DHS to Suspend Visa-Free Travel for Chinese Visitors

The Department of Homeland Security will suspend a visa-free travel program for Chinese visitors to the Northern Mariana Islands, citing security and birth-tourism concerns. The suspension takes effect at 2 p.m. EDT on October 30, according to a Federal Register notice signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The pause applies to new applicants and people who already have travel authorization. Chinese nationals already in the U.S. territory may complete their authorized stays, but will need a visa for future travel. DHS did not set an end date for the suspension. The program, formally called the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program, allowed approved Chinese nationals to visit the Northern Mariana Islands for business or pleasure for up to 14 days without a visa. DHS said more than 3,000 Chinese nationals used it in fiscal year 2025. They were screened by Customs and Border Protection rather than by a State Department consular officer. DHS says visa-exempt travel and the screening process may lower barriers to birth tourism, in which a person travels to give birth so a child can obtain U.S. citizenship. The department also warned that the...