HAGÅTÑA (Office of the Guam Governor) — Expanding the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program or VWP to include the Philippines would be good for the islands, good for the region, and good for the United States by aligning regional immigration policy with broader national economic, diplomatic, and security interests in the Indo-Pacific.
In a joint letter to the Secretaries of Homeland Security and the Interior, Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and CNMI Governor David M. Apatang make the case that a VWP carveout allowing travel exclusively to Guam and the CNMI would be consistent with federal policy encouraging a controlled process for cross-border travel in the region that both upholds federal immigration law and supports regional needs.
Those needs include strengthening regional alliances by further recognizing the Philippines’ status as a decades-long treaty ally; expanding regional mobility and connectivity to facilitate increased travel demand and spur additional air traffic; and enhancing economic diversification and stability by strengthening existing commercial activity and creating opportunities for new business investment in line with U.S. goals of fostering a more resilient and sustainable economic base aligned with its interests in the Pacific.
Hoping to address concerns regarding border security, traveler screening, and immigration compliance, the Governors pledge continued collaboration with federal partners on requirements including pre-travel authorization, traveler vetting protocols, and strict limitations on the duration and purpose of visits.
The Governors also remind the Trump Cabinet Secretaries that Guam and the CNMI are central to the United States’ strategic posture in the Pacific and that expanding the VWP to include eligible Filipino travelers to the islands would help advance both federal and regional objectives.
