A US congressman has called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revoke a policy that allows Chinese citizens to travel visa-free to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. Representative Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, urging the Biden administration to halt the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, which permits Chinese tourists to enter these US territories without a visa.
In his February 12 letter, Tiffany criticized the program, citing concerns over national security, public safety, and immigration fraud. He also referenced a similar letter he sent in 2020, in which he asked the DHS to stop what he called the “systemic abuse” of parole authority. This authority allows Chinese citizens to enter the CNMI without following standard visa procedures.
Tiffany highlighted that the visa-free policy, initiated under the Obama administration in 2009, has led to a surge in Chinese nationals entering the CNMI. He argued that this has enabled Chinese citizens to bypass the usual visa requirements for entering US territories. As a result, he said, the number of Chinese tourists has risen sharply, along with an increase in “birth tourism”—a practice where foreign nationals travel to the CNMI to give birth, ensuring their children gain US citizenship.
According to Tiffany, births by foreign visitors in the CNMI jumped from fewer than 10 in 2009 to nearly 600 in 2018. He claimed that births to tourists on Saipan, the largest island in the CNMI, have at times exceeded those of local residents. He warned that these US-born children could later sponsor their families for green cards, creating a pathway for broader immigration.
Tiffany’s concerns were echoed by Kimberly King-Hinds, a Republican from the CNMI, who discussed the issue with him last week. King-Hinds emphasized the importance of addressing birth tourism and protecting US national security interests in the region.
At a recent press conference, Tiffany reiterated his stance, calling birth tourism a “loophole” that undermines US immigration laws. He argued that the practice allows China, a geopolitical rival, to exploit US citizenship laws. “We are allowing our biggest adversary to produce US citizens on our soil,” he said. “This is a threat to our foreign policy and must be stopped.”
However, data from the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) paints a slightly different picture. Between 2008 and 2024, births to tourists only outnumbered those to residents in 2017 and 2018. In those years, there were 562 tourist births compared to 429 resident births in 2017, and 581 tourist births versus 493 resident births in 2018.
Tiffany also criticized the broader implications of the visa waiver program, calling it an example of how the US immigration system is being exploited. “This demeans American citizens and undermines our national interests,” he said.
The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, also known as the EVS-TAP program, includes electronic screening, a 14-day maximum stay, and additional security measures for Chinese travelers. Despite these safeguards, Tiffany and others argue that the program poses significant risks and should be discontinued.
The debate over visa-free travel and birth tourism in US territories continues to highlight tensions between immigration policies and national security concerns.
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