US Revokes 900 Visas Targeting Birth Tourism and Fraud

The figure, disclosed by State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, marks a significant increase from the 600 revocations announced when the task force was created. Pigott said the department is focusing on networks that advertise services to pregnant foreign nationals and coach applicants on how to misrepresent their travel intentions to consular officers.

“When that task force was announced, the Secretary noted that we had revoked over 600 visas. I can now say that we are at nearly 900 visas revoked since this task force was launched,” Pigott said in an interview. He described birth tourism as an “insidious practice” in which operators “disguise themselves as health care services” while facilitating what the administration considers visa fraud.

The State Department has defined birth tourism as travel to the United States primarily to give birth, with the expectation that the child will gain U.S. citizenship under birthright citizenship rules. Pigott accused these networks of coaching applicants to defraud U.S. officials and leaving American taxpayers to cover medical expenses. “They then coach these people to defraud the American people when they’re here and leave taxpayers putting the bill for their medical expenses,” he said.

The enforcement push builds on a 2020 rule that allowed consular officers to deny B-1/B-2 visitor visas if they believe an applicant’s primary purpose is to give birth in the United States. The latest revocations are part of a broader campaign that also includes shutting down birth tourism operations, Pigott said.

The State Department has not released a breakdown of the revoked visas by nationality or specific grounds. The announcement does not bar pregnant foreign nationals from traveling to the United States, but it underscores the importance of accurately stating the purpose of a visa application. Applicants who misrepresent their intentions can face serious immigration consequences.