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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has moved to suspend a visa‑free travel program that let Chinese nationals visit the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for short stays. The Federal Register notice puts the program on pause and means most future visitors from the People’s Republic of China will need a U.S. nonimmigrant visa to get to Saipan and the other islands. The suspension is short, sharp, and aimed squarely at fixing the problems that the Biden‑era policy left on the table.
What Secretary Mullin actually did
Mullin’s notice formally suspends the CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS‑TAP). The suspension covers new applicants and travelers with active authorizations; Chinese nationals already in the CNMI may remain for the rest of their authorized stay but will need a visa for any future trips. DHS points out that over 3,000 PRC nationals used the program in fiscal year 2025 and that authorizations were vetted by Customs and Border Protection rather than by State Department consular officers.
Why DHS says the suspension was necessary
DHS cites a mix of national‑security, law‑enforcement, and immigration risks. The department flagged birth tourism that can strain local medical resources, examples of smuggling routes from the islands to Guam, and the risk that bad actors could exploit visa‑free travel to gather intelligence near U.S. military facilities. Senators Mike Lee (R‑UT), Rick Scott (R‑FL), John Cornyn (R‑TX), and Bill Cassidy (R‑LA) had urged action earlier, arguing the program created exactly these vulnerabilities.
Local pain, national priority — and some political theater
Leaders and businesses in the CNMI warn the suspension will hurt a fragile tourism economy built on a small number of markets. Delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds says the move is a suspension, not a termination, and wants federal help to limit economic harm. That’s fair — but it’s also fair to put American security and law‑abiding communities ahead of a program that functioned like a welcome sign for would‑be birth tourists and, apparently, smugglers. Call it inconvenient for shopkeepers; call it long overdue for the rest of the country.
What comes next and why you should care
DHS will review EVS‑TAP with the State and Interior departments, and the suspension could be temporary — or it could signal a longer policy shift. Permanent removal would likely require formal rulemaking, and Congress is already moving on proposals to curb birth tourism and tighten temporary‑entry rules. In the meantime, travelers from China will generally need a visa for future CNMI visits. The practical point is simple: a bit more paperwork now beats having to clean up a bigger security and immigration mess later.
