US suspends visa-free travel program for Chinese visitors to the Northern Mariana Islands

The suspension covers new applicants and existing travel authorizations. Chinese nationals already in the CNMI under the program may stay for their authorized period but will need a visa for future trips. The program, in place since February 2025, allowed stays of up to 14 days in the CNMI only, and more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used it in fiscal 2025, DHS said.

DHS cited security risks including possible espionage near military sites in the region, smuggling of travelers onward to Guam, and birth tourism. CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the program was "suspended, not terminated" and warned that a long disruption would hurt the islands' tourism industry, Public Radio Guam reported.

Why it matters: Tourism is central to the CNMI economy, and Chinese visitors will now need to go through the standard US visa process.