By Belize Live News Staff: The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against birth tourism, warning that foreign nationals who attempt to use U.S. visitor visas primarily to secure citizenship for their children could face serious consequences.
The U.S. Department of State says several embassies have already uncovered major birth tourism networks involving visa fixers, fraudulent documents and companies coaching applicants on how to answer questions during visa interviews.
Officials say hundreds of visas have been revoked and several individuals have been permanently barred from traveling to the United States.
The policy could matter to some Belizean Americans and Belizean families with strong ties to the United States.
Belize has a large diaspora in America, and travel between both countries is common. However, U.S. authorities are now paying closer attention to whether visitor visas are being used honestly or whether applicants are concealing their true reason for travel.
U.S. law allows pregnant women to travel, but the State Department says it will not allow visitor visas to be used mainly as a tool to obtain automatic citizenship for a child.
The crackdown also serves as a warning to Belizeans who may be approached by agents or so-called consultants promising guaranteed visas or special birth packages in the United States.
The safest path remains honesty and compliance with U.S. immigration rules.
As the State Department put it, a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.
