Folks coming into the USA to have babies

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How do you all feel about non-americans coming into the USA just to have their babies??? I mean folks where neither parent is a citizen and do not want to be a citizen.

To address the issue of people coming in and paying cash, and doing everything by the book, because they believe the US will provide the best care for their baby...I am totally fine with that. So long as there are no loose ends untied, payment is handled appropiately, and entry to the country for the birth is legally approved, by all means, I am fine with that.

I'm fine with most of it -- I just have an issue with the infants automatically becoming US citizens. I think that should be changed. In most first-world countries, you don't automatically become a citizen just because you happened to be born in the country (to non-citizen parents).

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

If we didn't have people coming across from Reynosa, MX to have babies, our NICU would surely have too low a census to support having me and others on staff. They make up probably half or 2/3 of our babies.

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If we didn't have people coming across from Reynosa, MX to have babies, our NICU would surely have too low a census to support having me and others on staff. They make up probably half or 2/3 of our babies.

This is true for us, too. Half of our census is usually Hispanic.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Something to be said for job security....

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Specializes in Hospice.
I'm fine with most of it -- I just have an issue with the infants automatically becoming US citizens. I think that should be changed. In most first-world countries, you don't automatically become a citizen just because you happened to be born in the country (to non-citizen parents).

I didn't know that ... what countries and what are their rules?

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

[

QUOTE=elkpark;4041405]I've read magazine articles in the past (and I no longer have any idea where or when, so have no links) discussing that a lot of well-off families in the various Far Eastern countries do this -- take a vacation to the US so that the infant will be born in the US and be a citizen -- in sort of the same way that lots of people in the US used to give a US Savings Bond as a baby gift, just as a sort of insurance for the future, so that the kid will always have the option of living/working in the US if s/he chooses to use it.

How does receiving a US Savings Bond as a baby gift guarantee someone will always have the option of living/working in the US? I looked it up and can't find any information about it.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
I didn't know that ... what countries and what are their rules?

I had some interest in this because my youngest brother has what some term "dual citizenship" as he was born in a country that also has "jus solis" (if one is born on the soil of a nation, one is a citizen). He had 2 passports, one to enter the US and another to enter the other country, he was not required to get visas.

I saw a list and this "jus solis" seemed to be a more common policy in the Americas. Europe (in general) seems to have different standards. It is a policy that has been credited with helping to integrate various nationalities. It was a policy used by many nations (especially the Americas) that were trying to expand their populations back in the day.

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How does receiving a US Savings Bond as a baby gift guarantee someone will always have the option of living/working in the US? I looked it up and can't find any information about it.

It doesn't guarantee that -- I just mentioned that because it used to be v. common to give a US Savings Bond as a baby gift, instead of something pretty and/or fun, because the Savings Bond would eventually mature and provide some (limited) financial security in the future. The idea was giving a gift that would provide a tangible benefit to the child in the future. The families from other countries that make a point of having their babies in the US are doing that in the same spirit -- that the US citizenship will be available if the child wants to make use of it later on, and it's a tangible benefit for the child's future.

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Specializes in OR.
I didn't know that ... what countries and what are their rules?

I am currently working overseas in central asia and my husband and I went to Istanbul, Turkey to have our son last year. Because we both are american citizens, our son was automatically an american citizen at birth. We would have had to apply with the Turkish government if we wanted Jack to be considered for Turkish citizenship. Most countries in this part of the world operate like that.

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Specializes in CTICU.

In Australia:

Most children born in Australia before 20 August 1986 are Australian citizens by birth. Children born after that date are only Australian citizens if at least one parent was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of their birth. Children born in Australia to parents who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, automatically acquire Australian citizenship on their 10th birthday if they have lived most of their life in Australia.

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

it doesn't bother me. (addressing the op's question)

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