US new visa rules to curb 'birth tourism'

Washington : The Trump administration on Thursday published new visa rules aimed at restricting "birth tourism", in which women travel to the US to give birth so their children can have a coveted US passport.

Applicants will be denied tourist visas if they are determined by consular officers to be coming to the US primarily to give birth, according to the rules in the Federal Register.

It is a bigger hurdle to overcome, proving they are travelling to the US because they have a medical need and not just because they want to give birth here. Those with medical needs will be treated like other foreigners coming to the US for medical treatment and must prove they have the money to pay for it — including transportation and living expenses.

The practice of travelling to the US to give birth is fundamentally legal, although there are scattered cases of authorities arresting operators of birth tourism agencies for visa fraud or tax evasion.

And women are often honest about their intentions when applying for visas and even show signed contracts with doctors and hospitals.