The United States President Donald Trump's administration has warned visa holders against travelling to the US for the purposes of giving birth so that their children can obtain American citizenship.
In a move that could potentially affect foreigners planning to visit the US, including Kenyans, the US government noted that such acts are not permitted by law.
The US government, through its State Department of Consular Affairs, announced on Friday, August 29, that it would deny visa applications for individuals with such intentions.
"Reminder, using your U.S. visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have U.S. citizenship is not permitted," the US government warned.
It went on to add, "Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent."
This is after reports emerged that many foreigners travelled to America using tourist visas for childbirth to obtain US citizenship for their newborns.
Meanwhile, the warning comes two days after the Trump administration announced plans to shorten visa periods for some foreigners, including students and journalists from other countries.
The Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday, August 27, that the changes were necessary to crack down on visa abuse among foreigners living in the US.
"For too long, the past administration has allowed students and other visa holders to remain in the US virtually indefinitely, posing risks, costing taxpayers told amounts to taxpayers and devastating US citizens," said the Homeland Security.
Similarly, a month ago, the US government, through its embassy in Nairobi, announced new visa application changes for Kenyans seeking to travel to America.
In the changes, visa applicants must henceforth include all their social media details while filling out the DS-160 visa application form. This form is used when applying for temporary travel to the US for reasons such as tourism, business, education, or medical care.
"Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles from every platform they have used in the last five years," the US embassy in Nairobi stated.
