Giving birth in Miami is an opportunity to obtain American citizenship for a child, and after 21 years, to initiate the process of obtaining permanent residence for his family members, who after 5 years will be able to request a passport. Pregnant women also come to the United States to receive help from qualified doctors and be hospitalized in a clinic with modern equipment. Foreign women with low incomes can, in some cases, apply for Medicaid insurance in Miami, which entitles them to free childbirth. The bill at the clinic without such a policy will be approximately 10,800 USD. This article describes all the advantages of having a child in Miami, the features of maternity care in the States, the rules for obtaining an American passport for a newborn, parents and other family members, as well as the cost of all mentioned procedures .
Pros and cons of having a baby in Miami
The advantages of giving birth in Miami include:
- Opportunity to obtain a second citizenship. According to the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, children acquire citizenship of a given jurisdiction by jus soli, even if both parents of the newborn are foreigners. Also, American legislation does not prevent the simultaneous possession of two passports. Accordingly, if the birth of a child took place in Miami and he became an American, the parents can also apply for citizenship of the country of which they are native residents.
- High level of medicine. In 2023, the United States is in 30th position out of 166 countries in the world in terms of healthcare development, while the gap with the leader of the list is only 11 points. Foreign women choose Miami for complex and late births, and for multiple pregnancies.
- Availability of choice of birth program. Miami clinics welcome the procedure according to the patient’s wishes. Thanks to this, a pregnant woman can independently draw up a birth plan and coordinate it with a doctor. Relatives, friends and doulas are allowed to be present in the room with the woman giving birth.
- The presence of a large number of clinics that work with foreigners. Women choose to undergo pregnancy and childbirth in Miami because it is easy to find a hospital here that works with citizens of other countries under contract. Medical institutions usually have modern equipment; the patient is accommodated in a single room with its own bathroom. An attractive feature for foreigners is the presence of multilingual doctors, which often means there is no need for an interpreter during childbirth.
The downside to giving birth in Miami is the region’s hot and humid climate during the summer months—the average daily temperature in July is 32°C with 78% humidity. The flight to the USA can also be difficult for a pregnant woman, since it often takes a long time. The disadvantage of giving birth to citizenship in the United States is that the child’s parents cannot obtain permanent residence permits based on their relationship until the child turns 21. The high cost of health care is a barrier for many families. Foreigners should take into account that since 2020, the country has tightened its migration policy – an expectant mother may be denied an American tourist visa if she cannot confirm that the birth in Miami was planned for medical reasons and she is able to fully pay for this procedure.
Pregnancy and childbirth in Miami
Foreigners should note that in most cases in Miami they can only count on paid births, and therefore must prepare financially. The trip should be planned in advance, since many airlines prohibit boarding pregnant women after 32–36 weeks, and a long flight can negatively affect your well-being. And although the United States does not prohibit citizens of other countries from giving birth in Miami, women should apply for a visa early, otherwise there is a risk of being refused. Some families choose to be accompanied by an agency that organizes the trip on a turn-key basis, but it is necessary to find out in advance about the cost of such services.
In general, the plan of approximate actions for future parents is as follows.
1. Find a clinic
You can choose a hospital in Miami based on descriptions on the Internet, as well as reviews of other women on forums. Applicants should study the list of clinic services and immediately contact the administration to clarify whether they accept births from foreigners, and whether the institution employs doctors who speak a language that the patient understands.
2. Visa application
Applicants should note that the country’s authorities do not provide a visitor entry permit specifically for baby tourism, and care must be taken to have another basis, for example, B-1 for business trips or B-2 for recreation or visiting relatives/friends.
To obtain permission to enter the United States, foreigners must submit an online application in advance, as the wait time for an in-person interview can be several months. The application form should be filled out on the official website of the Consular Electronic Application Center, after which you will need to sign up for an interview. Individuals planning to take advantage of the benefits of having a baby in Miami can apply to the embassy in their home country or abroad, but authorities warn that in the latter case the paperwork will be more difficult. After the interview, applicants immediately receive a positive or negative response regarding the issuance of a visa.
3. Flight
After receiving a visa, applicants need to arrange a trip to Miami to select the most optimal tickets. Many airports in European countries have direct flights here – a flight from Warsaw takes about 11 hours, from Istanbul – half a day. As of 2024, you can only get to Miami from cities in post-Soviet countries with transfers. The only direct flight from Dubai lasts 16 hours, and the cheapest with a transfer in New York is 21. If a pregnant woman is flying late in her pregnancy, she may need a certificate from her attending physician giving permission to fly to board the plane, and also documents for childbirth in America – for example, a contract with the receiving clinic and confirmation that the choice of country is associated with complications.
4. Search for housing
You can quickly find an apartment or hotel through the websites Airbnb and Booking.com. To rent housing long-term and at better prices, applicants should contact a real estate agency or compatriot migrants who have been living in Miami for a long time (in this case, groups on social networks and chats in instant messengers will help).
5. Taking out insurance (if available)
Before the trip, applicants can take out a travel policy, but it usually does not cover the costs of childbirth. In most cases, pregnant women who come to Miami on a tourist or business visa and do not have sufficient funds cannot apply for Medicaid coverage for this purpose. Holders of local permanent resident status who have been in the United States for at least 5 years after receiving it, refugees, victims of human trafficking, persons arriving from Cuba or Haiti, and some other categories of foreigners living here have the right to count on this policy in the state of Florida.
It is worth requesting such a policy only if the woman’s estimated monthly income for a family of three, including an unborn child, is less than $3,551. Applications can be submitted through health.gov or Florida’s Medicaid portal and can take up to 45 days to process the application, which can be doubled if the applicant has a disability. You can also request a policy within 60 days after the birth of the child, which will allow you to compensate for the costs. If the pregnant woman has Medicaid at the time of delivery, the newborn is automatically enrolled in the program.
6. Registration at the clinic and drawing up a birth plan
Upon arrival in Miami, applicants must come to the selected clinic to undergo the first examinations and discuss the details of the upcoming pregnancy and childbirth. The privilege of giving birth in the USA is that a pregnant woman can plan the process on her own, but this must be done with the participation of a doctor. The doctor must evaluate the health of the woman and child, based on which he will approve or prohibit certain wishes. If applicants plan to write a refusal to be vaccinated, this possibility should also be discussed in advance. In Florida, vaccinations for newborns are mandatory unless they are medically indicated by a physician.
What happens after the baby is born
In the first days of life, a newborn must be vaccinated against hepatitis B. In America, women are recommended to be vaccinated against influenza and whooping cough during each pregnancy, since the resulting antibodies from her blood will enter the child’s bloodstream, thereby protecting him from these diseases. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe additional injections for the expectant mother.
Parents must take care of obtaining a birth certificate. For this purpose, you can contact your state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, your city’s county health department, or submit an online application through the VitalChek website. To submit the application, you will need a certificate of birth of the child in Miami from the clinic, as well as identification cards of the parents with a photo. Depending on the institution to which the mother and father apply, 30–32 USD must be paid for the application and processing. At the same time as submitting an application for a birth document, parents can also request the SNN – the child’s social security number.
American doctors usually discharge women 48 hours after giving birth and give instructions on how to care for the baby at home. Parents should also remember that a newborn can be transported in a car only in a special seat, which is turned against the direction of travel.
Giving birth in Miami and obtaining citizenship
If a child was born in Miami, he automatically becomes an American, which will be indicated on his birth certificate. However, the father and mother must separately request a certificate of citizenship through Form N-600, which is completed online at the USCIS website. Then parents should apply for a foreign passport for the newborn, a process that includes three steps:
- Collection of necessary documents. Parents need to prepare an original and a copy of the US citizenship certificate and the child’s birth certificate (the second document is required to confirm family ties), identification cards of the father and mother. A photo of the newborn on a white background with open or half-open eyes is also required.
- Preparation of the questionnaire. The application on form DS-11 is filled out by parents on the official government website, after which the document must be printed, the signature must be placed only after indicating the employee responsible for issuing passports.
- Submitting a petition. To request a document, you must contact your local Passport Acceptance Office in Miami and bring your prepared dossier with you. Some establishments accept visitors by appointment only. Both parents of the child must be present when filing the application, as they must agree to the issuance of a US passport. Civil servants will tell you how to track the readiness of document production – it is recommended to check the current status no earlier than after 14 days. The total processing time for a request is 10–13 weeks. State fee – 135 USD (for expedited processing of the application you must pay an additional 60 USD).
If the parents plan for the child to also have citizenship through the father and/or mother, it is necessary to submit a corresponding application to the consulate/embassy of the state in the United States. After registration of the status, a foreign passport of this country or a special document is requested for the return of the newborn.
Only a newborn can receive a US passport based on childbirth in Miami . Citizenship is not granted to parents and older children in the family immediately. Typically, applicants leave the state after giving birth, and when a person with a US passport turns 21, he can apply for a visa to the country and permanent residence on the basis of reunification for his father, mother, and all brothers and sisters.
How much does childbirth cost in Miami?
Before you decide to have a baby in Miami, you should find out how much it costs to organize such a trip. Approximate costs for a family of two are shown in the table:
| Expense item | Cost in $ |
|---|---|
| Rent a one-bedroom apartment in Miami, per month | 2,000–2,800 |
| Minimum food expenses, per month | 780 |
| Management of pregnancy and childbirth | 18,900 |
| Registration of a passport for a newborn | 135 |
Applicants will be able to find out exactly how much childbirth in Miami will cost and how much additional procedures cost only after signing a contract with the clinic. If foreigners turn to an intermediary company for help, they should also find out in advance about the price of the services provided. Child benefit in the United States is only paid if the family’s income is below the required minimum.