US Government Revokes Over 6000 Visas Of Foreigners Accused Of Engaging In Birth Tourism
US Government Revokes Over 6000 Visas Of Foreigners Accused Of Engaging In Birth Tourism
The department disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, saying its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force had revoked the visas as part of efforts to clamp down on the practice.
The United States Department of State has announced the revocation of more than 6000 visas belonging to foreign nationals accused of engaging in or facilitating birth tourism.
The department disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, saying its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force had revoked the visas as part of efforts to clamp down on the practice.
According to the statement, the task force is targeting both individuals who engage in birth tourism and those who facilitate the practice.
“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.
It added that the United States government was determined to identify and hold accountable everyone involved in the practice.
“We are identifying and holding accountable everyone involved in this illicit practice,” the statement added.
The latest figure represents an increase from the more than 4000 visas the department said it had revoked over birth tourism in an announcement on October 31.
However, the department did not provide a breakdown of the nationalities affected or the number of individuals who directly participated in the practice as against those who facilitated it.
Birth tourism refers to the practice of foreign nationals travelling to another country, particularly the United States, primarily to give birth so their children can acquire citizenship by virtue of being born there.
The practice has attracted increased scrutiny from the administration of President Donald Trump, which has described it as an abuse of the country’s immigration and visa systems.
In August, the State Department established the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to investigate the activities of visa holders, identify individuals involved in the practice and dismantle networks allegedly making money from arranging such trips.
The department said the task force would analyse information from different government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to identify suspicious travel patterns and cases involving misrepresentation of travel intentions.
At the time of its establishment on August 12, the task force had already revoked more than 600 visas globally.
The crackdown is also backed by existing US visa regulations introduced in January 2020, which prohibit the issuance of visitor visas to applicants whose primary purpose for travelling to the country is to give birth to obtain American citizenship for their children.
Under the regulation, consular officers can deny a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa application where there is reason to believe that the applicant intends to travel primarily for that purpose.
However, the restriction does not automatically prohibit pregnant women from visiting the United States.
Applicants may still qualify for visitor visas where they establish a legitimate purpose of travel other than obtaining citizenship for a child through birth.
The Trump administration further intensified its campaign in August 2026 through an executive order directing relevant government agencies to take measures against individuals and organisations involved in facilitating birth tourism.
The State Department has also warned that foreigners who deliberately misrepresent their travel intentions could become permanently ineligible for US visas or entry into the country.
The latest announcement did not indicate whether the more than 6000 individuals whose visas were revoked had been deported or faced criminal prosecution.
