The US State Department has dismantled birth tourism networks abroad and revoked the visas of those involved.
The US State Department says it has broken up several birth tourism networks operating overseas and revoked the visas of foreign nationals linked to them. In a series of statements posted on June 10, the department said no foreigner is permitted to obtain a visitor visa for the primary purpose of gaining US citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States. The announcements described enforcement actions across West Africa, Europe, and North Africa.
The department said a US embassy in West Africa uncovered a network of more than 100 foreign nationals who used fraudulent documents and visa fixers to obtain visas, with the aim of securing US citizenship for their children. According to the statement, the department shut down the operation, revoked the visas, and is coordinating with local authorities to identify similar schemes.
In Europe, a US embassy identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases since 2024. Investigators traced them to at least six companies that, the department said, coached applicants on what to say in visa interviews, arranged housing in the United States, and set up delivery plans. The department said it revoked the visas and permanently barred several individuals from traveling to the US.
A US embassy in North Africa revoked more than 100 visas for parents the department described as birth tourists, saying they had traveled to the United States primarily to give birth so their children would receive citizenship. The department said consular officers worked with law enforcement and used data analytics to identify the networks.
The State Department framed the actions as part of a wider effort. It said a US visa is a privilege rather than a right, and that it is acting to stop the abuse, dismantle networks, and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system.
Birth tourism visa rules and the wider crackdown
The enforcement builds on existing rules. In 2020, the State Department adopted a regulation allowing consular officers to deny B-1 and B-2 visitor visas when they determine the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States. The rule created a presumption that applicants likely to give birth during their stay may be traveling for that reason, and gave officers discretion to refuse the visa.
Birth tourism refers to travel undertaken mainly to give birth in a country that grants citizenship by birth. In the United States, the Fourteenth Amendment grants citizenship to most people born on US soil, a principle known as jus soli. Giving birth in the US is not itself illegal, but officials have raised concerns about travelers entering on tourist visas with the primary intent of obtaining citizenship for a child. A record of birth tourism can also affect future visa applications, leading to added scrutiny.
The current actions are part of a broader immigration enforcement push. Separately, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the Department of Homeland Security, launched an initiative in 2026 targeting networks suspected of facilitating birth tourism. The issue has also featured in legal proceedings. During Supreme Court arguments on April 1, 2026, the US Solicitor General referred to a large industry built around the practice.
Estimates of its scale vary. In 2020, the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that about 33,000 births a year were linked to women on tourist visas, while the Niskanen Center suggested that figure was overstated. Public opinion on the related question of birthright citizenship has also been measured. An April 2026 poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that 64 percent of respondents opposed ending birthright citizenship, while 32 percent supported it.
The State Department said it would continue to take action worldwide. It indicated that consular officers would keep working with law enforcement to identify and disrupt similar operations, and that individuals found to have abused the system could face visa revocation and travel bans.
For applicants, the department said the standard remains unchanged. A visitor visa cannot be used primarily to obtain citizenship for a child through birth in the United States.
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