Many pregnant women visit America and give birth to their children there. Under American law, the child automatically receives American citizenship by birth. But this will no longer be allowed, the US Embassy announced on Thursday. The embassy also issued a warning that if it finds any tourist with this motive, their visa will be cancelled immediately.
Citizenship by birth is available in America. Simply put, if someone is born in America, they become an American citizen without any application or fee. But people often exploit this legal loophole by planning to give birth while visiting America. This number is huge and its official name is 'birth tourism.'
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In an X post today, the US Embassy stated, "U.S. consular officers will deny tourist visa applications if they believe the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child. This is not permitted." The embassy also announced that visa applications of many Indian citizens are already being re-examined.
US President Donald Trump has already decided to end birthright citizenship. He has also ordered a constitutional amendment. Once it becomes effective, the 125-year-old rule will be abolished instantly.
At the same time, the Trump administration has ordered increased screening of applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas. Along with document verification, embassy officials will now also examine applicants' social media posts made in the last five years. Notably, social media screening was previously conducted just for students or exchange visitors (F, M, J categories), but from December 15, the same rule will apply to H-1B and H-4 applicants as well.
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Every visa-related application undergoes screening to check for any security risks. The US Embassy stated that they want to ensure that applicants will work or travel in America as per the visa conditions.
