The US State Department revoked more than 600 visas in a single month as part of a crackdown on so-called birth tourism, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, warning that “American citizenship is not for sale”.
What did Rubio say about ‘birth tourism’?
Rubio said in a post on X that birth tourism rings were profiting from the exploitation of America’s laws by coaching foreign nationals to defraud the US visa system, arranging travel and housing, and forging documents to help foreign nationals secure citizenship for their children.
American citizenship is not for sale.
But elaborate birth tourism rings are profiting off the exploitation of America's laws- coaching foreigners to defraud the U.S. visa system, arranging travel and housing, and even forging documents, all to enable foreign nationals to obtain…
He said the State Department had established a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to review visa holders’ activities and dismantle such networks. According to the post, the task force draws on information from the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to examine visa holders’ activities and travel records.
Rubio added that the department would use all available tools to dismantle ‘birth tourism networks’ and defend the integrity of US citizenship.
A community note on X pointed to the Trump administration’s Gold Card programme, under which foreign nationals can obtain US residency and a path to citizenship for a contribution of between $1 million and $2 million, along with a copy of the Gold Card executive order.
How does the Trump administration define ‘birth tourism’?
The administration describes ‘birth tourism’ as travel to the US on a non-immigrant visa for the specific purpose of giving birth there. On August 6, Trump signed new executive orders seeking to restrict birthright citizenship in certain circumstances, including cases involving alleged birth tourism.
Officials have said some operators advertise services covering visa coaching, accommodation and hospital bookings, and have pointed to cases where travellers concealed the real reason for their visit. The move comes amid a wider Trump administration effort to restrict birthright citizenship, which is rooted in the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause.
The crackdown comes amid a broader legal fight over birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court recently reaffirmed broad protections for children born on US soil, while the Trump administration’s latest orders seek to restrict citizenship in narrower circumstances, including cases involving alleged birth tourism. The new measures are expected to face further legal challenges.
For Indian travellers, the crackdown is particularly relevant to those applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas. These visas can be used for tourism, visiting family or friends and genuine medical treatment, but not if the main purpose of the trip is to give birth in the US so that the child can obtain citizenship.
Under current State Department rules, if a consular officer believes an applicant is likely to give birth in the US during the trip, the officer must presume that securing citizenship for the child is the main reason for the visit. The applicant can still overcome that presumption by showing that there is another legitimate primary purpose for the trip. Being pregnant, by itself, does not mean a visa will be refused, and consular officers are not supposed to routinely ask applicants if they are pregnant.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (AP File) 
