US embassy in China bans visas for 'birth tourism', violators permanently barred

In a recent social media announcement on platform X (formerly Twitter), the embassy references a statement by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, saying that exploiting the visa system to gain citizenship through childbirth is "unacceptable."

As a consequence, applicants identified as participating in birth tourism will have their visa requests denied, and violators will be permanently barred from future applications, the Dimsum Daily reported.

The crackdown targets individuals who intend to use the birthright citizenship provision of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. Under this amendment, anyone born on U.S. soil automatically receives American citizenship, granting substantial benefits such as easier access to education and the possibility of permanent residency for parents when the child reaches the age of 21.

This policy change follows several high-profile legal actions. Earlier this year, Phoebe Dong, a California resident, was sentenced to over three years in prison for operating a business that facilitated pregnant Chinese women traveling to the U.S. specifically to give birth, CNN reported.