Marco Rubio announces visa restrictions to target birth tourism

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced new visa restriction policies aimed at combating birth tourism and visa fraud. The directive, implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, targets individuals and organizations that facilitate foreign nationals traveling to the United States specifically to give birth for the purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship.

The restrictions apply to owners, operators, and managers of commercial birth tourism networks, visa ‘fixers’ who coach applicants to commit fraud, and foreign medical providers who knowingly abet such travel or the fraudulent use of the Medicaid system. Rubio stated that the policy is intended to prevent the exploitation of the immigration system, noting that these networks often charge tens of thousands of dollars to arrange births and coach applicants to lie on visa applications.

This move follows the recent establishment of a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force by the State Department, occurring six weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to address the practice.