Visa-Free Travel for Chinese Citizens to CNMI Suspended Amid Security Fears
In a major policy shift, the Trump administration is suspending a program that let pre-screened Chinese citizens visit the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa. Citing espionage risks near U.S. military sites, smuggling from the islands to Guam, and birth tourism, the government says the program has become too risky to continue.
The Department of Homeland Security issued the notice, which carries the name of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. It states that the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), administered by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), will be suspended as of 2:00 p.m. EDT on October 30.
The pause affects both new applicants and people who already hold current EVS-TAP travel authorizations. Chinese citizens already in the CNMI under the program may remain for their approved stay. Any future visit, however, will require a visa.
DHS data cited in the notice shows that over 3,000 PRC citizens entered the CNMI through EVS-TAP in fiscal year 2025. Their admission was handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection rather than by consular officers at the State Department.
“DHS believes PRC nationals are abusing EVS-TAP,” the notice says. It adds that the high volume of visa-free arrivals poses an unacceptable risk to security and law enforcement.
The department warned that the program could allow the PRC to carry out espionage and collect intelligence on sensitive U.S. defense assets in the region. It noted that the Defense Department is refurbishing Tinian Air Base, and that several military installations on nearby Guam are vital to American security.
EVS-TAP visitors were not permitted to travel beyond the CNMI. Nevertheless, the notice says smuggling vessels have the capacity to carry people illegally from the CNMI to Guam. It highlights two cases, in March 2024 and February 2025, in which Chinese nationals were convicted of smuggling nine and seven other Chinese citizens, respectively, from the CNMI to Guam. According to the notice, most of these individuals were later found at or near sensitive military sites.
On birth tourism, the notice observes that the practice has been a long-standing problem in the CNMI. Visa-free access and flexible screening under EVS-TAP, it says, could encourage it further. Birth tourism could also be exploited for long-term intelligence operations or espionage. The notice does not say how many births are linked to the program.
DHS further pointed to a record of PRC-linked criminal activity in the CNMI, including money laundering and the exploitation of Chinese laborers at casinos in Saipan.
The program was introduced under a 2024 rule issued during the Biden administration and took effect on February 20, 2025. It allowed Chinese visitors to stay for up to 14 days, with authorization valid for a year. China has been excluded from the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program since 2009 due to political and security concerns.
DHS acknowledged that CNMI businesses dependent on Chinese tourists, along with people eager to visit, could face harm. It maintained, however, that the serious risks are far greater. Travelers who genuinely want to go can still apply for a regular U.S. visa. The earlier parole policy for Chinese visitors will not be restored after this suspension.
Republican Senator Mike Lee welcomed the step. He wrote on X, “America is not a nursery for the CCP to seize citizenship.” Lee, along with Senators Rick Scott, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, had reportedly asked Mullin in April to shut down the program.
The move is part of the administration’s broader push to make visa vetting tougher and to curb birth tourism.