New State Department rule to make it more difficult for pregnant applicants to get U.S. visas
newsdepo.com
The U.S. State Department released a new rule on visas Thursday, scheduled to be published on Jan. 24, aimed at decreasing so-called birth tourism. “Birth tourism,” according to the administration, is the action of a person traveling to the U.S. suNew State Department rule to make it more difficult for pregnant applicants to get U.S. visas
The U.S. State Department released a new rule on visas Thursday, scheduled to be published on Jan. 24, aimed at decreasing so-called birth tourism. “Birth tourism,” according to the administration, is the action of a person traveling to the U.S. supposedly solely for the purpose of giving birth in the country so that their child qualifies for U.S. citizenship. The new guidelines will allow U.S. consular officials to screen foreigners who they decide might be coming into the U.S. for this supposed purpose, USA Today reports, and will let them require those visitors to prove that they have the money to pay for potential expenses, including transportation, living, and associated medical costs, and to guarantee that obtaining citizenship for their child is not the primary reason for their travel. As USA Today notes, “White House officials offered no evidence or data to support assertions that ‘birth tourism’ is a growing problem. And critics quickly denounced the policy change, saying it's tantamount to a ‘handmaid's test’ and would pave the way for discrimination against female travelers.” Read more