U.S. Senators Mike Lee, Rick Scott, John Cornyn, and Bill Cassidy called on April 22 for the Biden administration to terminate a visa policy that allows citizens of the People’s Republic of China to enter the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa.
The senators said this policy could threaten national security and encourage illegal activities in U.S. territories. The CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), created in 2024 as part of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, lets PRC nationals travel to the CNMI for up to 14 days without going through a formal admission process.
In their letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the senators listed several concerns about EVS-TAP. They pointed out that Chinese nationals have been convicted of trafficking methamphetamines into the CNMI and said that birth tourism has increased under this policy. The letter also noted that individuals entering CNMI are close to Guam—a key U.S. military hub—and cited reports about illegal transport of Chinese nationals from CNMI to Guam as well as attempts by PRC-linked actors targeting Guam’s critical infrastructure.
“We strongly urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to end the CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program – a benefit that should not be afforded to a recalcitrant country like Communist China,” Lee, Scott, Cornyn, and Cassidy wrote in their joint statement. “We further encourage, in alignment with previous Congressional requests, the termination of Hong Kong’s participation in the broader G-CNMI visa waiver program.”
Lee serves as U.S. senator for Utah according to his official website. He has championed constitutional principles and individual liberty during his tenure according to his official website. Lee promotes constitutional principles, limited government, individual liberty and free markets according to his official website. He grew up in Provo as a fourth-generation Utahn according to his official website and is also known as son of Rex E. Lee according to his official website. He earned both bachelor’s degree in political science and Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University according to his official website.
The full text of their letter is available online.
