CBP Seeks Comments on Guam-CNMI Visa Form Updates
Published Date: 8/4/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
Advance Vetting and Boarding Authorization
Traveler information submitted through the automated system will be pre‑screened or vetted against law enforcement databases, and the system will generate a 'board' or 'no board' status message to the carrier before the flight. Applicants will receive an application status message of approved, denied, canceled, or pending.
Paper I-736 Replaced by Electronic
CBP will stop accepting the paper Form I-736 and require travelers under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program to submit information electronically in advance. After the regulation requiring automation is published, CBP will give a three-month transition period, and at the end of that period the paper form will become obsolete.
New Mandatory Contact and Passport Fields
CBP added mandatory fields to Form I-736 including foreign passport type and a valid email address, and added optional social media identifier and social media provider/platform fields. These data elements will be required for the automated Form I-736 used for Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver travelers.
CNMI EVS-TAP for PRC Travelers
CBP will create a new CNMI EVS-TAP system so passport holders of the People's Republic of China (PRC) traveling to the CNMI can submit advance information and answer additional vetting questions for a discretionary 14-day visa-free parole. This is a separate electronic vetting process for PRC travelers to the CNMI.
Estimated Time and Annual Burden
CBP estimates 1,370,000 respondents for Form I-736 with an estimated time per response of 21 minutes (total annual burden 479,500 hours), and 230,000 respondents for CNMI EVS-TAP with 26 minutes per response (total annual burden 99,667 hours).
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Key Dates
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