US Suspends Visa-Free Entry For Chinese Nationals, Cites Birth Tourism, Espionage Concerns
The Trump administration is suspending a visa-free travel programme that allowed prescreened Chinese nationals to visit the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa, citing potential espionage near US military installations, illegal travel to Guam and concerns over birth tourism.
The suspension of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP) will take effect at 2 pm EDT on October 30, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notice published in the Federal Register and signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The order applies to both new applicants and travellers who already hold an approved EVS-TAP authorisation. Chinese nationals currently in the CNMI under the programme may remain for their authorised period, but they will need to obtain a visa for any future travel.
US Cites Espionage Risks Near Military Installations
The DHS notice said more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used EVS-TAP to enter the CNMI in fiscal year 2025. Under the programme, travellers were vetted by US Customs and Border Protection rather than a State Department consular officer.
"DHS judges that PRC nationals are almost certainly exploiting EVS-TAP," the notice said, adding that the volume of visa-exempt entries posed "unacceptable security and law enforcement risks".
The department warned that the programme could be used to facilitate Chinese espionage and intelligence-gathering activities targeting sensitive US defence infrastructure in the region.
It pointed to the restoration of Tinian Air Base by the Department of War, while neighbouring Guam hosts several military installations considered critical to US homeland defence.
Although EVS-TAP prohibited Chinese visitors from travelling beyond the CNMI, the notice said they could illegally reach Guam aboard smuggling vessels.
🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 I’m very pleased to report that @SecMullinDHS at @DHSgov just CLOSED Joe Biden’s loophole for Chinese birth tourism for which we sounded the alarm earlier this year. America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship. Thank you, President Trump!
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 26, 2026
The department cited two federal sentencings, in March 2024 and February 2025, involving Chinese nationals who smuggled nine and seven other Chinese nationals, respectively, from the CNMI to Guam. Most of those individuals were later encountered in or near sensitive military installations, the notice said.
Birth Tourism, Criminal Activity Also Cited
The DHS also raised concerns about birth tourism, saying visa-exempt entry and reduced vetting under EVS-TAP could make the practice easier.
"While birth tourism has long been an issue in the CNMI, the availability of visa-exempt travel and reduced vetting under EVS-TAP may lower barriers to this practice," the notice said.
It added that birth tourism could also be used to facilitate long-term intelligence or espionage activities. However, the notice did not specify how many births, if any, had been linked to the programme.
The department further cited the CNMI's history of criminal activity linked to China, including money laundering and labour abuses associated with a Chinese-run casino operation in Saipan.
Programme Introduced Under Biden Administration
EVS-TAP was established through a 2024 rule under the Biden administration and came into effect on February 20, 2025. It allowed Chinese visitors to stay in the CNMI for up to 14 days, with travel authorisations valid for one year.
China has been excluded from the broader Guam-CNMI visa waiver programme since 2009 over political and security concerns.
The DHS acknowledged that the suspension could cause financial losses for CNMI businesses reliant on Chinese tourism, as well as for prospective travellers. However, it said the "acute risks" outweighed the potential economic impact.
Chinese nationals who wish to visit can still apply for a regular US visa. The suspension does not reinstate an earlier parole policy for Chinese visitors.
Republican Senators Welcome Move
Republican Senator Mike Lee welcomed the suspension, writing on X: "America is not a nursery for the CCP to steal citizenship," according to a Fox News report.
Lee, along with Senators Rick Scott, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, had urged Mullin in April to terminate the programme, the report said.
The suspension comes amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to tighten visa vetting and curb birth tourism.
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