Dotts Law Resources
Three Simple Steps to Leasing Property in the CNMI
Investors often come to our office already having found property they want to lease and having already reached an agreement with the owner on the price. They ask us what to do next? This article is a simple summary of what comes next.1 Step 1. Sign an Agreement to...
The New Rules for the CW-1 Visa Program
As hard as it already is for employers in the CNMI to find and hire the employees that they need, the United States Federal Government has just made it much more difficult. This article will briefly explain the new rules that apply to processing CW visa applications...
The CNMI Cannabis Act
The Cannabis ActOn September 21, 2018, Governor Ralph Torres signed into law the Taulamwaar Sensible CNMI Cannabis Act of 2018 (the “Cannabis Act”).1 The Cannabis Act makes the recreational use of marijuana legal in the CNMI.2 A new industry is now...
Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Clergy Sue Vatican on the Island of Guam
This week the Vatican, also known as the Holy See, has been made a defendant in three different lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by clergy on the island of Guam. Guam is heavily Catholic as a result of the Spanish who occupied the island beginning in...
Employment-Related Benefits CNMI Employers Should Know
Worker’s Compensation, Holiday & Vacation Pay and Overtime Pay New investors to the CNMI often ask what benefits are they required to provide their employees. Unlike government employments, there are very few benefits that an employer in the private sector must...
The CW Act and Investing in the CNMI
The 2018 CW Act (The Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018) A big concern for new investors to the CNMI is how they will staff their businesses. The CNMI has a very small labor pool, and essentially full employment.1 New investors hear about...
How to Use PTRs When You Lease Land on Saipan
“I have a bridge to sell you…” Or, How to Use PTRs when you Lease Land on Saipan so that You Know Who Really Owns It George C. Parker was known as the greatest con-man in American history (until maybe Bernie Madoff came along). From about 1900 to 1928 Parker, using...
CNMI Corporations and Limited Liability Companies
For new investors on Saipan, there are many decisions to be made. Where will you open your business? Who will you hire? How will you find customers? But one of the first decisions that you will have to make is, what form of a business should the new business be? This...
Investment Visas for the CNMI (The E Visa, L-1 Visa, and the B-1 Visa)
When advising foreign investors on setting up business in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (the “CNMI”), the topic of investment visas often comes up. The CNMI is subject the immigration laws of the United States. What visa programs will...