No Tourist Visa For Birthright Citizenship Trips: US Embassy
On January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an order to end birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to every individual born on American soil
Hyderabad: The US Embassy on Thursday reiterated that its consular officers will deny visas for pregnant women, whose primary purpose of travel to the United States is to give birth to a child and secure US citizenship for the offspring.
"US consular officers will deny tourist visa applications if they believe the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to obtain US citizenship for the child. This is not permitted," the US embassy in India said in the post on X.
According to a 2022 report of the US Senate’s committee on homeland security and government affairs, the practice of birth tourism after the US state department directed its consular officers to treat persons travelling to the US for giving birth as they treat those intending to travel to the US for any other medical treatment.
According to an estimate, 33,000 babies are born in the US every year as a result of birth tourism, apart from lakhs of children born to foreigners who have been staying in the US without a valid permit.
Several companies popped up in American cities to assist people in birth tourism. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prosecutions in California and Florida revealed operators charged up to $80,000 for “package deals” that included hospital deposits and luxury housing.
The US department of state amended its regulation for category B visa or visit visa — effective from January 24, 2020, empowering its consular officers to deny a visa if the person is traveling for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain US citizenship for the child.
Even if the consular officers grant the visa to pregnant woman, US Customs and Border Protection officers may deny entry if they determine the purpose of travel to be birth tourism.
According to the US Customs and Border Protection portal, “Although there are no specific regulations prohibiting pregnant foreign nationals from entering the United States, entry is allowed or denied at the discretion of the admitting US Customs and Border Protection Officer.”
“If the CBP officer determines that you are likely to become a ward of the government (meaning that the government must provide medical care because you do not have medical coverage), you can be denied entry,” the portal stated.