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Banzai Cliff, Saipan — Northern Mariana Islands

Oceania · Pakistan

Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

VisitVisaInfo Editorial Team

Our Northern Mariana Islands guide is built from official government and embassy sources.

Last updated

On this page
  1. Document requirements
  2. Fees and timeline
  3. Fees
  4. Timeline
  5. How to apply
  6. Visa ratio
  7. FAQ
  8. Official sources
  9. Related guides

Northern Mariana Islands · Banzai Cliff, Saipan · Abasaa · Public domain

Summary

Embassy visa required
Visa type
U.S. B-1/B-2 visitor visa (no CNMI visa-free route for Pakistan)
Stay limit
Set by the CBP officer on admission
Entries
As printed on the U.S. visa

Since the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program rule of January 2009, U.S. immigration law applies in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and CBP treats the CNMI as U.S. soil for entry. That waiver scheme is restricted to a dozen participating countries and areas, and the separate CNMI arrangement for Chinese passport holders does not extend to anyone else. Pakistan is in neither scheme and is not a Visa Waiver Program country, so a Pakistani visitor must hold a B-1/B-2 visa from the State Department before flying to Saipan, Tinian or Rota.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands stretches north of Guam across fourteen islands, with most visitors heading to Saipan for Managaha Island, the Grotto dive site and the Banzai Cliff memorials, or to quieter Tinian and Rota. It is a U.S. commonwealth, and its border is run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

That was not always so. The CNMI once managed its own immigration, but a CBP rule of January 2009 created six ports of entry in the islands and brought them under federal immigration law. Today CBP lists the CNMI among the places that make up the "United States" when it comes to entry.

Two visa-free schemes reach the islands, and neither covers Pakistan. The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program admits only a dozen participating countries and areas, and a separate CNMI arrangement allows short stays only for citizens of the People's Republic of China. Pakistan is also not in the main Visa Waiver Program.

What Pakistani travellers need, then, is the regular American B-1/B-2. In Pakistan that means the DS-160 form, an MRV fee paid through CGI and, for nearly everyone since August 2025, an in-person interview at the embassy in Islamabad or the consulate in Karachi. The embassy also flags Presidential Proclamation 10998.

The visa is the same one used for the mainland, Hawaii or Guam, so a single B-1/B-2 can cover a multi-island Pacific itinerary. On landing at Saipan International Airport, a CBP officer still decides whether to admit you, so carry evidence of your plans and return ticket.

Checklist

Document requirements

  • Pakistani passport valid for travel
  • Confirmation page of the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa form
  • MRV fee receipt from CGI, the embassy contractor
  • Interview appointment in Islamabad or Karachi
  • Supporting papers on trip purpose, finances and ties to Pakistan
  • Booking for the return or onward journey from the CNMI

Pakistanis cannot use Form I-736, the G-CNMI ETA or ESTA. The U.S. Embassy says applicants in Pakistan generally need an in-person interview, including those under 14 and over 79.

Checklist source: pk.usembassy.gov, pk.usembassy.gov

Money and time

Fees and timeline

Fees

  • Official fee

    US$185

    Nonrefundable U.S. B-1/B-2 application (MRV) fee — the Northern Mariana Islands has no separate visa fee. Same amount as the U.S. visitor visa, paid in rupees at the consular rate. Confirm on travel.state.gov before paying.

    Fee source

Timeline

  • Processing and appointments

    No official processing time is given. Interview waits in Pakistan vary, so start the DS-160 and appointment booking well before any trip to the Northern Mariana Islands.

Official links

How to apply

You will leave VisitVisaInfo for an official government or designated VAC website.

Check another passport

Not travelling to Northern Mariana Islands on a Pakistani passport? Pick other countries and the flight animation takes you to that guide.

PK
MP

Passport country first, then destination. Pages only show fees, timelines, and refusal rates that official sources have published.

Official statistics

Visa ratio

Not officially published

No CNMI-specific visa refusal statistics exist; U.S. Department of State data covers the whole United States.

A percentage is shown only when an official source published one for this route. Blog tables and estimates are left out.

Quick answers

FAQ

Do Pakistanis need a visa for the Northern Mariana Islands?

Yes. Federal immigration law governs the islands, and no visa-free scheme that reaches them includes Pakistan, so an American visitor visa is required.

When did U.S. immigration law start applying there?

The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program rule, published by CBP on 16 January 2009, set up six CNMI ports of entry and brought the islands under U.S. immigration law.

Can Pakistanis use the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program?

No. Only twelve countries and areas take part, most of them in Asia and the Pacific, with the United Kingdom the one European member. CBP's G-CNMI ETA site has the full list, and Pakistan is not on it.

I heard Chinese visitors go visa-free. Does that help me?

No. The CNMI EVS-TAP arrangement for stays of 14 days or less is only for People's Republic of China citizens.

What visa should I ask for?

Apply for the combined business and tourism visa, B-1/B-2. One visa serves holidays or business trips to the CNMI and anywhere else in America.

What are the steps in Pakistan?

Submit Form DS-160, settle the MRV payment with CGI, choose an interview slot and attend it in Islamabad (embassy) or Karachi (consulate).

How long does the fee payment last?

The embassy says MRV receipts are valid for 365 days, and you must schedule an interview within that time.

Do children need an interview?

Generally yes. Since 11 August 2025 the embassy expects in-person interviews for almost all applicants, including under-14s.

I hold a valid U.S. visa already. Can I go?

Yes, provided it is an unexpired visitor visa. CBP exempts U.S. visa holders from Form I-736, and Saipan is a U.S. port of entry.

Does Presidential Proclamation 10998 matter?

Possibly. According to the embassy, this proclamation has curbed visa issuance to citizens of 39 countries since 1 January 2026; look up whether Pakistan is affected before applying.

Is a visa a guarantee of entry at Saipan?

No. CBP officers at the port of entry decide whether to admit you and for how long.

How long can visa-waiver visitors stay, for comparison?

Up to 45 days under the Guam-CNMI program. As a B-1/B-2 holder you are not bound by that limit; the CBP officer sets your period of admission.

Is there a refusal rate for the CNMI?

No. No separate figure is published for the Northern Mariana Islands.

Checked against

Official sources

Last checked for Northern Mariana Islands visas on 28 October 2026. Rules change without notice, so confirm on the official pages before you apply or travel.

Compare Northern Mariana Islands with other countries: Visa-free, visa on arrival and eVisa countries for Pakistanis · Visa fees for Pakistani passports, country by country