DHS announced on 27 October 2026 that the CNMI EVS-TAP program is suspended from 14:00 EDT on 30 October; Chinese citizens will need a U.S. visa for Saipan, and existing authorizations are void.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register on 27 October 2026 (91 FR 67595) suspending EVS-TAP, the visa-free travel authorization program that let Chinese citizens visit the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI: Saipan, Tinian and Rota). The suspension takes effect at 14:00 EDT on 30 October 2026, which is 02:00 on 31 October Beijing time. From then on, PRC passport holders travelling to Saipan for tourism or business must obtain a U.S. nonimmigrant visa (usually a B-1/B-2) before departure.

The notice states that the suspension covers both new applicants and previously approved EVS-TAP travel authorizations that are still valid. In other words, anyone holding an authorization and planning to fly in November also needs a visa. Chinese citizens already admitted under EVS-TAP and lawfully present in the CNMI on the effective date may stay until their authorized period ends, but will need a visa for any future trip. DHS also says the suspension does not bring back the old parole policy for PRC nationals, which ended on 20 February 2025. No end date has been set; DHS will evaluate the program with the Secretaries of State and the Interior.

30 OctSuspension from 14:00 EDT (02:00 31 Oct Beijing)
3,000+PRC nationals who entered via EVS-TAP in FY2025 (DHS)
14 daysPrevious maximum stay per visit

How EVS-TAP worked and what changes now

According to the notice, EVS-TAP was created by a 2024 DHS interim final rule and launched on 20 February 2025. Chinese citizens prescreened by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received a one-year travel authorization to visit the CNMI without a visa for up to 14 days per visit. They could enter only the CNMI, not Guam, the U.S. mainland or any other U.S. location. It was separate from the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program (up to 45 days) and from the U.S. Visa Waiver Program with ESTA (up to 90 days), neither of which has ever included China.

Maximum stay under three U.S. visa-waiver arrangements

U.S. Visa Waiver Program / ESTA (not for China)90 days
Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program (not for China)45 days
CNMI EVS-TAP (PRC citizens, suspended)14 days

Source: U.S. Federal Register, 91 FR 67595, 27 October 2026

DHS gives several reasons: espionage risk near military facilities (the Tinian air base is being restored), people travelling illegally from Saipan to Guam on smuggling boats (the notice cites smuggler sentencings in March 2024 and February 2025), birth tourism, and money laundering and labour abuses linked to the Saipan casino project. For background on casino and gambling regulation, see our U.S. gambling law guide.

What to do if you already have a trip booked

  1. Check your arrival timeAny arrival in Saipan after 02:00 on 31 October Beijing time is no longer covered by EVS-TAP
  2. Contact your airline or agencyAsk about rebooking and refunds; visa-free tour packages may be cancelled
  3. Apply for a B-1/B-2 visaComplete the DS-160, pay the USD 185 application fee (as of October 2026) and book an interview
  4. If you are in Saipan nowLeave within your authorized stay, do not overstay and do not try to travel to Guam

For B visa documents, interviews and validity, see our U.S. visa guide. Before applying, make sure your passport has enough validity left; see getting your passport before leaving China.

After the suspension, treat any agent or boat service claiming you can “still go to Saipan visa-free” or “guaranteed onward travel” as high risk. Travelling illegally from the CNMI to Guam is smuggling and can lead to removal and future U.S. visa problems.

What it means for Chinese people moving abroad

Saipan was one of the few places where a Chinese passport could set foot on U.S. soil without a visa. People used it for short holidays and scouting trips, and some used it as a route for birth tourism. After the suspension, the visa bar for Saipan is essentially the same as for the U.S. mainland, with full consular screening. If you are considering working or settling in the United States long-term, plan around a proper visa category, not a regional waiver. For more on living and immigrating to the U.S., see our United States country guide, and follow policy changes on ExitChina News.

Sources

  1. Federal Register: Suspension of the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), 91 FR 67595 (accessed October 2026)
  2. GovInfo: FR Doc. 2026-21880 (original PDF) (accessed October 2026)
  3. U.S. Department of State: Fees for Visa Services (accessed October 2026)

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