WASHINGTON:-  The US State Department is set to begin revoking the passports of people with large amounts of child support arrears, the department said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the measure will be strictly enforced.

According to the ministry, parents with child support arrears of more than $2,500 will be ineligible to obtain a U.S. passport. Similarly, a law passed in 1996 gives the government the authority to revoke or limit the passports of such individuals, but this provision has rarely been implemented to date.

The State Department urged all individuals to immediately pay their outstanding child support debts to the state or states concerned, saying, “Any American with significant child support debts should make immediate payments to avoid passport cancellation.”

According to the ministry, once a passport is canceled, it cannot be used for international travel. To reissue a passport, all arrears must be paid to the child support enforcement agency in the relevant state, and the person must be certified as free of arrears as per records from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The ministry has not announced an official date for when the passport cancellation process will begin, but the process is expected to begin on Friday, targeting individuals with child support arrears of $100,000 or more.

The State Department will work with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct this process. HHS will provide details of individuals with outstanding payments of more than $2,500. It is not yet clear how many people will be affected by this move.

In August 1996, then-President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, which gave the Secretary of State the legal authority to revoke or limit the passports of people with large child support arrears.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said in a statement on social media that the policy has been effective and that it has been expanded. “We are expanding a practical practice that has effectively motivated individuals with child support arrears to pay their debts,” she said.

According to him, this step has been taken to ensure that American children receive the financial support they deserve by coordinating with various agencies under the leadership of the President and the Secretary of State. In addition, there will be a system in place to allow parents to regain the privilege of a US passport once they have paid their dues.