Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver: US Names 12 Countries Whose Citizens Qualify for Entry

• The United States government officially published the list of 12 countries eligible for the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Programme
• The programme is heavily concentrated in Asia-Pacific nations, with the UK and Australia as the only exceptions on the list
• African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa do not appear on the list of eligible nations

The United States government has released the official list of 12 countries whose citizens can enter Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) without going through the standard US visa application process.

Under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Programme (G-CNMI VWP), qualifying nationals may seek admission directly to both territories, skipping the lengthy visa procedures that apply to most of the world's travellers.

Countries eligible for US G-CNMI Visa Waiver

The 12 countries recognised under the programme are Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

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The list is dominated by Asia-Pacific nations, which reflects the close geographic and economic links between those countries and the US territories of Guam and the CNMI, both situated in the western Pacific Ocean.

The United Kingdom and Australia are the only two countries outside the immediate Asia-Pacific region to feature.

Taiwan's inclusion is referenced alongside the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which clarifies that its eligibility remains consistent with the United States' one-China policy and the unofficial nature of US-Taiwan ties since that year. Hong Kong appears as a separate entry, and mainland China does not qualify under the scheme.

Africa and most of the world remain excluded

The programme carries no representation from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, or continental Europe. Citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and the vast majority of countries worldwide are still required to obtain a standard US visa before travelling to either Guam or the CNMI.

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The concentrated nature of the list underscores how the waiver scheme is tailored primarily around the Pacific neighbourhood rather than global participation, meaning it remains inaccessible to travellers from most parts of the developing world.

Source: YEN.com.gh