US Suspends Visa-Free Travel for Chinese Nationals to Northern Mariana Islands
- The US Department of Homeland Security ended a Biden-era programme that let screened Chinese nationals visit the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days without a visa
- DHS cited birth tourism, espionage risks, and the possibility of illegal travel to Guam, a major US military hub, as reasons for the suspension
- More than 3,000 Chinese nationals used the programme to enter the territory in fiscal year 2025 before the Trump administration moved to shut it down
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The Trump administration has suspended a visa-free travel programme for Chinese nationals visiting the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, over concerns about birth tourism and national security.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the decision, which targets a programme created under the Biden administration in 2024 that allowed pre-screened Chinese nationals to visit the islands for up to 14 days without obtaining a visa through a US consulate.
Source: Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security said the suspension takes effect at 2 p.m. EDT on October 30 and applies to both new applicants and those already approved.
Travellers currently in the territory may complete their authorised stays but will require a visa for any future visits.
Why the programme was suspended
DHS said the programme, formally called the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), could lower barriers to birth tourism, a practice where someone travels to the United States specifically to give birth and secure American citizenship for their child.
The department noted that birth tourism had already been a concern in the Northern Mariana Islands before the programme existed, and that reduced vetting under EVS-TAP made the situation worse.
The agency also warned that visa-free access near US military installations created intelligence-gathering risks. The Northern Mariana Islands are home to Tinian Air Base, and the nearby island of Guam hosts several major US military facilities.
According to Fox News, although the programme did not permit visitors to travel to Guam or the US mainland, DHS pointed to previous cases in which Chinese nationals were smuggled by boat from the territory to Guam as evidence of an unresolved security gap.
More than 3,000 Chinese nationals entered the islands through the programme during fiscal year 2025, according to DHS. The department said the suspension will remain in place while it reviews the programme alongside the secretaries of state and the interior.
Lawmakers welcome the decision
Republican senators Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida, John Cornyn of Texas, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana had written to Mullin in April urging him to end the programme, warning it encouraged birth tourism and posed national security risks.
Senator Lee celebrated the outcome in a post on X. "America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship," he wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. "Thank you, President Trump!"
The office of Representative Chip Roy also welcomed the move, noting that Roy and Representative Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin had raised concerns about the programme in March. "Rep. Roy is pleased to hear the Trump Admin closed this dangerous loophole," his office wrote on X.
The suspension is part of a broader push by the Trump administration against birth tourism. A State Department task force launched on August 12 had revoked more than 750 visas linked to suspected birth tourism by late August, according to Fox News Digital. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said officials were working with international partners to identify travel patterns pointing to birth tourism networks.
US ends routine passport stamps for travellers
Legit.ng earlier reported that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced it will no longer routinely stamp passports during primary screening, the first checkpoint travellers pass through when entering the United States.
Source: Legit.ng
