The United States Embassy in Suva, Fiji, which continues to handle US visa applications for Tongan nationals despite the opening of an American embassy in Nukuʻalofa in 2023, has warned Tongan and other Pacific applicants that travelling to America primarily to give birth and obtain US citizenship for their children is prohibited under visitor visa rules.
The warning comes amid a renewed crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration on so-called birth tourism, including tougher visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals and organisations involved in arranging childbirth in the United States for citizenship purposes.
In a notice published on its official Facebook page, the Embassy said:
“Using your visa to travel for the purpose of giving birth in the United States is NOT permitted. Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The notice was accompanied by an image of a US passport and a warning that consular officers would refuse visa applications if they believed the purpose of travel was to give birth on American soil.
US tightens birth restrictions
Under US visitor visa regulations introduced in January 2020, consular officers can refuse applications when they have reason to believe an applicant’s primary purpose is to give birth in the United States to obtain American citizenship for their child.
The rules apply to B-category visitor visas, commonly used for tourism, family visits and certain medical purposes.
On 6 August 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal authorities to strengthen measures against birth tourism, including possible visa revocations, entry restrictions and action against individuals or organisations facilitating the practice.
The administration said some commercial operators had arranged travel and accommodation for pregnant foreign nationals while coaching applicants to conceal their intentions from US immigration officials.
On 23 September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced additional visa restrictions targeting individuals and commercial networks involved in facilitating birth tourism.
These included travel agents, visa intermediaries and medical providers knowingly assisting such arrangements.
Pregnancy does not bar entry
The restrictions do not mean that all pregnant women are automatically prohibited from travelling to the United States.
US immigration guidance distinguishes between travelling primarily to obtain citizenship for a newborn child and travelling for legitimate medical treatment.
Applicants seeking medical treatment may still qualify for visitor visas, although consular officers can require documentation confirming their medical arrangements, anticipated expenses and ability to pay for treatment.
The central issue is the applicant’s primary purpose of travel and whether the information provided during the visa application process is accurate.
