U.S. cracks down on ‘birth tourism’
The United States Embassy in Barbados has issued a strong warning to nationals from St Vincent and other Caribbean countries, stating that the use of tourist visas to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of giving birth and securing citizenship for their children is strictly prohibited. This renewed advisory is part of a broader crackdown on birth tourism, a practice that U.S. immigration authorities view as a misuse of the B-1/B-2 visa category.
According to the embassy, individuals applying for tourist visas who are suspected of intending to give birth in the United States will be denied entry, in accordance with federal visa policy updates enacted in 2020. The measure is designed to preserve the integrity of U.S. immigration law and prevent the exploitation of birthright citizenship provisions under the Fourteenth Amendment.
The advisory reiterates long-standing policy under U.S. immigration law, stating that utilizing a B-1/B-2 tourist visa to enter the country primarily to give birth — a practice widely referred to as “birth tourism” — is a misuse of the visa and will not be permitted. Visa applicants suspected of planning such activities will be refused entry under current regulations.
The embassy emphasized that the rule aligns with an amendment implemented by the U.S. Department of State on January 24, 2020. The regulation instructs consular officials to deny tourist visa applications when there is reasonable belief that the primary travel purpose is to give birth in the United States for the purpose of obtaining citizenship for the child.
Although the practice of birth tourism has existed for decades, the updated notice from the U.S. Embassy serves to deter attempts to exploit the country’s birthright citizenship principle. Under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, any child born on U.S. soil is automatically granted U.S. citizenship — a clause that has attracted thousands of foreign nationals annually.
According to legal sources, approximately thirty-three thousand babies are born each year in the United States to mothers who entered the country as tourists. This number does not include births from women who arrive on temporary visas or without proper documentation, suggesting that the total figure is significantly higher. This has led to growing concern among U.S. policymakers about the national security and immigration implications of the trend.
The reissued guidance aims to reinforce the distinction between lawful tourism and activities that violate the spirit and intent of U.S. immigration rules. While visiting the United States for medical care is not categorically prohibited, using a tourist visa primarily for childbirth with the goal of securing automatic citizenship for a newborn is expressly disallowed.
