US Embassy in India issues warning, says consular officers will deny tourist visa applications, if...

THE US Embassy in India announced on Thursday, December 11, that tourist visa applications will be denied if the primary reason for travel is suspected to be childbirth in the United States for citizenship purposes, as this is prohibited.

In a post on the social media platform X, the US Embassy in India informed, “U.S. 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 U.S. citizenship for the child. This is not permitted.”

The recent update comes after a strong warning from the US Mission to Nigeria in July, stating that visa applications will be denied if applicants are mainly travelling to the US to give birth there for citizenship.

US authorities have often raised similar concerns regarding travel for childbirth. Earlier this year, the US State Department in a post on X said, "It is unacceptable for foreign parents to use a U.S. tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain citizenship for the child, which also could result in American taxpayers paying the medical care costs.

It further added, “This is known as birth tourism and U.S. consular officers deny all such visa applications under U.S. immigration law. Those who abuse our immigration system through birth tourism may be ineligible for future visas or travel to the United States. This is one more way the U.S. Department of State is serving and protecting American taxpayers and communities.”

What is birth tourism?

Birth tourism in the US is the process by which foreigners travel to the country to give birth, ensuring their children automatically acquire US citizenship under the rights specified by the 14th Amendment.

US President Donald Trump has often flagged concerns about the misuse of 14th Amendment rights for birth tourism. In his first term, he issued a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Is Taking Action to End Birth Tourism, Protect National Security, and Curb the Abuse of Public Resources”, where he strongly criticised the practice of birth tourism.

“The Administration is taking action to end “birth tourism” – a practice in which aliens travel to the United States intending to give birth to gain citizenship for their children. Organisations bring in large numbers of aliens to systematically exploit this loophole and unfairly provide citizenship for their children,” according to a notice on the archives of the official White House website.