The United States has reportedly cancelled more than 6,000 visas as part of its efforts to crack down on birth tourism. Birth tourism is the practice of travelling to another country, especially the United States, to give birth so that the child can receive citizenship under the country’s birthright citizenship system. The Donald Trump administration has increased checks on visitor visa applications suspected of being linked to birth tourism. The US State Department has reportedly cancelled over 6,000 visas connected to such activities. Authorities are also investigating whether some applicants provided false or misleading information about the purpose of their visits. Under the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment, most children born on American soil automatically receive US citizenship, regardless of their parents’ nationality or immigration status, subject to limited exceptions. This has made the US a destination for some foreign nationals seeking American citizenship for their children. The stricter action has raised concerns among international travellers, including Indians planning to visit the US on tourist visas. However, travelling to the US during pregnancy is not automatically illegal. Visitors must be honest about their travel purpose, and US visa rules restrict using visitor visas primarily to obtain US citizenship for a child through birth tourism. This development highlights the Trump administration’s tougher approach to immigration enforcement. Indian travellers and other foreign visitors should carefully follow US visa rules, provide accurate information during visa interviews and avoid misrepresenting their travel plans. Visa violations or false statements could lead to visa cancellation and difficulties obtaining future US visas.
