The United States on Wednesday announced a strict new visa restriction policy specifically targeting individuals and commercial networks that facilitate birth tourism. Unveiled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the latest policy significantly builds upon existing US State Department regulations which states that traveling to the US primarily for childbirth to secure automatic American citizenship for a child is an impermissible use of a visitor visa.

What's Behind The Move?

In an official statement, released by the US State Department, Rubio highlighted the fraudulent use of the Medicaid system to enable commercial birth tourism. He asserted that the Trump Administration is using every tool to defend the integrity of US citizenship and protect American public benefits.

“The Trump Administration is using every tool at our disposal to defend the integrity of US citizenship, protect American public benefits and US taxpayers from exploitation, and safeguard our national security. 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 US citizenship,” Rubio noted.

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Who Will Face Restrictions?

According to the official statement, the policy targets individuals who knowingly engage in, have engaged in, or facilitate birth tourism to the US. This may include owners, operators, and managers of commercial birth tourism facilitation networks. The policy also extends to visa "fixers" who coach applicants to commit fraud and foreign medical providers who knowingly abet and facilitate such travel.

The statement also highlighted that such networks advertise and coach foreign nationals to lie on US visa applications. They then collect tens of thousands of dollars to arrange births in the country for “the sole purpose of obtaining US citizenship.”

What Is Birth Tourism?

Birth tourism refers to the practice of foreign visitors travelling to the US mainly to give birth so that their child automatically receives US citizenship under the country's birthright citizenship law. While the government does not officially track such cases, private estimates suggest that around 20,000 to 26,000 babies are born each year to foreign visitors.

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