What is a visa ?

Updated Mar. 24, 2026Refreshed annually
The CW-2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa issued for family. Nonimmigrant visas are admitted for people who intend to stay in the US temporarily. CW-2 visas accounted for 0.01% of all issued visas in FY 2024.
In FY 2024,

651

visas issued by the US were CW-2 visas

The CW-2 visa is designated for the dependents of CW-1 visa holders, specifically spouses and unmarried children under the age of 18. This visa allows family members to accompany or join the CW-1 visa holder in the Northern Mariana Islands while they work in the territory. CW-2 visa holders are not authorized to work in the CNMI but can attend school.

The length of stay for a CW-2 visa is directly tied to the CW-1 visa holder’s authorized stay and typically lasts for the same period. CW-1 visas are valid for up to one year and can be extended for a total of three years, after which the visa holder must leave the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States for 30 continuous days before reapplying.

The State Department does not maintain a cap on CW-2 visas, but the cap on CW-1 visas serves as an inexact cap on CW-2 visas as well. The CW-1 cap was set at 8,000 for fiscal year 2026 and will decline annually until the CW-1 program ends on December 31, 2029.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.