Washington, Aug 2026 : The United States has revoked more than 600 visas belonging to foreign nationals as part of a new campaign against so-called birth tourism, the State Department said on Wednesday, signaling a tougher approach toward individuals who allegedly travel to the country specifically to give birth.
The State Department said it has established a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to identify foreign nationals who use US visas for the purpose of giving birth and those involved in facilitating such travel. The initiative involves reviewing visa holders’ travel histories and other available information from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
According to the department, the task force will focus on identifying cases of birth tourism, revoking visas where appropriate and disrupting networks that allegedly profit from arranging such travel.
“The Birth Tourism task force has taken action by revoking more than 600 visas from foreign nationals across the globe to safeguard our nation from this abuse,” the department said in a fact sheet.
The State Department noted that visas can generally be revoked when authorities identify information indicating that a visa holder may no longer be eligible to enter the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has broad discretionary authority to revoke visas, the department said.
The latest action follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on August 6 that specifically targets birth tourism. The order defines the practice as travelling to the United States on a non-immigrant visa with the intention of giving birth on American soil. It also addresses individuals and organisations that facilitate such travel.
Under the order, the secretaries of state and homeland security are authorised to prevent entry, deny or revoke visas, remove individuals from the country and permanently bar people found to have participated in birth-tourism activities. Certain humanitarian and national-interest exemptions can be granted.
The State Department alleged that birth tourism has developed into a profitable industry, with operators advertising services that include assistance with visas, childbirth arrangements and hospital bookings. Some allegedly present themselves as doulas, midwives or wellness consultants while helping foreign nationals travel to the US for childbirth.
Officials also alleged that certain operators provide false medical documents, coach clients on how to conceal their intentions from consular officers and assist them in avoiding medical expenses. Online advertisements, the department said, sometimes promote the prospect of US citizenship for children born in the country.
The department cited several cases as examples. In one instance, a couple allegedly used a conference and shopping trip as explanations for their travel while intending to give birth in the United States. Authorities said the couple provided false information on two visa applications and concealed the existence of one child during the second application. Their visas were subsequently revoked.
In another case, a foreign government official reportedly obtained a visa for a one-week official visit but remained in the United States for three months and gave birth before departing. Her visa was also revoked.
A separate traveller reportedly claimed she intended to holiday in Orlando but instead travelled to Los Angeles, where she gave birth five days after arriving in the country.
The crackdown has also renewed attention on the constitutional basis for US birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, provides citizenship to people born or naturalised in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction.
The administration's latest measures are aimed specifically at the use of temporary visas for birth tourism and the networks that facilitate it, while the broader legal debate over birthright citizenship remains a significant issue in US immigration policy.
