How a US crackdown is upending plans for Chinese ‘birth tourists’

AI Summary

The US government has tightened visa restrictions to crack down on 'birth tourism,' where pregnant visitors seek to secure American citizenship for their newborns. This policy change introduces greater visa scrutiny and could disrupt travel plans for Chinese nationals aiming to give birth in the United States.

Li, a woman in her late twenties from southwestern China, is anxious about her coming interview for a 10-year US visa. She has big plans for her travels – a weeks-long stay next year that would be her first visit to the country – followed by a planned return trip in two years while pregnant so her child can attain American citizenship. But those plans have been thrown into doubt. Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to end “birth tourism”, tightening scrutiny on...