US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Birth Tourism Facilitators

The United States has introduced new visa restrictions targeting people who knowingly organise, facilitate or profit from commercial birth tourism, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The policy, announced by Rubio, applies to individuals involved in facilitating travel to the US for the purpose of giving birth so that a child can obtain US citizenship.

It is being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and targets owners, operators and managers of commercial birth tourism facilitation networks.

Visa "fixers" who coach applicants to commit fraud on US visa applications are also covered by the policy. The restrictions extend to foreign medical providers who knowingly facilitate birth tourism or the fraudulent use of the US Medicaid system, as well as other individuals who support or enable such activities.

Rubio said commercial birth tourism networks have exploited the US immigration system by marketing services to foreign nationals and coaching some applicants to provide false information on visa applications.

According to Rubio, such networks can charge tens of thousands of dollars to arrange births in the US for the purpose of obtaining US citizenship.

The secretary of state said the Trump administration was using the new restrictions to protect the integrity of US citizenship, US public benefits and taxpayers.

The policy specifically targets people involved in or facilitating commercial birth tourism, rather than announcing a general visa restriction on foreign nationals travelling to the US.

Source: FSX Business News