The United States Embassy in Barbados has warned Caribbean nationals, including those from Antigua and Barbuda, against misusing tourist visas to give birth in the US to secure citizenship for their children.
In a recent advisory, the embassy said applying for a B-1/B-2 visa with the primary intention of giving birth constitutes visa fraud and will lead to denial of entry.
The warning aligns with a 2020 federal policy aimed at curbing so-called birth tourism.
Under the Fourteenth Amendment, children born on US soil automatically acquire citizenship. This has made the US a destination for thousands of expectant foreign mothers each year.
The embassy said consular officials have been instructed to refuse visas if there is reasonable belief that the main purpose of travel is to deliver a child in the US.
US immigration authorities estimate that about 33,000 babies are born annually to mothers on tourist visas, with the actual number likely higher when undocumented and other temporary entrants are included.
The trend has raised national security and immigration concerns among US lawmakers.
