The U.S. State Department says it is intensifying efforts worldwide to combat birth tourism schemes, revoking visas and dismantling networks accused of helping foreign nationals travel to the United States primarily to secure U.S. citizenship for their children.
In a statement issued this week, the department said consular officers and law enforcement partners have uncovered several organized operations across multiple regions that allegedly used fraudulent documents, visa consultants and coaching services to help applicants obtain U.S. visitor visas under false pretenses.
According to the State Department, a U.S. embassy in West Africa recently exposed what officials described as a sophisticated birth tourism network involving more than 100 foreign nationals. Investigators found that applicants were allegedly using fraudulent documentation and visa “fixers” to obtain entry into the United States.
As a result of the investigation, the visas of those involved were revoked and U.S. authorities are now working with local law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle similar operations.
The State Department also reported significant enforcement action in Europe, where a U.S. embassy identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases since 2024.
Investigators linked those cases to at least six companies that allegedly coached visa applicants on how to answer questions during interviews, arranged accommodations in the United States and coordinated plans for childbirth.
Officials said the companies were effectively marketing U.S. citizenship for children born on American soil and helping clients conceal their true travel intentions from consular officers.
The department said visas connected to the scheme have been revoked and several individuals involved in organizing the operations have been permanently barred from traveling to the United States.
In North Africa, consular officers working with law enforcement agencies and using data analytics identified several additional networks suspected of exploiting the U.S. immigration system.
Officials said more than 100 visas were revoked after investigators determined that the primary purpose of travel for those individuals was to give birth in the United States so their children could acquire American citizenship.
The State Department emphasized that U.S. law does not permit the issuance of visitor visas to applicants whose primary reason for travel is obtaining citizenship for a child through birth in the United States.
“Under President Trump, the State Department is defending the integrity of U.S. citizenship by ending illegal birth tourism schemes,” the department said.
The agency stressed that a U.S. visa is a privilege rather than a right and warned that individuals who attempt to misrepresent their travel intentions may face visa revocation and long-term restrictions on future travel to the United States.
Officials said efforts to identify and disrupt birth tourism operations will continue as part of a broader campaign to protect the integrity of the U.S. immigration and visa system.
The latest actions signal an increasingly aggressive approach by U.S. authorities toward individuals and organizations accused of facilitating birth tourism, with investigations now spanning multiple continents and involving hundreds of visa holders.