• jumjummy@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Unfortunately this also allows for wealthy people to participate in “birth tourism”. So many wealthy couples from China come to the US when pregnant just to have a child born in the states. I’m sure this is prevalent from many other countries as well, but I’ve seen first hand these couples from China.

    No other country allows for such an easy path to citizenship.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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      5 months ago

      I’m sure this is precedent from many other countries

      A section of a hospital in Canada was declared British soil (again) so that when a princess was born she was in England.

      So we’ve had the reverse.

    • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
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      5 months ago

      So if those kids move back to China after getting US birth certificates and social security numbers, do they then pay US income taxes for the rest of their lives?

      Are there any hard numbers on this practice?

      • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
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        5 months ago

        I’d assume they’d be required to pay taxes once they’re old enough to, but I’d be willing to bet that most of them don’t unless they plan to ever actually move to the US.

        I wonder how often the IRS actually goes after American citizens who don’t live in the US, especially ones that haven’t traveled to the US in more than 5+ years.

        Edit: they might also be completely unaware that they need to pay taxes. If I’m not mistaken, the US is literally the only country in the world that requires you to pay taxes when living abroad. Logically speaking, it makes sense that you wouldn’t have to pay taxes to a country you don’t live in.