Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Geckoman]

Korean pregnant women are rushing to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) -- of which the largest island is Saipan -- to give birth so that their new born baby will have American citizenship. This is nothing new. It has been going on for years. A few months ago I even met a Korean student whose cousin was born in Guam. This scheme has created an entire industry in which rich Korean pregnant mothers-to-be fly to Guam or Saipan so that they can give birth there so that their new born baby will have American citizenship. There are companies that arrange it all, from the airplane tickets to the lodging, and all for a hefty price. As in America, one is automatically granted American citizenship if one is born on American soil, and Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are a part of the US of A. Here's a recent article about it. Any thoughts?



See the article at http://www.mvariety.com/frontpage/front01.htm
or see below.
_____________________________________

Tourists Make NMI a Place to Give Birth to US Citizen Children

By Haidee V. Eugenio
Variety Assistant Editor

TOURISTS, even in an advanced stage of pregnancy, travel to the CNMI to take advantage of an immigration system that automatically grants U.S. citizenship to children born here regardless of the nationality or immigration status of their parents.

One of them, in her eighth month of pregnancy, arrived on Saipan from Korea early Wednesday morning.

Other pregnant tourists also from Korea are expected to arrive on Saipan
in September, it was learned.

In the last few months, tourists have given birth to their U.S. citizen children at the Commonwealth Health Center and then left the CNMI when they received their children�s birth certificates and passports.

Division of Immigration director Melvin Grey yesterday reiterated that there is nothing in federal or local laws that prevents travel into the CNMI by pregnant women or makes pregnancy a ground for �exclusion.�

�There is no law preventing the travel of pregnant women and the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says all persons born in the United States are citizens of the U.S.,� said Grey.

Some airlines, however, do have policies restricting the travel of women in an advanced stage of pregnancy for medical and liability concerns but these can be easily circumvented.

Under the CNMI visa waiver program and the visitor entry program, tourists are allowed to remain in the islands initially for 30 days but this can be extended for up to 60 days for a total of three months.
Grey said tourists sometimes ask for extensions while waiting for the release of the newborn�s passport.

�You cannot force them out,� said Grey, adding, however, that Immigration is �looking into whether there�s criminal interest� or fraud in instances where third parties may be getting money from tourists giving birth in the CNMI.

Grey said while it is not illegal for tourists visiting the CNMI to give birth here, some members of the community may see this as �not right,� and as a moral issue.

Grey, a former immigration official on the U.S. mainland, cited instances of women from Mexico crossing the border just to give birth in the United States.

However, Grey said Immigration is very much aware of the concern about tourists taking advantage of the immigration system.

The U.S. Constitution grants automatic U.S. citizenship to those who are born in the U.S. The CNMI, as a U.S. commonwealth, is covered by this provision.

The CNMI�s visa waiver program applies to citizens from South Korea, along with those from other countries like Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and most European countries.

Citizens from these countries can come to the CNMI without a visa and don�t need individuals to �sponsor� them during their stay here.
However, Variety learned there are some individuals in the CNMI who have been �sponsoring� pregnant tourists and their families in exchange for a hefty fee and help them extend their stay for up to 60 days after the initial 30-day stay.

But as Grey says, there�s no law against pregnant women traveling or against giving birth in the CNMI by anybody regardless of their immigration status.

Source: Marianas Variety; Friday, August 31st, 2007; http://www.mvariety.com/frontpage/front01.htm
_____________________________________

[Passions]

They blast and march against America, yet they flock for citizenship.

[hellofaniceguy]

[MarionG]

In June, 1900, my grandmother crossed into the US from Trois Rivieres, so that my mother could be born in the US, in Ogdensburg, New York. She did the same thing 4 years later for my aunt, and about 2 years afer that the whole family moved to California, where they stayed.

My point is, this is nothing new...

[Cheonmunka]

Seems like an easy option...

[Passions]

[CentralCali]

I wonder how aware those women are of Korea's recent (within the last two years) change in citizenship law? Their child cannot abandon Korean citizenship prior to performing national service.

I wonder also how aware those women are of American's not so recent (it was quite some time ago) change in Immigration law. Minors can no longer sponsor relatives into the US as immigrants.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[jaganath69]

Another reason to vote for Ron Paul as he plans to end Jus Soli, i.e. the right to citizenship if born here. Korea doesn't allow it; my son was born here and will not be a Korean citizen (for which I am thankful), so I can see no reason why the US should allow same.

[GoldMember]

Easy really, immigration people see a female foreign passport holder with a huge stomach tryting to get into the country, DON'T LET HER IN!
Trouble is there are now so many fat people in the US that they can't differentiate between fat women and pregnant women.
Is that a baby in there or too many burgers and TV dinners?

[Demophobe]

I think it's terrific!

Korea Fighting!

[ttompatz]

[huffdaddy]

[Bondgirl]

.m

[Alyallen]

I wonder how that would work...

I was born to green card holders. 18 years later, I went to college where I found out that the U.S. Social Security Administration is so inept that they couldn't verify me as a U.S. citizen. Luckily for me, I just gave my fin. aid office a copy of my birth certificate, so every time the Social Security Administration failed, the fin. aid used my birth certificate to correct them. I could only imagine how much more fun it will be if they completely take away the whole American by birth deal. The government simply suck at keeping track of things it seems from my experience. I can imagine it now...Lose a file, lose your citizenship.