US Suspends Visa-Free Entry Programme for Chinese Visitors to Northern Mariana Islands

The suspension of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP) will take effect at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 30, according to a notice issued by the US Department of Homeland Security and signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The decision applies to new applicants as well as Chinese nationals who have already received travel authorisation under the programme. Those currently in the Northern Mariana Islands may remain for the duration of their authorised stay but will need to obtain a visa for future visits.

According to the department, more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used the programme to enter the Northern Mariana Islands during the 2025 fiscal year. Applicants were screened by US Customs and Border Protection rather than through the regular consular vetting process conducted by the State Department.

The Department of Homeland Security argued that the volume of visa-exempt travel posed unacceptable security and law enforcement risks, alleging that the programme could be exploited for intelligence gathering against sensitive US defence infrastructure.

Concerns over military installations and illegal travel

The department highlighted ongoing efforts to restore Tinian Air Base, while neighbouring Guam hosts several military installations considered important to US national defence.

Although the travel programme prohibited Chinese visitors from travelling beyond the Northern Mariana Islands, officials said some individuals could attempt to reach Guam illegally using smuggling vessels.

The notice cited two federal sentencing cases, from March 2024 and February 2025, involving Chinese nationals who smuggled nine and seven other Chinese nationals, respectively, from the Northern Mariana Islands to Guam. According to the department, most of those individuals were subsequently encountered in or near sensitive military installations.

The department did not present the suspension as a response to a single incident, instead citing what it described as broader vulnerabilities associated with the programme.

Birth tourism and criminal activity concerns

US authorities also raised concerns about birth tourism, a practice in which foreign nationals travel to another country to give birth, potentially allowing their children to acquire citizenship under that country's laws.

The department argued that visa-exempt entry and reduced screening could make the practice easier in the Northern Mariana Islands. It also suggested that birth tourism could potentially be exploited to support long-term intelligence or espionage activities. The notice did not provide figures establishing how many births were associated with the programme.

Officials additionally cited the territory's history of alleged criminal activity linked to Chinese interests, including money laundering and labour abuses associated with a Chinese-operated casino business in Saipan.

Programme introduced in 2025

The EVS-TAP was established through a 2024 rule under the Biden administration and became operational on February 20, 2025. It allowed eligible Chinese visitors to stay in the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days, with travel authorisations valid for one year.

China had been excluded from the broader Guam-CNMI visa waiver programme since 2009 because of political and security concerns.

The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that the suspension could cause financial losses for businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands that depend on Chinese tourism, as well as for prospective visitors. However, it said the security risks outweighed the economic costs.

Chinese nationals seeking to visit the territory can still apply for regular US visas. The suspension does not reinstate an earlier parole policy that had allowed Chinese visitors to enter under separate arrangements.

Republican lawmakers welcome decision

Republican Senator Mike Lee welcomed the suspension, criticising the potential use of birth tourism to obtain US citizenship for children born to foreign nationals.

Lee, along with Senators Rick Scott, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, had urged Homeland Security Secretary Mullin in April to terminate the programme, according to a report by Fox News.

The decision forms part of the Trump administration's wider efforts to tighten immigration screening, strengthen national security safeguards and restrict birth tourism.