DHS halts Chinese visa-free travel to Northern Mariana Islands

More than 3,000 Chinese nationals entered the Northern Mariana Islands under a visa-free scheme during fiscal year 2025. The Department of Homeland Security is now suspending that program. The move takes effect at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30. It applies to new applicants and those already approved.

The program, known as the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program, was created in 2024. It allowed prescreened visitors to stay for up to 14 days. They were vetted by Customs and Border Protection. However, they did not need a visa from a U.S. consulate. This streamlined process aimed to boost economic activity in the territory.

Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the suspension in a department notice. DHS cited three main concerns. First, the program could facilitate birth tourism. Second, it might aid espionage. Third, it could enable illegal travel to nearby Guam. Guam serves as a major hub for the U.S. military.

Republican lawmakers pushed for the suspension starting in March. Senators Mike Lee, Rick Scott, John Cornyn, and Bill Cassidy urged Mullin to end the program in April. They argued it encouraged parents to travel for the purpose of childbirth. Representative Chip Roy and Representative Tom Tiffany also raised alarms in March.

Lee praised the decision on social media. He wrote, "America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship." Roy’s office described the move as closing a dangerous loophole. Both officials linked the program to broader efforts to curb birth tourism.

Birth tourism involves traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth. The child gains citizenship at birth. Some travelers hide this intent during visa applications. DHS stated that visa-exempt travel lowers barriers to this practice. The notice did not specify how many births resulted from travelers using this specific program.

DHS also flagged security risks. The Northern Mariana Islands host Tinian Air Base. Guam holds several other military installations. The department warned that reduced vetting could allow intelligence gathering. DHS noted previous cases where Chinese nationals traveled from the islands to Guam by boat. Those incidents occurred under different policies, but they demonstrated a vulnerability.

The suspension remains in place while DHS evaluates the program with the secretaries of state and interior. Travelers already in the territory may finish their stays. They will need a visa for future visits unless another exception applies. A State Department task force launched in August revoked over 750 visas tied to suspected birth tourism by late August.

Spokesman Tommy Pigott said officials are working with international partners. They aim to identify travel patterns linked to birth tourism networks. Some of these networks help visitors conceal their purpose. They also coach travelers on avoiding medical bills. The Northern Mariana Islands program is separate from the standard visitor visa process targeted by those revocations.