The United States has introduced new visa restrictions against individuals who knowingly participate in or facilitate commercial “birth tourism” schemes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced.
Rubio disclosed the new policy on Wednesday, saying it would target people involved in organising or profiting from arrangements that bring foreign nationals to the US primarily to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children.
The restrictions will apply to owners, operators and managers of commercial birth tourism networks, as well as visa “fixers” accused of coaching applicants to commit fraud.
Foreign medical providers who knowingly assist such travel will also be affected, according to Rubio.
He said the policy was being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Foreign commercial birth tourism networks have exploited the U.S. immigration system to sell U.S. citizenship for profit.
“These networks advertise and coach foreign nationals to lie on U.S. visa applications and collect tens of thousands of dollars to arrange births on American soil for the sole purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship,” Rubio said in a statement.
The secretary said the new measures were directed at “individuals who knowingly engage in, have engaged in, or facilitate birth tourism to the United States”.
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According to Rubio, those covered by the policy include “owners, operators, and managers of commercial birth tourism facilitation networks, visa ‘fixers’ who coach applicants to commit fraud, foreign medical providers who knowingly abet and facilitate such travel and the fraudulent use of our Medicaid system, and other individuals who support, abet, and enable commercial birth tourism.”
Rubio said the Trump administration was using the new restrictions as part of efforts to protect the US immigration system and prevent the alleged misuse of public resources.
“The Trump Administration is using every tool at our disposal to defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship, protect American public benefits and U.S. taxpayers from exploitation, and safeguard our national security.”
He added, “By restricting visa issuance of those who both engage in and profit from this fraud, we are sending a clear message: The United States will not allow foreigners to exploit our immigration system and violate the sanctity of U.S. citizenship.”
The State Department also said the restrictions could extend to certain family members of individuals targeted by the policy.
Birth tourism generally involves foreign nationals travelling to the US with the primary intention of giving birth there so that their children can acquire US citizenship. The US State Department already considers birth tourism an impermissible purpose for obtaining a visitor visa.
The latest announcement follows earlier actions by the Trump administration aimed at curbing the practice.
In August, the White House highlighted remarks by Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, who said birth tourism had been banned and that visas could no longer be obtained for that purpose.
The administration has also introduced broader changes to immigration and visa screening policies.
However, Rubio’s announcement did not state that every foreign national seeking to give birth in the US would automatically face the new restriction. Instead, the policy specifically focuses on individuals who knowingly participate in, facilitate or profit from commercial birth tourism activities.