Faipule concerned over cannery guest workers without proper legal docs

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The issue about some cannery guest workers who have been working since last year without a Social Security number (SSN) and /or valid Immigration Identification (ID) concerns some faipule.

In this past Friday’s House Session, Saole faipule Titialii Kitara Vaiau raised this issue saying that a lot of guest workers from Samoa recruited via the local Guest Worker Permit law by StarKist Samoa have received their W2 forms to file their taxes. However, most of them were unable to file taxes because they don’t have proper legal documents needed by the local Tax Office such as a social security number and a valid immigration identification card.

TItiali’i said that this shouldn’t happen because this is a clear violation of the law and the Fono needs to seriously address this issue right now.

When questioned by Samoa News, a senior manager at StarKist Samoa, Tufuga Faafoi Palepua confirmed that there are workers who don’t have in their possession a valid immigration ID and a SSN card. However, that doesn’t mean these workers are not allowed to work in American Samoa.

According to Tufugta, the majority of guest workers from Samoa now have their SSN and their valid immigration ID and just a few of them are still waiting to complete the paperwork for an immigration ID and their SSN.

Tufuga further stated that all guest workers from Samoa under the Guest Worker Permit law (GWP) that entered the territory last year when the program started, received their SSN and they’re able to have their deductions for the social security benefit deducted from their pay check every week. They’re only waiting for their social security cards.

As for their immigration IDs, Tufuga explained that all guest workers registered under the GWP are allowed to work in American Samoa by authority of the Attorney General’s Office and ASG. Most of them have already gotten their IDs and just a few people who recently arrived at the end of last year and the beginning of this year are waiting for their photo ID to be taken.

“Our local immigration office can’t have all registered guest workers at one time to get their photo ID and that’s why we’re taking each step at one time to make sure the photo machine at the immigration office is not broken again,” Tufuga explained.

Tufuga assured that all guest workers would possess their SSN and immigration ID in a few months time.

Samoa News interviewed several guest workers regarding this problem and they confirmed it.

A 26-year-old guest worker who started his employment in October of last year told Samoa News that ever since he arrived he hasn’t received his immigration photo ID nor his SSN. He stated that he went to the ANZ Bank to open a new bank account but he was sent back home because the bank needs his SSN and two photo IDs.

“My only photo ID I had in possession is my passport and this is not looking good for me,”  he said.

Another guest worker who started her employment in November of last year shared the same thoughts when questioned by Samoa News.

The mother of 4 said that ever since she came into the territory and started working as a fish cleaner at the beginning of November she was never informed to go to the Immigration office to have her photo ID taken nor to the Social Security office to fill out an application for a SSN.

A senior immigration officer said the law is clear, “you must have in your possession a valid immigration ID.”

(Samoa News understands that the local Social Security office was closed at the beginning of the pandemic and is serving the public now only by appointment.)