VisaNorthern Mariana Islands ends EVS-TAP entry for Chinese visitors on 31 October local time
The suspension cancels existing travel authorisations, while visitors already lawfully admitted may complete their authorised stay and future visitors need another lawful route.
Official source date: 2026-10-27
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The suspension applies to existing authorisations as well as new requests
The United States Department of Homeland Security has suspended the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program for nationals of the People’s Republic of China. Its Federal Register notice, published on 27 October 2026, sets commencement at 14:00 Eastern Daylight Time on 30 October: 04:00 on 31 October in the Northern Mariana Islands. The difference between the two calendar dates reflects time zones, not two separate implementation stages.
The measure covers prospective applicants and existing EVS-TAP approvals. A traveller holding an earlier approval cannot rely on its printed validity for a new journey after the suspension. The notice preserves the authorised stay of people already admitted under EVS-TAP and lawfully present at commencement. That protection does not authorise another admission after departure. Nor does the suspension restore the earlier Chinese visitor parole policy, which ended when EVS-TAP began in February 2025.
Reassess the visitor route before keeping a flight booking
The State Department’s Visitor Visa guidance distinguishes temporary business visits under B-1 from tourism under B-2 and combined B-1/B-2 travel. It is the practical starting resource for an affected visitor who needs a visa. Business meetings and contract negotiations differ from taking employment; the visitor route does not authorise ordinary work, degree study or permanent residence.
The guidance identifies the passport, DS-160 confirmation page, applicable payment receipt and photograph requirements. Officers may also request evidence of the trip’s purpose, ability to pay and intended departure. A prepaid hotel or airline ticket does not replace those requirements. The standard listed application charge is USD 185, with any applicable issuance charge checked separately by nationality. Applicants should use the receiving embassy’s instructions for payment and interview arrangements, rather than assuming the suspended online authorisation can be converted automatically into a visitor visa.
Complete the visa form and appointment as separate stages
The State Department’s DS-160 page provides the official link to the Consular Electronic Application Center. This is the online nonimmigrant visa form, not an admission authorisation or a replacement for the subsequent consular process. Save and print the confirmation page required for the appointment and follow the post’s specific instructions after submitting the form.
In practice, a family that previously relied on EVS-TAP must reassess each traveller’s documents rather than simply change one booking reference. The visa application process and any interview cannot be presumed complete because the traveller previously passed a different programme’s screening. Use the DS-160 resource to prepare the correct form and the visitor guidance to establish the supporting file. Allow for the receiving post’s availability and any additional processing; there is no confirmed universal replacement-processing deadline in the suspension notice.
Do not confuse EVUS with the cancelled travel permission
CBP’s Electronic Visa Update System guidance explains that EVUS is a separate requirement for Chinese nationals travelling on specified ten-year B-1, B-2 or B-1/B-2 visas. EVUS is not itself a visa. Consequently, obtaining or updating an EVUS enrolment cannot make an EVS-TAP-only traveller eligible to board without the otherwise required visa.
Travellers who already hold an applicable ten-year visitor visa should check its validity and their EVUS position through the official system. CBP describes enrolment as generally usable for multiple journeys over two years, subject to earlier limits linked to passport or visa validity. A change of passport or expired enrolment may therefore require attention even where the visa remains valid. This is a second documentary check after identifying the lawful visa route, not a continuation of the suspended waiver.
Check the current enrolment charge and unresolved travel arrangements
CBP’s fiscal-year 2027 fee notice lists the inflation-adjusted EVUS charge at USD 31.75, replacing the previous fiscal-year figure of USD 30.75. That fee is separate from the visitor visa application charge. Older general information still referring to a USD 30 enrolment should not be used as the final current payment instruction; use the official enrolment system and current fee notice.
The immediate action is to establish whether the traveller was already admitted or is planning a new entry, then verify the appropriate visa and any EVUS requirement before departure. The suspension notice supplies no guaranteed reopening date. Airline rebooking, refunds and accommodation cancellation remain separate contractual questions; the immigration measure does not promise reimbursement or an exception for tickets purchased before it was announced.
