- Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on facilitators of commercial arrangements for childbirth in the United States.
- A State Department task force will review visa holders worldwide and pursue revocations in applicable cases.
- The measure targets people tied to commercial operations; it does not ban pregnant visitors or childbirth in the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on September 23, 2026, targeting people who knowingly arrange or facilitate travel to the United States for childbirth. The action focuses on commercial networks and others who support or profit from the practice.
The announcement came hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States for a summit with President Donald Trump. The timing placed the new policy alongside a high-level meeting between the two leaders.
Rubio said the restrictions would reach people who knowingly take part in, have taken part in, or facilitate the arrangements. The State Department also said some family members could fall within the policy.
The measure concerns visa decisions. It does not make giving birth in the United States illegal, and the department described no blanket visa ban on pregnant foreign nationals.
The policy names commercial operators, fixers and medical providers
The State Department identified owners, operators and managers of commercial networks as targets. It also named visa “fixers” who coach applicants to commit fraud, foreign medical providers who knowingly facilitate travel and fraudulent Medicaid use, and others who support or enable commercial arrangements.
Rubio cited Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as the policy’s legal basis. He framed the action as a response to exploitation of U.S. immigration law and citizenship.
“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.”
Rubio also described the announcement as a new visa restriction policy under that provision. The categories he listed extend beyond people who arrange travel themselves, reaching service providers and others who knowingly help the operations.
A State Department task force will review visa holders worldwide
The department said its Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force will examine visa holders around the world. It will identify cases involving the practice, pursue visa revocations where applicable and work to dismantle networks that profit from arranging U.S. births.
That review gives the policy a continuing enforcement component beyond decisions on new applications. The stated focus is on people tied to the commercial activity, including those who facilitate it or benefit from it.
The department’s announcement also said certain family members may be covered. It did not describe a separate blanket restriction applying to all relatives of people involved.
The announcement does not create a blanket ban on pregnant visitors
The practice involves traveling to the United States primarily so a child is born on U.S. soil and gains U.S. citizenship. The State Department has said that purpose is not a permissible basis for a visitor visa.
The new measure does not prohibit a foreign national from giving birth in the country. Instead, the announcement directs visa action at people involved in commercial operations and related fraud, including facilitators and those who knowingly profit.
Rubio said the policy was intended to prevent foreigners from exploiting immigration law and what he called the “sanctity of U.S. citizenship.” The department’s stated scope centers on organized arrangements, rather than pregnancy alone.
The summit concluded two days after the visa announcement
Trump and Xi concluded their summit on September 25, 2026, after a three-day visit. The schedule included tea at the White House and a tour of the National Archives.
The visa policy was announced before Xi’s arrival, as the summit approached. Its implementation now rests on the State Department’s review of visa holders and its stated effort to revoke visas in relevant cases.
