DHS halts visa-free travel for Chinese visitors to Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands have long drawn visitors under various U.S. travel policies. The Department of Homeland Security has now suspended the specific visa-free program for Chinese nationals that allowed short trips to that territory.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a notice ending the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program. This Biden-era initiative permitted prescreened Chinese citizens to visit the islands for up to 14 days without obtaining a visa. The decision stops both new applications and the use of existing approvals for future travel.

The program launched in 2024 and began operating in 2025. During fiscal year 2025, more than 3,000 Chinese nationals entered the territory under this arrangement. While Customs and Border Protection screened these travelers, they bypassed the standard requirement to secure a visa through a U.S. consulate.

Republican senators raised alarms in April, urging Mullin to close what they viewed as a security gap. Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida, John Cornyn of Texas, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cited risks related to birth tourism and espionage. Lee posted on X that America is not a nursery for the Chinese Communist Party to steal citizenship. He thanked President Trump for the decision.

The suspension takes effect at 2 p.m. EDT on October 30. Travelers already in the islands under the program may finish their authorized stays. However, they will need a visa for any future visits unless another legal exception applies. DHS stated the pause will remain while the department evaluates the program with the Secretaries of State and the Interior.

The department cited specific vulnerabilities in its notice. It warned that reduced vetting could lower barriers to birth tourism, which strains the local medical system. The notice did not list the number of births linked to program users. DHS also noted that visa-free travel could facilitate intelligence gathering near U.S. military facilities, including Tinian Air Base.

Although the program did not allow direct travel to Guam or the mainland, DHS pointed to previous cases of Chinese nationals being smuggled by boat from the Northern Mariana Islands to Guam. Those incidents occurred under earlier policies, but the department said they highlighted a weakness the newer program had not fixed. This suspension aligns with a wider administration push against birth tourism. A State Department task force launched on August 12 had already revoked over 750 visas tied to suspected birth tourism activity as of late August.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said officials are working with international partners to identify travel patterns associated with birth tourism networks. He noted that some of these networks help visitors hide their true purpose and coach them on avoiding medical bills. The Northern Mariana Islands program is distinct from the visitor visa process targeted by those recent revocations.