WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three U.S. senators are pressing the Department of Homeland Security to revoke a Biden-era CNMI travel authorization that allows visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, arguing the policy has fueled birth tourism in Saipan and created what they describe as a national security vulnerability.
In a January 15 letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Senators Rick Scott, Jim Banks, and Markwayne Mullin called for the administration to end the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP) and require a standard tourist visa for Chinese nationals visiting the CNMI.
The senators wrote that federal policy changes dating back to 2009 enabled Chinese nationals to visit the CNMI without a tourist visa, and they argued it has been exploited by “birth tourism” defined as travel for the purpose of giving birth in the United States so a child receives U.S. citizenship.
They also described the structure of the current CNMI visa waiver system, noting the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program allows Hong Kong passport holders to enter the CNMI visa-free for up to 45 days, while EVS-TAP allows Chinese nationals visa-free access to the CNMI for 14 days.
The letter claims birth tourism in Saipan “exploded” after the programs were implemented, citing figures that births by visiting Chinese mothers rose from fewer than 10 annually in 2009 to nearly 600 by 2018, and that more than 3,300 babies have been born in Saipan to Chinese mothers since 2009.
The senators argued that once those U.S.-born children reach adulthood, immigration law could allow them to petition for green cards for their parents, and they raised additional concerns tied to citizenship provisions for descendants.
They also pointed to local resource impacts, writing that former Gov. Arnold Palacios said “birth tourism” overwhelmed CNMI medical facilities, including the Commonwealth’s only public hospital, the Commonwealth Health Center.
As part of their argument that CNMI visa waivers have been abused, the senators cited federal cases involving illegal transport of Chinese nationals from Saipan to Guam, including one case involving PRC national Kangle Jiang and another involving four men sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens by boat.
The senators asked for a response by close of business Jan. 28, 2026 on the administration’s efforts to revoke EVS-TAP, and said requiring a standard tourist visa for Chinese nationals visiting the CNMI is a decision DHS can make.
They also recommended ending Hong Kong’s participation in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
The letter was signed by Scott, Banks, and Mullin, with copies listed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
