Birth tourism crackdown: US revokes over 6,000 visas, targets facilitators
The US state department has revoked more than 6,000 visas belonging to people it said had engaged in or facilitated birth tourism. The latest figure is higher than the more than 4,000 visa revocations for birth tourism announced by the department in an October 31 post. In its October announcement, the department said more than 700 of the revoked visas belonged to Chinese nationals. The state department established its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force on August 12, announcing at the time that it had already revoked more than 600 visas worldwide. On September 23, secretary of state Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions targeting individuals who knowingly engage in or facilitate birth tourism.
The department subsequently announced an online portal for reporting suspected visa fraud.
In a post on X the department said, “The Department of State’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has now revoked more than 6,000 visas from foreigners who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism,” the department said on Thursday. Under a state department rule, travelling to the US “with the primary purpose of obtaining US citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States is an impermissible basis for the issuance of a B non-immigrant visa”. “We are identifying and holding accountable everyone involved in this illicit practice. However, since both figures were stated as thresholds, they do not indicate the exact number of additional revocations. The latest statement did not provide a breakdown by nationality. The announcement relates specifically to visa revocations and does not, by itself, mean that those affected were deported or convicted of any offence. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines The rule also establishes a rebuttable presumption of birth tourism when a consular officer has reason to believe that a visa applicant intends to give birth in the US during her stay. It does not alter the country’s existing citizenship laws. The restrictions may also extend to certain family members. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.