US to deny visas for birth tourism, warns Nigerian applicants

The United States government has announced that it will deny visas to foreign nationals whose main reason for travel is to give birth on American soil in order to obtain citizenship for their children—a practice widely known as birth tourism. ADVERTISEMENT 01Businessday.ng01Businessday.ng In a statement issued Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria said consular officers have been directed to reject visa applications if there is reason to believe the applicant’s primary intent is to deliver a baby in the US and secure automatic citizenship for the newborn. “Using your visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have U.S. citizenship is not permitted,” the mission stated. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.” Read Also: Kenya opens its borders: Visa-free policy signals a new era for Pan-African unity Related News Nigeria’s rural poverty now ‘worse than in 1960’, group warns Africa holds nearly half of the world’s hungry - UN EFCC arrests seven Chinese, 4 Nigerians for illegal mining in Akwa Ibom An image posted alongside the statement on X (formerly Twitter) reinforced the warning: “We will deny your visa if we believe your primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to get U.S. citizenship for your child. This is not accepted.” Under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, any child born on US soil is automatically granted citizenship—a provision that has made the country a destination for birth tourism. However, the practice has increasingly come under scrutiny, especially as some companies and individuals charge large fees to arrange such trips. US authorities have been cracking down on these schemes, citing concerns over abuse of immigration policies and the strain it places on the healthcare system.