Tourism and business leaders in the Northern Marianas are pushing back after three U.S. senators called on federal officials to end the Guam‑CNMI Visa Waiver Program, warning that such a move would destabilize the Commonwealth’s fragile economy and undermine years of recovery efforts.
The Marianas Visitors Authority and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce issued separate responses to the Jan. 15 letter from U.S. Sens. Rick Scott, Jim Banks and Markwayne Mullin, who urged the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Interior to terminate the program over security concerns.
Chamber President Joe Guerrero said the senators’ letter relies on outdated references and “inaccurate or biased media reports,” arguing the claims warrant scrutiny and a fact‑based review. He warned that relying on such information could lead to federal policy decisions that “would severely harm the Marianas’ fragile economy as it recovers from a prolonged contraction,” with implications for regional stability and U.S. national security interests in the Western Pacific.
Guerrero urged federal officials to consider the economic and community impacts of revoking the Guam‑CNMI Visa Waiver Program and its subset, the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program, or EVS‑TAP. He noted that EVS‑TAP was designed during the Trump administration as a security‑focused enhancement to the visa‑waiver framework, addressing many of the concerns raised in the senators’ letter. Implementation was finalized in 2024.
According to the Chamber, EVS‑TAP allows properly vetted tourism travel from the People’s Republic of China and aligns with the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy, which identifies economic resilience as a core national security priority. Both EVS‑TAP and the visa waiver program, the Chamber said, support lawful tourism, small‑business sustainability and employment for U.S. citizens and residents.
The Chamber also acknowledged that birth tourism was once a concern in the CNMI but said it is no longer a prevailing issue due to targeted policy changes, enhanced screening and close coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Current conditions, Guerrero said, reflect “a markedly different operating environment” than in prior years.
The Marianas Visitors Authority echoed those concerns. MVA Managing Director Jamika Taijeron said the visa waiver program remains a lawful and essential component of the islands’ economic stability.
“The Guam‑CNMI Visa Waiver Program has been a lawful cornerstone of Marianas economic stability and regional engagement, directly supporting lawful tourism, small business viability, and employment for U.S. citizens and residents,” Taijeron said.
She said the program operates under federal oversight and has strengthened screening, enforcement and information‑sharing measures with DHS and other agencies. Some of the data cited in the senators’ letter, she added, “no longer reflects improvements made in cooperation with federal agencies.”
Both the Chamber and MVA said abrupt termination of the visa‑waiver framework would inflict severe economic harm on a U.S. community still working toward long‑term recovery. They called for continued stakeholder engagement, reliance on up‑to‑date data and collaboration with federal partners to address any remaining national security concerns.
