The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a stern warning to pregnant Nigerian women who intend to travel to the U.S. primarily to give birth and secure American citizenship for their children.
In a tweet posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, July 28, the U.S. Mission clarified that using a visa for the primary purpose of childbirth is prohibited under U.S. immigration policy.
The statement reads: “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. Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
Persecondnews reports that the warning comes amid growing scrutiny of visa applications and increased enforcement around what is informally referred to as “birth tourism” — the practice of travelling to the US to give birth so the child obtains automatic citizenship.
The US Department of State had also revised its visa reciprocity policy, announcing that most non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will now be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.
The US reiterated that its visa policies are based on global technical and security benchmarks aimed at protecting the integrity of its immigration systems.
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