The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka warned on September 5, 2026, that a B1/B2 visitor visa cannot be used for birth tourism, paid work, or formal study for academic credit. It posted the warning on its verified Facebook page.
The embassy said the visa is meant for temporary travel. That includes tourism, short business trips, vacations, and medical treatment.
It is not for giving birth in the United States to secure citizenship for a child. It is not for working for an American employer or business, either.
The advisory also closed another loophole. Visa holders may not use the category for classes that count toward academic credit.
The warning lands amid a broader push from Washington. On August 6, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed Ending Birth Tourism, a presidential action that defines the practice as entering the United States on a nonimmigrant visa to give birth, or helping another foreign national do so.
The order gives the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security broad authority. They may deny visas, revoke visas or travel authorization, permanently bar entry, remove people who engaged in the practice, and target entities that facilitate it.
The embassy warning fits a larger enforcement drive
On August 12, 2026, the State Department announced a Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force to help carry out the policy. The task force said it had already revoked more than 600 visas.
The department said consular officers and federal agencies would review visa holders worldwide. They would act against people involved in birth tourism and the networks that help them.
Embassy advisories in Colombo and elsewhere have used similar language. Those notices said tourist visa applications would be denied if the main purpose of the trip was to give birth in the United States for citizenship purposes.
That pattern gives Dhaka's warning a wider reach. The message has now moved from one post to a coordinated campaign across the diplomatic network.
The visitor visa category is being narrowed in practice
B1 visas cover temporary business travel. B2 visas cover tourism, family visits, and medical treatment. The embassy's warning draws a firm line between those uses and trips built around childbirth or employment.
The notice also tracks the administration's stated goal of stopping people from using nonimmigrant visas to secure U.S. citizenship for a newborn. It places the visa category squarely inside a larger enforcement push.
Washington has paired that effort with public warnings, task force action, and visa revocations. The State Department said the task force would keep reviewing visa holders and the groups that assist them.
The embassy in Dhaka made clear that the same limits apply to work and study. The warning arrived on the same day it was posted, and the broader campaign is still moving through the visa system.
