form I-129CW to capture additional information required
by statute and regulation, including the Employment Training
Administration (ETA) case number for the Temporary Labor
Certification (TLC), the employer’s E-Verify ID, the Standard
Occupation Classification (SOC) code, the governor’s cap
reservation, and information on whether beneficiary is a long term
worker. The Instructions for Form I-129CW have been revised to
reflect new requirements under the Interim Final Rule. USCIS is
creating a new Form I-129CWR, Semiannual Report for CW-1 Employers,
in connection with the Implementation of the Northern Mariana
Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 IFR. This new form will be added
as an instrument under OMB control number 1615-0111, which already
includes the Form I-129CW instrument. USCIS is reporting an
increase in the estimated annual hour burden to respondents for
this collection of information. The hour burden increased as a
result of the new estimated number of respondents, which increased
from 3,749 to 5,975. The hour burden also increased due to an
increase in the estimated time burden per response for Form I-129CW
from 3.5 hours to 4 hours due to the addition of new questions and
instructions to cover the requirements of the IFR. The creation of
a new Form I-129CWR as a result of the IFR, which has a 2.5 hour
time burden, also increased the overall estimated annual hour
burden for this collection of information. The estimated annual
cost burden to respondents increased as a result of the new Form
I-129CWR, Semiannual Report for CW-1 Employers. Employers will have
additional out of pocket costs, as explained in Question 13, as a
result of this new information collection instrument. The estimated
cost to respondents for Form I-129CW increased as a result of an
adjustment in USCIS’s estimated cost per response.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.