The United States government has announced a firm policy to deny visa applications from foreign nationals whose primary aim is to travel to the US for childbirth and automatic citizenship for their babies.
The US Mission in Nigeria made this known in a statement released on Monday, saying consular officers have been directed to refuse visa requests where there is reason to believe the applicant’s main purpose is to give birth in the US, a practice widely referred to as “birth tourism.”
“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 embassy stated. “Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent.”
Accompanying the announcement was a public advisory posted on the Mission’s official X account (formerly Twitter), which read, “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.”
The US Constitution, under the 14th Amendment, currently grants automatic citizenship to any child born on American soil, a policy that has drawn increasing attention globally. While legal, the trend has sparked controversy due to the emergence of companies and individuals profiting from organizing birth tourism trips, often at a high cost.
The US government, however, maintains that visa privileges must not be abused and that travel must reflect legitimate purposes.
“The visa process is designed to support genuine travel plans,” the Mission emphasized. “Those seeking entry for purposes that violate the spirit of US immigration laws will be denied.”
