The United States is set to step up passport revocations for citizens with unpaid child support. This does not involve stripping people of citizenship, but rather restricting their ability to use a U.S. passport for international travel.
At the initial stage, the measures will affect around 2,700 individuals with child support debts exceeding $100,000. The mechanism is then expected to expand to all citizens owing more than $2,500 — the threshold established under U.S. law.
The system itself is not new. The Passport Denial Program has existed since the late 1990s under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. PRWORA was one of the largest welfare reform laws in U.S. history. Through this program, states have already recovered more than $657 million in unpaid child support.
Until now, restrictions mainly applied when applying for a new passport or renewing an existing one. U.S. authorities are now moving toward actively revoking passports that have already been issued.
If a passport is revoked:
- The individual loses the ability to travel internationally.
- Those already abroad will have to contact a U.S. consulate for a temporary travel document to return home.
- The passport can only be restored once the debt has been fully repaid.
According to various estimates, between 500,000 and 5.7 million Americans hold second citizenships. For this group, the consequences may be less severe in terms of international mobility.
At the same time, work on legislative changes continues. Bill H.R. 6903 was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 27, 2026. The document clarifies that passport revocation should become a mandatory enforcement measure rather than simply an available tool for authorities.
