The Department of Homeland Security suspended visa-free travel for Chinese nationals to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, requiring future visitors to use the standard U.S. visa process.
The suspension took effect at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 30, 2026, or 4 a.m. local time on October 31 in the islands. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered it in a notice published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2026. DHS announced the action on October 29.
The change applies to business and tourism visits. DHS is no longer accepting new applications, and travelers who already hold authorizations will have them canceled.
The department said it suspended the program while reviewing it with the Departments of State and the Interior. Mullin said visa-free travel raised national security concerns.
“Visa-free travel to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands opens the door to Chinese birth tourism and national security threats.”
DHS says the usual visa route is now required for upcoming trips. The effects differ for travelers already in the territory.
New visitors need visas, while authorized stays already underway can continue
| Traveler group | What changes |
|---|---|
| New applicants | DHS will not accept new applications under the program. |
| Existing authorization holders | Their travel authorizations will be canceled. |
| Chinese nationals already admitted | They may remain until their authorized period of stay ends. |
| Future business or tourism visitors | They need a B-1 or B-2 visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate before travel, unless another lawful exception applies. |
DHS said Chinese nationals already lawfully admitted may complete their authorized stays. They will need a visa for future trips.
The authorization was the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program, known as EVS-TAP. It allowed prescreened nationals of the People's Republic of China to visit for short-term business or tourism without a visa or consular interview.
The authorization covered short visits to the islands, not the rest of the United States
Each visit could last up to 14 days. An authorization remained valid for one year.
The permission covered only the CNMI. It did not allow travel to Guam, Hawaii or the U.S. mainland. The program began operating in February 2025, replacing an earlier parole policy for Chinese nationals.
DHS said the suspension does not restore that prior parole-based arrangement. Visitors instead face the standard visa process.
The agency’s stated concerns include possible espionage and intelligence gathering, including activity near sensitive military installations. DHS also cited illegal onward travel from the CNMI to Guam, human smuggling, organized criminal activity and money laundering.
Birth tourism was another concern. The department said the program relied on screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, rather than interviews with State Department consular officers that accompany the standard nonimmigrant visa process.
The Immigration and Nationality Act and DHS regulations give the secretary authority to suspend the program for good cause, including national security, law enforcement and immigration enforcement concerns. DHS concluded that visa-free travel presented “unacceptable security and law enforcement risks.”
More than 3,000 PRC nationals used the program during fiscal year 2025. DHS said security concerns outweighed potential economic effects on local businesses that depend on Chinese tourism and trade. U.S. Senator Mike Lee welcomed the suspension, saying it closed a loophole that could be used for birth tourism.
DHS cites security and enforcement risks, while the territory warns of economic losses
The Marianas Visitors Authority warned that the suspension could affect tourism and air service. Acting board chairwoman Vicky Benavente said visitors from China made up more than 20 percent of total arrivals in Fiscal Year 2026.
About 30 percent of Chinese visitors arrived on connecting flights through Seoul, South Korea. Others traveled via Hong Kong Airlines.
Benavente said reduced passenger demand could affect both Hong Kong Airlines and existing flights from South Korea. Korean and other international travelers who rely on those routes could also feel the effects. Fewer passengers may make it harder for airlines to maintain schedules or add service.
The authority said the territory had only a fraction of the airline seats, visitors and marketing resources it had when tourism was healthy. Benavente called the suspension without a viable replacement “devastating” and described the program as critical to the economy and community.
She also cited current fiscal pressures. Government employees were down to 26.5 hours per workweek, schools were open four days a week, and people were losing jobs, she said, based on revenue generation at the time of her statement.
Benavente said DHS had overseen the admission of legitimate visitors under the program since its 2025 implementation. She also said some concerns cited in the suspension announcement predated it.
“The security of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and our nation must always be protected,” she said. “National security and economic security go hand in hand.”
She invoked the Covenant, which commits the United States to assist the Commonwealth in achieving “a progressively higher standard of living.” The authority said it was ready to work with federal partners on solutions addressing security and the territory’s economic future.
A multi-agency review has no announced end date
DHS is conducting a full review with the Departments of State and the Interior. The department has not announced how long the suspension will last or whether it will reinstate, modify or permanently discontinue the program.
