The US State Department announced stricter measures against citizens who fail to meet their child support obligations, including the possibility of revoking debtors’ passports.
According to the new practice, the measure could be applied to individuals who have accumulated child support debt exceeding $2,500, with priority given to those with significantly overdue payments.
The State Department stated that this represents a “common sense” approach aimed at protecting American families and encouraging compliance with legal obligations. Their explanation notes that the policy should strengthen parents’ accountability toward their children and ensure more effective enforcement of existing rules.
Debtors will be called upon to settle their overdue obligations through relevant state institutions in order to avoid sanctions, including loss of their travel document.
Once revoked, the passport cannot be used for international travel, and issuance of a new document will only be possible after full repayment of the child support debt.
The Ministry reminds that this measure is based on a federal law from 1996, which although has existed for a long time, has rarely been applied in practice. However, it has not yet been specified exactly when its active enforcement will begin.
For American citizens who are abroad at the time of revocation, there is a provision to request an emergency travel document through an embassy or consulate, which will enable their return to the US.
