USCIS Completes FY-2019 CW1 Lottery

On May 2, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had competed the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW1) cap lottery for fiscal year 2019 [PDF version].

The fiscal year 2019 CW1 cap was set at 4,999 [see blog]. Because the USCIS received more CW1 petitions than there were available CW1 visas, it instituted a CW1 lottery to select petitions to meet the fiscal year 2019 CW1 cap [see blog]. On April 15, 2018, the USCIS conducted the CW1 lottery through a “computer-generated random selection process” and selected CW1 petitions to meet the fiscal year 2019 CW1 cap.

Having completed the CW1 lottery, the USCIS has returned all unselected CW1 petitions. The news release advises those who submitted a CW1 cap-subject petition between April 2 and April 13, 2018, and who have not received a receipt notice or returned petition by May 16, 2018, to contact the USCIS for assistance.

The CW1 program is a special nonimmigrant work visa category for certain individuals in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands who are not eligible for any of the regular nonimmigrant work visa categories. The program was originally implemented to ease the transition of the Northern Mariana Islands to the U.S. immigration laws. Accordingly, the CW1 visa program is being phased out, with its termination slated for December 31, 2019. The CW1 cap for fiscal year 2020 (until the expiration of the program) will be set at 2,499 CW1 visas. CW1 beneficiaries should consult with an experienced immigration attorney for guidance on whether they may have a separate basis for eligibility to remain in the United States beyond the expiration of the CW1 program. Please see our website's category on work visas to learn about nonimmigrant work visa categories [see category].