The United States has issued a warning to Nigerian nationals who intend to travel primarily to deliver babies on American soil in hopes of securing U.S. citizenship for their children.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria, via its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), stated on Monday that traveling with the intention of giving birth violates visa policies, and such applications will be rejected by consular officers.
“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 statement read.
“Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
The warning comes amid increasing attention on the issue of “birth tourism” — a practice in which foreign nationals visit the U.S. to have children who automatically gain citizenship by birthright.
This isn’t the first time U.S. authorities have taken steps to address perceived visa abuse. In a separate policy shift, the U.S. Department of State earlier revised its rules, restricting most non-official Nigerian visa types to single entries with a validity period of just three months.
American officials argue that these changes are not aimed at any specific group but are part of broader efforts to strengthen immigration procedures and uphold the integrity of the visa system. The U.S. continues to emphasize compliance with stated travel purposes and adherence to global security standards.
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