US suspends visa-free travel for Chinese to Northern Mariana Islands over birth tourism and security concerns

The US Department of Homeland Security announced on October 27 that it is suspending the Northern Mariana Islands' Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program, which allowed eligible Chinese nationals to visit the US Pacific territory without a conventional visa. The suspension takes effect on October 30, 2026. The program, created in 2024 and implemented in 2025, was used by more than 3,000 Chinese nationals during fiscal year 2025.

The decision cites immigration enforcement, law enforcement, and national security concerns. DHS specifically flagged risks of birth tourism—travel undertaken primarily to obtain US citizenship for children—potential espionage near sensitive military installations including Tinian Air Base in the Northern Mariana Islands and military facilities in nearby Guam, and the possibility of visitors travelling illegally onward to Guam. The department noted that while birth tourism has been a longstanding issue in the territory, the visa-exempt program lowered barriers to the practice and reduced screening vetting.

Republican lawmakers, including Senators Mike Lee (Utah), Rick Scott (Florida), John Cornyn (Texas), and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), had pressured the Trump administration to end the program beginning in April 2025, citing national security and birth tourism risks. The suspension comes four months after the State Department announced visa revocations linked to alleged birth-tourism fraud networks in West and North Africa, uncovering schemes involving fake documents and visa intermediaries who coached applicants on securing entry to the US to give birth.

Chinese nationals seeking to visit the Northern Mariana Islands will now generally need an appropriate US non-immigrant visa unless another lawful exception applies. Travelers already in the territory under the program may complete their authorized stays but will need visas for future visits. DHS said the suspension will remain in place while the department evaluates the program with the secretaries of state and the interior. The move is not a blanket ban on Chinese nationals entering the United States but suspends this specific travel-authorization route.