US suspends visa-free travel to Northern Mariana Islands for Chinese nationals

DHS suspended the program citing espionage risks, unauthorized travel to Guam, and birth tourism, effective October 30, 2026

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the suspension of the CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), ending visa-free travel to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for pre-screened Chinese nationals. The suspension takes effect at 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on October 30, 2026, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2026.

Before this suspension, PRC nationals who passed a pre-screening process administered by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could travel to the CNMI for up to 14 days without obtaining a US visa. Under the suspension, all PRC nationals planning to visit the CNMI for business or tourism will generally need to obtain an appropriate US nonimmigrant visa before traveling, unless another lawful exception applies.

More than 3,000 PRC nationals used EVS-TAP to enter the CNMI during fiscal year 2025, according to CBP data cited in the Federal Register notice. DHS concluded that the volume of visa-exempt entries presented “unacceptable security and law enforcement risks.”

What was the EVS-TAP program?

EVS-TAP was established in January 2024 as a restricted sub-program of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program (G-CNMI VWP) and became operational in February 2025. The program replaced a previous parole policy that had allowed PRC nationals to travel to the CNMI under separate arrangements.

PRC nationals have been excluded from the main G-CNMI Visa Waiver Program since 2009 due to political and security concerns. EVS-TAP was created as a narrower alternative, allowing eligible Chinese travelers to visit the CNMI specifically for business or tourism stays of up to 14 days. Travelers approved under EVS-TAP were not permitted to travel onward to Guam, the US mainland, or any other US destination.

A key distinction between EVS-TAP and standard US visa processing is that EVS-TAP applicants were screened by CBP rather than by a US State Department consular officer, a point DHS highlighted as a factor in its security assessment.

Why did DHS suspend the program?

DHS stated it had determined there was “good cause” to suspend EVS-TAP based on national security, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement concerns. The Federal Register notice identified several specific risks.

DHS cited concerns that the program could be exploited for espionage or intelligence collection activities, particularly given the CNMI’s proximity to US military installations in the western Pacific. The notice also pointed to documented instances of unauthorized travel from the CNMI to Guam involving PRC nationals, including two cases that resulted in federal smuggling convictions.

Additional concerns included birth tourism, with PRC nationals potentially using EVS-TAP to give birth on US soil, and historical patterns of criminal activity, money laundering, and labor abuse linked to PRC-connected enterprises operating in the CNMI.

In January 2026, US Senators Markwayne Mullin, Rick Scott, and Jim Banks wrote to DHS and the Department of the Interior urging revocation of the program. The senators argued that visa-free travel for Chinese nationals to the CNMI created security threats and had not delivered the economic benefits claimed by its supporters.

The US is not the only government narrowing visa-free terms for Chinese travelers. In February 2026, Malaysia capped visa-free stays for Chinese nationals at 90 days within any 180-day window, while keeping the 30-day limit on each individual visit.

What happens to Chinese nationals already in the CNMI?

PRC nationals who were admitted to the CNMI under EVS-TAP and are lawfully present on the effective date of the suspension may remain until their current authorized stay expires. They will not be required to depart immediately.

However, these travelers will need to obtain a US visa for any future travel to the CNMI. The suspension also applies to travelers who already hold an approved EVS-TAP travel authorization but have not yet traveled. Those existing authorizations will be revoked.

The suspension does not reinstate the prior parole policy that EVS-TAP replaced. PRC nationals cannot use the earlier arrangement as an alternative entry pathway.

How can Chinese nationals travel to the CNMI after the suspension?

PRC nationals seeking to visit the CNMI after the suspension takes effect will generally need to apply for and obtain an appropriate US nonimmigrant visa before traveling. This means applying through a US embassy or consulate and undergoing the standard consular interview and vetting process conducted by the US State Department.

The CNMI is a US territory in the western Pacific, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Guam. The territory’s main island, Saipan, has historically attracted Chinese tourists and business travelers. The requirement to obtain a US visa represents a significant procedural barrier compared to the pre-screening process that EVS-TAP offered.

Will the program be reinstated?

DHS described the measure as a suspension, not a permanent termination. The agency stated it would evaluate EVS-TAP’s operation and the security risks associated with visa-free travel under the program, but provided no timeline for completing the review and announced no date for potential reinstatement.

CNMI Governor Lola Sablan King-Hinds responded to the announcement by emphasizing that EVS-TAP had been “suspended, not terminated,” signaling the CNMI government’s expectation that the program could resume in some form.

DHS acknowledged in the Federal Register notice that certain businesses in the CNMI may have developed plans based on tourism and commercial travel from EVS-TAP or the prior parole policy. The suspension nonetheless reflects the administration’s assessment that the security and law enforcement risks outweigh the economic considerations.