The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to foreigners against traveling to America with the sole intention of giving birth, saying the practice is unlawful.
The U.S. State Department of Consular Affairs announced on Friday, August 29, that consular officers will deny visa applications if they suspect applicants intend to deliver babies in the United States to secure citizenship for their children.
“Reminder, using your U.S. visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have U.S. citizenship is not permitted,” the State Department stated.
It added: “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The warning follows reports that many foreigners, including Kenyans, have been misusing tourist visas for childbirth purposes.
The announcement came just two days after the Trump administration revealed new plans to shorten visa periods for certain categories of foreigners, including students and journalists, citing widespread abuse.
“For too long, the past administration has allowed students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing risks, costing taxpayers and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” the Department of Homeland Security said.
This also comes a month after the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi introduced stricter application requirements. Kenyans applying for visas are now required to list all their social media usernames from the past five years when filling out the DS-160 form for temporary travel.
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