Close the China Visa Loophole In America's Pacific Territories

Just north of Guam lies the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a U.S. territory in the Pacific. Its largest island, Saipan, has long depended on visitors from Asia, including China, to support its tourism economy. Under a special travel program, eligible Chinese nationals can visit the CNMI for up to 14 days without a standard U.S. visa. That exception deserves scrutiny as the United States confronts growing security threats from Beijing. White House border czar Tom Homan has pledged to address the visa-free route, citing concerns about birth tourism.

The program requires advance travel authorization, and entry to the CNMI does not authorize travel to Guam. Yet federal prosecutors have documented illegal boat trips from Saipan to Guam by Chinese nationals. In one case, a passenger paid $6,000 for a trip intended to evade law enforcement. Guam is a major center of American military power in the Pacific. Washington should not ignore an entry route that has been used as a starting point for unauthorized travel toward it.

The program has also been exploited on Saipan itself. According to federal prosecutors, Chinese national Fang Ye arrived in 2016, overstayed his visa-free admission, and operated a birth tourism business that hosted more than 200 pregnant women and their families from China over three years. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison for a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. His case shows how a short-term tourist exemption can be abused to sustain an operation lasting years.

This is part of a larger question about China’s access to a strategically important American territory. The United States should limit opportunities for Beijing to gain influence wherever it can, including by examining travel rules, investments, and political relationships that create security vulnerabilities. The Trump administration is making the right move by addressing the visa-free route before further abuses occur. Requiring Chinese visitors to obtain a standard visa would give U.S. officials another opportunity to assess why they intend to travel and whether they meet the conditions for entry. Washington should pair that change with support for the CNMI’s tourism economy, helping the islands attract visitors from other markets without relying on an exception that has created security concerns.

Closing this visa exception would be a practical step toward protecting America’s Pacific territories. South Korea already sends more visitors to the CNMI than China does, showing that the islands have other tourism markets to build on. Washington should help expand those opportunities while requiring Chinese visitors to pass through the standard visa process. The CNMI’s economic future matters, along with the security of Guam and the wider Pacific.

Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Mike Lee deserve credit for introducing Senate Bill 3857, the One Nation, One Visa Act. The bill would require Chinese nationals to obtain a valid visa before entering any part of the United States, ending the CNMI’s special visa-free entry program. It has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dick Durbin should prioritize its consideration and advance it to the full Senate. Committee members Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, Eric Schmitt, and Ashley Moody should press for action to close this exception and strengthen protections for America’s Pacific territories.

 Washington should act while helping the CNMI attract visitors and investment from a wider range of countries. The islands should not have to choose between economic survival and sound security rules. Reducing dependence on China while closing exploitable gaps would better protect the CNMI, Guam, and America’s position in the Pacific.