Residency Eligibility:
In order to be considered an athlete representing Guam under the umbrella of the Guam National Olympic Committee, the following requirements must be met by all athletes.
The Athlete petitioning to be a part of Team Guam must:
-
have a United States of America, Department of State issued passport (must provide the GNOC with a copy of such passport),
-
reside in Guam for five (5) years prior to the Opening of the Olympic Games or in continental or regional games or in the world or area championships
-
if born in Guam, must have five (5) cumulative years of residing in Guam prior to the Opening of the Games/Event.
-
if NOT born in Guam, the athlete must have resided in Guam five (5) consecutive years prior to the Opening of the Games/Event (proof must be provided)
-
proof of residency must be provided in the form(s) of (one or more of the following may be required in order to determine residency status):Income Taxes: a copy of five (5) consecutive years Guam Income Tax Filings or a certified letter or statement from the department of Government of Guam Department Revenue and Taxation certifying the athlete (if under age, the athletes parent or legal guardian) has filed five (5) years consecutive years prior to the Opening of the Games/Event;
-
Real Property: owning real property in Guam (a copy of the property taxes paid to the Government of Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation or a statement from the Department stating the athlete has paid five (5) consecutive years of property tax);
-
Doing Business in Guam: if an athlete is operating a business in Guam then the athlete must provide certification of ownership of a business or business license and copies of the business’ tax income filing or gross receipts tax or a statement from the Government of Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation certifying the business and that the business owner/athlete had filed five (5) consecutive years of GRT or Income taxes;
-
Guam Voter Registration: proof of voter registration and has participated in the voting in the last three elections;
-
Village Mayor Certification Letter: certifying that the athlete resides in the village;
-
Education: if an athlete leaves Guam for education purposes, the athlete is then required to provide a copy of school transcripts proving full-time enrollment or a letter from the school certifying they were enrolled in classes at a full-time status for the number of years the athlete needs to meet the five (5) year requirement.
NOTE: If an athlete has represented another Country at the Olympic Games or at an international, continental or regional games or at a world, continental or regional championship recognized by the International Federation, then the athlete is NOT eligible to represent Guam, unless the athlete has been released by the country in which they previously represented (an official letter from the President/Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of the Country or the Governing body of sport must be provided by the athlete).
Losing Residency-Eligible Status:
Once an athlete is recognized by the GNOC as a resident-eligible athlete, based on the residency requirements, does not mean they are eligible for life. Other factors may affect their eligibility, such as an athletes behavior at previous games, criminal record, insubordination, or has been in violation of Team Guam Athlete/Official Handbook or has been banned by the NF or IF for previous actions, etc.
Also, If an athlete leaves Guam, for purposes other than: Military duty, education or illness, for ninety (90) days or more, the athlete loses their recognized residency status and must reestablish their residency based on the guidelines listed above (which is different for athletes Born and NOT Born on Guam). NOTE: An athlete must first establish their five (5) year residency-eligible status before leaving Guam for Military duty.