&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Hours before Xi-Trump meeting, US announces visa curbs targeting birth tourism: What is it?")
Hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the US for a high-stakes summit with US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to restrict visas for those who “engage in or facilitate” birth tourism." In a statement, Rubio said that the restrictions target foreigners who "knowingly engage in, have engaged in, or facilitate birth tourism," including non-citizens who work in the birth tourism industry, as well as fixers who coach visa applicants to commit fraud, as well as others "who support, abet, and enable commercial birth tourism."
“By restricting visa issuance of those who both engage in and profit from this fraud, we are sending a clear message: the United States will not allow foreigners to exploit our immigration system and violate the sanctity of US citizenship,” the statement released by Rubio added. The Trump administration has cracked down on birth tourism as it remained key promise of Trump’s immigration agenda. Rubio also said: “The Trump administration is using every tool at our disposal to defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship, protect American public benefits and U.S. taxpayers from exploitation, and safeguard our national security.”
What is Birth Tourism?
Birth tourism is the practice of travelling to the United States for the primary purpose of giving birth so the child obtains US citizenship. United States and Canada are popular choices for it due to constitutional birthright citizenship laws. While giving birth on foreign soil is not inherently illegal, problems arise when expectant mothers misrepresent their travel intentions or lie on visa applications to hide a late-stage pregnancy from immigration officials, which constitutes visa fraud. Governments have increasingly scrutinized the practice. For instance, the U.S. State Department classifies birth tourism as an impermissible use of a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, and administrative actions have targeted commercial "birth tourism" operations and tightened visa restrictions. China has been a particular focus of federal department as several cases targeting large-scale birth tourism operations catering predominantly to Chinese clients have been caught. Chinese nationals have reportedly travelled to clinics on the West Coast and to Saipan — part of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — to give birth and obtain citizenship.
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Xi-Trump visit
Xi Jinping has arrived in the United States, with Trump welcoming him at Joint Base Andrews air base. On September 24, Trump and Jinping will begin with a State Arrival Ceremony at the White House, featuring 479 military personnel from all branches, a full honour cordon, national anthems, remarks by both leaders, a military review and demonstrations, followed by a flyover by a B-2 Spirit and four F-22 Raptors. After the ceremony, Trump and Xi will hold a bilateral meeting, while Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan will visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. In the evening, Trump and Melania will welcome Xi and Peng at the White House for a State Dinner, where both leaders are expected to deliver remarks. On Friday, September 25, the two couples will have tea in the Red Room before visiting the National Archives to view records significant to US-China relations, where the Trumps will bid farewell to the Chinese leaders.
